Might Bite

The Secret Life of a Gambling Addict

Patrick Foster, Will Macpherson

$29.99

Hardback

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English

Bloomsbury Sport
03 February 2022

Autobiography: sport; Memoirs; Addiction & therapy; Internet gambling; Gambling: theories & methods

'An electrifying account of gambling addiction ... compelling' - The Times

'Searingly honest ... should be in the hands of anyone who has eyed a bet' - Daily Mail

'A remarkable piece of work' - The Cricketer

With a foreword by Marcus Trescothick.

For more than 12 years, Patrick Foster lived a double life. Turning 31, a popular and sociable young teacher and former professional cricketer, he had a lovely girlfriend and a supportive family. But he was hiding a secret and debilitating gambling addiction from even those closest to him.

Huge bets had led to huge debts, thousands of lies, and consequences for his mental health that pushed him to the edge of the platform at Slough station, where he was moments from taking his own life in March 2018.

That month Patrick had turned a £30 bet into £28,000, then lost £50,000 on a single horse, Might Bite, in the Cheltenham Gold Cup, watching the race in a silent classroom as his students undertook a mock exam in front of him. In his desperation, he had taken out every possible loan, and borrowed money from family, friends and even the parents of children he taught. Although his life was unravelling around him, he could not stop.

You might think that this is just one man’s story. But problem gambling affects one in 200 people in the UK alone. Hundreds lose their lives annually as a result. The industry is worth more than £14 billion.

Might Bite is a shocking, cautionary tale of just how easy it is to fall victim to the insidious lure of ‘winning big’. And of how recovery is possible from the depths of addiction, no matter how inescapable it seems.

By: Patrick Foster
With: Will Macpherson
Imprint: Bloomsbury Sport
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 216mm, Width: 135mm,
Weight: 368g
ISBN: 9781472992130
ISBN 10: 147299213X
Pages: 256
Publication Date: 03 February 2022
Audience: General/trade , College/higher education , Professional and scholarly , ELT Advanced , Primary
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active

Patrick Foster is a former professional cricketer, insurance broker and school teacher whose life was shattered by a pathological gambling addiction. He now devotes his life to preventing others following the same path through his work with EPIC Risk Management, the leading gambling harm-minimisation consultancy in the UK. Will Macpherson is a sports journalist. For the last two years he has been the Evening Standard’s cricket and rugby correspondent. Before joining the Evening Standard, he worked mainly for the Guardian and the Times.

Reviews for Might Bite: The Secret Life of a Gambling Addict

Powerful ... electrifying ... compelling ... challenges deep-seated class assumptions about gambling ... [which is] still regarded as a problem for poor people, for losers. You only have to read Foster's unflinching account of entitlement, self-hatred and degradation to know that is the biggest lie of all. -- Melanie Reid * The Times * [A] mesmerising, superbly written story of despair, decline and redemption ... Searingly honest ... compelling ... should be in the hands of anyone who has eyed a bet * Daily Mail * Reading of Foster's descent is itself compulsive * The i * An extraordinary story ... vital stuff * Adrian Chiles, BBC Radio 5 Live * An in-depth testimony ... show[s] how anybody can fall prey to gambling addiction. * Daily Telegraph * A powerful story that I know only too well - a no-holds barred journey through gambling addiction and into the hope of recovery. * Paul Merson * A well written, ruthlessly honest account of gambling addiction * Jimmy McGovern * As a society, we are only just getting to grips with gambling addiction. Patrick Foster is a trailblazer. His work will help many. * Marcus Trescothick * Foster's compelling account of a once charmed life careering on a downward spiral proves [gambling addiction] can affect anyone. * Bristol Post * A shocking insight into life with gambling addiction and proof that these issues really don't discriminate. * Tom Curry, England rugby player * A must read journey through gambling addiction and out the other side - ultimately uplifting. * Charlotte Edwards CBE, ex-professional cricketer and England captain * This story will stop you in your tracks. * Sam Billings, England cricketer *