TYRONE MIDFIELDER CONN Kilpatrick has spoken about how he overturned a crippling gambling addiction that saw up rack up debts of over £10,000 on two separate occasions.
Kilpatrick told RTÉ’s Claire Byrne Live that on both occasions, the problem only stopped when family and friends stepped in and forced him to address the issue.
The 24-year-old recently played a starring role for Tyrone as the county landed a first All-Ireland title since since 2008, and the Edendork man said that putting his gambling addiction behind him has allowed him to focus properly on his football again.
“Three weeks ago was unbelievable, but compared to three years ago – obviously I had a gambling addiction and that’s when it all kind of came out at home,” Kilpatrick said.
The 24-year-old said he was introduced to gambling in his mid-teens, with the problem growing from there.
Three weeks ago Tyrone footballer Conn Kilpatrick was celebrating an All Ireland victory in Croke Park. But three years earlier he was struggling with a gambling addiction.#CBLive pic.twitter.com/0msxZwKSkw
— Claire Byrne Live (@ClaireByrneLive) October 4, 2021
“I maybe started about 15 or 16 doing a wee bet with my father and my brother on a Saturday just for a bit of craic and for a bit of banter.
“Then as I grew older it kind of became more apparent. I was going into the bookies more, I had a few online accounts, I just seemed to find myself in the bookies quite a lot and doing quite more than what had started off as a wee fiver bet that was quite innocent.
“That’s how innocent it started off and it just got gradually worse.”
Having racked up heavy debts, a group of Kilpatrick’s friends stepped in and told his parents about the issue in February 2018.
“I think people had an inkling because obviously if I was in the bookies quite a lot, with the football, people would have been talking saying ‘did you see him?’ or ‘he’s been coming in quite regularly.’
“Then in 2018 it kind of all came out. I had just borrowed too much money and stole that much money that it all caught up with me. I was maybe saying that I needed to pay the car payment or I was going on holidays and was a bit short and I needed a bit more.
“To be honest, I could come up with a lie as quick as I could do anything. Whatever I needed to say to get it, I probably did say it. When you look back some of the things I said, it was crazy.
“I wasn’t a great person to be around. I was coming home and if I had won I was in a great mood but nine times out of ten I had lost so I was coming in very moody.
“Nobody could talk to me, I was always snapping back. I just wanted to go into my room and get on my phone and see who I could borrow money off, the next person, and what I was going to gamble on the next day, what football or horses.
“I was just kind of trying to think of ways to try and get that money back and get going again.”
“In 2018 when it first came out, I didn’t come to the forefront and say ‘I have an addiction’’, he added.
“Three of my closest friends landed down to my house and they’d just heard too much. They landed down and told my parents. I was actually at my girlfriend’s house and I got the phone call from my father and he said ‘come on home here’ and I just knew by the tone of his voice that you’re caught.
“They were worried about me. I knew who to go for money and I knew to keep it out of my close circle because then I thought it would get back, obviously I went too far and they found out.”
Kilpatrick said that at that stage, he estimated his debts were between £10,000 to £15,000.
He then avoided placing a bet for over a year, but relapsed in 2019.
“I just woke up and something kind of took over me, it’s hard to explain but I never had the idea of going back on it the night before, the week before, I just kind of woke up and started again.”
Kilpatrick fell into heavy debt again, and again the problem only stopped when a friend alerted his father.
“He was just distraught. ‘How can you let this happen, do you not know what you’ve obviously done to the family and the hurt you’ve caused’ and he was 100% right.”
Kilpatrick feels his relapse could possibly have been avoided if he had committed to helpful measures such as Gamblers Anonymous meetings, but at the time was worried he would be spotted attending the meetings.
He has since changed his approach, and highlighted the important role played by his friends and family as well as former Armagh footballer Oisín McConville – who has spoken in depth about his own gambling addiction – the Gaelic Players Association and his counselor.
“I’ve been off it now a year and a half and it has changed my life, both on and off the pitch,” he said.
“I can go to bed sleeping at night without worrying about who I owe money to, about where I’m going to get the money tomorrow. I can go to training. In the past I was going to training to probably get away from it and take a break from it but it was still hindering my football.
“Whenever I was caught it was still a weight lifted off my shoulders and if you’re big enough to own up then you deserve far more credit that you think you’re worth.”
If you need help with gambling addiction, get in touch with Gamblers Anonymous via one of their regional contacts, Problem Gambling Ireland on 089 241 5401.
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