A football player has spoken about his struggle with gambling addiction as he prepares to wear special laces to highlight the issue.
Lewis Carey, who plays for Lewes FC, says that gambling addiction "destroyed my life" and has backed a campaign to remove gambling adverts from the game.
The keeper will be joined by the Lewes men’s and women’s team who will wear yellow laces to support the campaign during their fixtures.
Carey said: “As someone who has suffered with gambling addiction, it is so important that footballers like me do what we can to be positive examples to young people, and that must mean we aren’t forced to be billboards for gambling, nor play in stadiums that promote this product that destroyed my life.
“I’ll be wearing yellow laces this weekend to draw attention to football’s role in facilitating gambling addiction and to demand change."
Both the Lewes FC teams will wear the laces during their Barclays Women’s Championship fixture against Bristol City and the Isthmian League fixtures against Folkestone Invicta and Brightlingsea Regent.
Research shows that gambling adverts are visible around 90% of the time during Match of the Day games and over 700 adverts can appear during a single televised Premier League game.
The campaign, organised by The Big Step, will demand an end to the sponsorship of football teams by gambling companies and also seeks to ban gambling from being advertised during matches.
James Grimes, who founded The Big Step campaign after being addicted to gambling, said: “Gambling is often a hidden addiction, and we wear bright yellow to highlight there is no shame and to remember all of the bright lives taken by gambling.
"This weekend is a bold reminder to the government that campaigners for gambling reform and our supportive football clubs are not going away until people can go to a match and support their heroes without being encouraged to gamble.
“Football is worshipped by millions and cannot be used as a platform to advertise addictive gambling products. We applaud and thank all the clubs taking part.”
Lewes FC will wear yellow laces during their games on Saturday, November 5, Sunday, November 6, and Tuesday, November 8.
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