Three football stars who almost lost everything to gambling

Whether they're playing football in Canada or tennis at Wimbledon, athletes make eye watering sums of money. Included in this group are football stars, who are some of the most highly paid sports people in the entire world.
But despite their talents and outrageous fortunes many players still manage to piss it all away. They spend their money on friends and family or luxury properties, cars and holidays. Worst of all, some stars simply gamble it all away.
Yes, according to sources dozens of professional football players have full blown gambling addictions. This is something that you rarely hear about but it's actually a serious problem. It's easy to see why this happens. These guys have more money and free time than they know what to do with.
Also, many believe they have special insights into sports like football and know exactly where bets should be placed. Sadly, most of the time this belief is totally unfounded. Also, it's not always sports betting. Some prefer to visit casinos and hit the slot machines or poker rooms. Anyway, here are three players who lost fortunes to their gambling addictions.
Joey Barton
One of the saddest stories is that of Joey Barton whose career was basically destroyed by gambling addiction. In 2017 he got into serious trouble when it was found that he broke FA gambling rules by betting on his own team to lose. When this was discovered he was suspended for 18 months, a ruling which is likely to put an end to his career.
Although he appealed this, the committee found that due to the footballers age, his career was practically over anyway. That being said he was able to reduce the ban down to five months. Another interesting point is that, according to the former midfielder, a staggering 50% of professional footballers bet on games.
Michael Chopra
One player who managed to get into serious trouble is Michael Chopra. While not nearly as successful as players like Wayne Rooney (Who is also rumoured to have gambling problems) he still managed to blow enormous amounts of money on betting. The former Newcastle and Sunderland striker has publically admitted to losing more than two million pounds due to his crippling addiction.
According to the footballer, he couldn't wait to get off the pitch so that he could check his phone and see if he won. He even played through injuries just so he could get the appearance fees and have money to gamble. Thanks to his wife he managed to clean up and also spent time at the sporting chance clinic – a specialized recovery centre specifically for athletes.
Paul Merson
The former Arsenal and England midfielder has spoken candidly about his addictions to gambling and alcohol, as well as his struggles with mental health. In 2008 he lost his home after being unable to make mortgage payments and over the years has been involved in a number of drink driving incidents.
The star estimates that gambling and alcohol abuse has cost him more than seven million pounds and was also responsible for the breakdown of his first marriage. Today the 51 year old is sober and has a successful career as a presenter and pundit for Sky Sports. His advice to people going through these types of issues is to talk about them with friends and seek help if necessary.
It's good advice. While everyone knows that gambling can be extremely lucrative, the fact is when going to the local bookie or casino, you have to make sure you're being responsible and not playing for more than you can afford to lose. Use expert sites that also promote responsible gambling such as Topslots in Canada.