Graham Gooch proposed and supported something spectacular for all cricketers. He urged members of the Professional Cricketers Association to increase their contributions so that he could launch a gambling awareness program for every one of the 18 counties that are considered as first-class counties. Gooch personally contributed £50,000 from the funds that he had for his scholarships, and he requested that none of those funds go toward anything other than the program. His idea is to educate young cricketers before they get swept away or pulled down by one of the fastest growing epidemics in the nation: online gambling. Lincoln University revealed that more than $1 million gambling addicts live in the UK.
The country’s sporting culture has changed drastically over the the past decade. Originally, tobacco and alcohol companies were the ones who used to bombard sporting events with ads and commercials to buy their products. Now, gambling companies have taken over that position, and people now see betting ads at an alarming volume. The UK doesn’t have any restrictions on gambling, so 18-24 year old cricketers are susceptible to getting sucked into the betting world. They may not be able to bet on cricket, but they can surely bet on other sports. A recent survey by one of the awareness camps revealed that 91 percent of the participants already had online gambling accounts. Gooch is definitely moving in the right direction since this problem has already started to touch young players. Gooch said that he was never a gambler, but he did notice how enchanting and easy the invite to bet was and still is. It’s everywhere, and because of that, young players will find it difficult to resist. They will need to have experienced persons who can educate and edify them so that they maintain the strength to stay away from gambling when they have time on their hands.
People who have been through certain difficulties are the best ones to teach other people about the dangers of getting involved in certain activities. Therefore, Gooch named Paul Buck as the person who would lead the courses and instructions. Buck had his own personal run-in with gambling addiction. He spent more than 11 months in jail because of the direction the addiction took him. He is an excellent choice because he can share his personal experiences and hopefully scare these young men away from the sin of betting addiction. Incarceration, depression, bankruptcy and even suicide have stemmed from this problem. In fact, the issue has caused so many problems for UK residents that it has crept into the DSM as a valid addiction. Practitioners consider gambling addiction the same a heroin addiction now.
The program will offer much more than classes on the addiction. It will offer other elements such as a help line for people who want to deal with their struggles discreetly and still receive friendly advice. Hopefully, the program will help young cricketers to start their lives on the right foot by spending their excess funds and time on positive ventures.
