SKY BET have been slammed for featuring self-professed gambling addict Paul Merson in their adverts.
Merson, 51, battled booze, drugs and gambling addictions in the 1990s and but recently bravely opened up about a relapse of his betting problem.
The ex-Arsenal and England star spoke up on Good Morning Britain and Harry’s Heroes about his issues – with campaigners now fuming at Sky Bet.
Speaking on the two ITV shows, Merson revealed: “I’ve just found that when you want to get drunk or high you have to put stuff in your body.
“If you don’t have the first drink you don’t get drunk. With gambling you don’t have to put anything in its just there.
“And it just grips you – you are constantly looking at your phone and it just grips you.
“I’ve just completely lost control… completely, again. I’m digging a hole – I can’t get out of it. It’s the worst addiction in the world.
“THE WORST ADDICTION”
“I was getting up in the morning and betting on Lithuanian Under-20 basketball matches.”
Merson has featured in two different ad campaigns for Sky Bet since 2016 – as part of Sky Sports’ Soccer Saturday team.
Now the betting company have been criticised – with MP Carolyn Harris, who chairs a parliamentary group on gambling-related harm, quick to speak out.
Harris said: “This is deeply concerning and I strongly question the judgement of Sky Bet paying someone to appear in adverts for gambling when it has had a profound negative impact on their life.”
Meanwhile, the founders of Gambling With Lives, Charles and Liz Ritchie – who lost their gambling addict son to suicide – have demanded betting companies stop using sports stars in their ads full stop.
STOP USING SPORTS STARS
They claimed: “Gambling with Lives applauds Paul Merson for his courage in speaking out about gambling addiction despite being put in a difficult position by Sky Bet’s advertising machine.
““We call on gambling operators to stop using football celebrities to draw young fans into addictive online gambling and we call on football pundits to stop acting as ambassadors for gambling.
“Sky Bet have wished Paul Merson well. We asked them to release their assessments of the addictiveness of in-game betting, but have not received a reply.
“General good wishes are easy, operators are less forthcoming on the grim reality of the mechanisms of an addiction that can cost lives.”
Sky Bet have released a statement however, saying they will pull all campaigns featuring Merson.
It read: “In the circumstances we have withdrawn the limited amount of Sky Bet promotional material in which Paul had featured.
“We have offered Paul professional help and will continue to provide any support and assistance Paul needs.”
Rex Features
