For those parents who were able to attend this talk by Patrick Foster we were treated to an insight into the world of someone whose life almost ended through an addiction to gambling. Patrick was a young man who was hugely successful in sport and then in his career but lost everything through gambling and was within minutes of taking his own life. Patrick Foster was one of the cricketers suffering from problem gambling. Born and raised in Kenya, he received education in Northamptonshire before realising his dream of becoming a professional.
The week-long series of RG awareness includes seminar from problem gambler – aimed at the long-term goal of becoming the ‘safest place to play’
Bede Gaming, the award-winning supplier of software to the online gaming industry, has launched its inaugural campaign of responsible gaming initiatives to coincide with Responsible Gambling Week, as it progresses towards its long-term goal of being the ‘safest ‘place to play’.
The week-long internal campaign highlights the major issues, technology challenges and realities of problem gambling with the aim of educating its 177 strong staff as to how a responsible gaming company is more sustainable and successful.
With a strong focus on staff well-being, Bede has arranged a series of diverse initiatives and activities that it plans to continue to drive forward in the coming months and years.
As well as striving to develop its tools to the highest standard with an RG focus for player safety, the company is using this week to engage its staff with RG practices, to educate them on the risks of problem gambling and to encourage open discussion around the issues.
Bede’s Responsible Gaming Week highlights includes:
• A series of staff awareness initiatives encouraging every technical and non-technical employee to examine how Bede can improve RG methods, and enhance its own RG technology tools
• The integration of staff RG policies within the Bede Gaming employee handbook ensuring Bede is taking every step possible to look after the mental health and welfare of its staff
• A seminar delivered by a reformed problem gambler to highlight the risks and to educate staff on spotting problem gambling behaviours
Patrick Foster Gambling Addiction
Alex Butcher, CEO, Bede Gaming, said: “RG Week is just the beginning of our journey to becoming a more responsible member of the gaming industry and practising what we preach. Raising awareness and discussing openly the issues involved, as well as engaging everyone to improve our responsible gaming tools and technologies, plays a crucial part in our long-term vision of being the safest place to play. We have a responsibility to both the industry and our staff to keep gambling safe and fun.”
Patrick Foster, Epic Risk Management, who is speaking to Bede employees this week, said: “It's great to see Bede Gaming embracing RG week and taking the necessary steps on their journey to achieving their vision of being the safest place to play.
“If my story can help them achieve this through educating their staff and customers it can only be a good thing. At Epic Risk Management, we have all had problems with gambling and are now putting our experiences into helping the industry become more empowered and positive towards safer gambling practices.
“We want the industry to be fun, not destructive, and we're starting to see a shift in attitudes towards more responsible gambling. The more companies like Bede, that can get on board with better practices and policies, the more successful and enjoyable the industry will be.”
Patrick Foster Gambling Casinos
A former Northamptonshire cricketer is warning others about the impact of addiction after racking up hundreds of thousands of pounds of gambling debts.
Just a few months ago Patrick Foster was thinking about ending his life, but now he's speaking out about his recovery to raise awareness of compulsive gambling.
Click below for Sarah Byrd's report
Patrick Foster played for Northamptonshire before heading off to University.
And that's where he started gambling.
Patrick said: 'It was fun, it was a hobby, it was very much amongst my peers and mates, it was something that we did on a Saturday, a football accumulator, a bet on the horses, whatever it might be and that was definitely the beginning of the end, as it were.'
When Patrick's cricket dream ended, gambling filled the gap.
'When I was playing professional sport, you get that intensity, it's very competitive, you get that instant response, instant reaction from how you're doing, whether you're succeeding, failing and gambling kind of filled that void,' said Patrick.
'And those bets, they went very quickly from being a £1 accumulator on a Saturday, to being £100 on a horse to, in the latter days, being £1000 and beyond that.
'When I think back now, you think, my word, what was I doing? But, it genuinely didn't feel like that £1 that it started with, was any different to the £1000 that it finished with.'
My rock bottom was standing at the end of a train platform about to end my life.