A National Rugby League star has revealed how, at the height of his career, gambling took over his life.
Former Canberra Raiders forward Luke Bateman confessed that, despite earning $400,000 a year, his gambling addiction left him “so broke” he “couldn’t buy groceries”.
Australia has some of the highest rates of gambling in the world. According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, the country’s gambling expenditure topped $31 billion in 2022-23.
‘Dark times’
Bateman told ABC News that in 2019 his gambling had progressed to such a point that “it consumed my life. Every single thing I did revolved around that gambling app on my phone”.
“I had $70,000 or $80,000 in my…