OISIN MCCONVILLE HAS revealed that several high-profile GAA inter-county players have approached him for advice as they are ‘in serious bother’ with gambling problems.
The former Armagh footballer has gone public with his own gambling issues in the past and was present yesterday for the release of the GAA and GPA’s guidelines on the subject.
McConville believes the number of ‘problem gamblers’ will continue to grow.
“I think we’re going to have more problem gamblers because we’re exposing people to it. There’s lots of high profile players who are in bother. Some of them would be in serious bother.
“The accessibility and all that sort of thing is not really the issue. The big issue is that when people begin gambling, I don’t think they’re full armed with all the facts or pitfalls. With the GPA or counselling services, there is help out there and you can avail of it.”
“It’s very easy to say, ‘stop’ but you need to have the general mechanisms there. They’re not going to say stop because I say it, they have to want it.
“I was a 24/7 gambler, it was the first thing I thought about in the morning and the last thing I thought about at night. A lot of things have to change within your life but you have to go and get that initial help.”
