I can’t tell you how much the betting companies loved me. They laid on seats at concerts and invited me to their golf events.
For 10 years a certain firm I won’t name even laid on a corporate table at Cheltenham races for me to bring 10 friends. I didn’t have to leave my seat all day. They just sent staff in to take my bets. Those people just couldn’t do enough for me.
That was clever of them. I was a deeply addicted gambler and they knew it. But no one’s going to say ‘no’ when the whole world knows you’re on a big four-year deal, there’s £40,000 dropping into your account on a very regular basis and you want to place a bet.