‘IT’S COST ME DEAR’
Snooker star hopespes his gambling problemsems will help others face reality
S NOOKER legend and BBC sports commentator Willie Thorne has opened up about his problem gambling as he prepares to address Wales’ Excessive Gambling conference in Cardiff.
Thorne, who amassed 14 worldwide titles during his 25-year playing career, declared himself bankrupt last year after gambling debts led to a suicide attempt.
The former UK Snooker Championship runner-up said: “The impact of the losses I have incurred over the years has cost me dear.
“I’m tackling my problem but am far from being out of the woods.
“I hope that by speaking openly about my own personal struggles at the conference it may ring a few bells with other problem gamblers who have yet to face up to the problem.
“Many, like myself, will deal with the problem in secret and not want to reach out for help but sooner or later you run out of excuses and have to face reality.”
At one stage Thorne and his wife had to seek help from police, after gambling debt collectors came to his home.
The 62-year-old has previously told how his gambling spiralled after he retired from snooker in 2002.
He amassed a reported £1m in debts and at times was forced to seek help paying them off from friends including ex-footballer and fellow broadcaster Gary Lineker.
Nicknamed “Mr Maximum” for holding the world record for hitting 190 maximum 147 breaks, Thorne is a regular BBC snooker commentator and has appeared in programmes including Strictly Come Dancing.
He will address the conference at the Pierhead Building, Cardiff, on Wednesday, ay, alongside leadingding researchers, addiction specialists, cialists, politicians,s, policy makers,s, and other gamblers.
The aim m of the confererence, organised by the Cardiffffbased Beat at the Odds s i nitiative e and spon- sored by y Conserva-- tive AM Darren Millar, is to bring service users together to share best practice and research. Since its inaugural c conference last year the initiative h has worked with gamblers in Wales Wales. It is currently providing suppo support for 32 problem gamblers. Beat the Odds is a collaborationcol between The Victorian Responsible Gambling Fo Foundation, based in Melbourne, Australia, and recovery centre Living Room Cardiff. Liv Living Room chie chief executive Wyn Wynford Ellis Owe Owen said: “Ex “Excessive gam gamblers are ver very good at hi hiding their p problems b but many a are only o one loss away from financia nancial disaster.”