The Cheltenham Festival attracts huge crowds, the vast majority of whom are in attendance to place bets on the races. Photo: Reuters
“The bookies hook you in with free bets, hoping you’ll keep gambling, win or lose. They push you to sign up to online gambling, where you can place a bet at any hour of the day or night on your smartphone or laptop. Opportunities to gamble are everywhere and very hard to escape.”
They are the words of a recovering gambling addict, speaking to the Irish Independent.