Paul Merson opens up about gambling addiction in new BBC film

Ex-England footballer Paul Merson has opened up about his decades-long struggle with gambling addiction in a new documentary film called ‘Paul Merson: Football, Gambling and Me’.

Over a 21-year career, Merson made appearances for teams including Arsenal, Middlesbrough and Aston Villa, as well as being capped 21 times for the England national team. 

Yet the new documentary sees the 53-year-old sports star explore a very different side to his career. By his own estimate, Merson has lost a total of £7m since he first placed a bet. In ‘Football, Gambling and Me’, Merson explores where the roots of his compulsive behaviour lie, as well as why footballers are at greater risk than other sectors of the population and what action is needed at a higher level to break people’s dangerous habits.

Merson is no stranger to making media appearances to discuss his various struggles over the years. Since first revealing his addictions to alcohol, cocaine and gambling in 1994, he has spoken candidly about overcoming them in both the print and broadcast media. His addiction to gambling, however, has proven to be the most enduring of all, as he reveals in the documentary: “I’ve been addicted to alcohol and cocaine, but the most destructive and only one I’m still struggling with is gambling.”

“If I want to get drunk or high, I have to put something up my nose or down me. Gambling’s already in you, just waiting constantly, talking to you.”

Merson lays bare the great personal loss that his gambling addiction has brought him, revealing that a relapse during last year’s first lockdown led to him losing the deposit on a house that he and his family had been hoping to move into.

The documentary also zones in on footballers and what makes them particularly susceptible to problematic gambling habits. A 2014 study revealed that 6.1% of sportsmen were problem gamblers. When compared with the 1.9% of the general population in the same position, it seems obvious that something is making them more vulnerable.

Conversations with fellow players Keith Gillespie, John Hartson and Scott Davies reveal that the three of them have gambled away a combined £15m. According to Merson, the typical footballer’s lifestyle offers “bundles of money and bundles of time” that opens the door to problematic gambling habits.

Merson also discusses the role that betting and gambling companies play in exacerbating problem gamblers’ addictions. Talking to Matt Zarb-Cousin, founder of the Clean Up Gambling campaign, he learns how gambling operators harvest players’ details after their initial sign-up, and expresses his frustration that more isn’t being done to spot problematic habits and clamp down on them.

Overall, Merson’s main hope for the film is that it will help others struggling with an addiction to get the help they need.

“If one person watches it and says ‘I need help’ that would be a major success story for me. I wouldn’t wish this on anybody.”

The documentary is now available to view online: head over to BBC iPlayer to watch it in full.

If any of the issues raised in the documentary ring true for you, have a look at our tips for responsible gambling.