Andros Townsend Opens up on Losing £46,000 Gambling in One Night

April 2, 2020October 15, 2021 Doris Jensen

Recently, England national Andros Townsend, a famous soccer player who plays for Crystal Palace in the English Premier League, has finally publicly shared his story about the night he made a loss of £46,000 ( approximately $60,000) gambling, whilst in bed.

SPEAKING OUT FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE THE EVENT

Townsend has now spoken to the public for the first time about his longstanding gambling addiction. This came after him being imposed a fine by the England Football Association back in June 2013. He was also later on suspended for breaching betting regulations in the country.

He has now opened up on a unique set of circumstances that led to him started gambling and losing a huge amount of money, having conquered his gambling addiction.

Andros Townsend Loss £46,000 in One Night

DISPELLING MYTHS

Writing on The Players’ Tribune, Townsend was quick to dispel myths around his lifestyle. He stated that he “didn’t drink or do drugs”. He also stated that he has never stepped foot inside a nightclub ever in his life. However, he did admit to losing £46,000, all in one night with just one top on his phone.

After confessing his addictive personality, Townsend went on to explain how the mixture of being bored and being alone and away from home, had led to the disaster event causing him the loss. He moved away from his parent club as a result of his series of financial loans. One day, he stumbled across an advertisement for a free bet, which was the beginning of it all.

Townsend decided to download the gambling app onto his phone to have a flutter. Who would have known that a few months down the road, Townsend’s addiction spiralled out of control and he was losing a lot of his money? However, he continued to increase the bet in hopes that it will dig him out of the hole, but it did not. The hole got deeper.

WEDNESDAY NIGHT IN BLACKPOOL

It was a night in 2012, the night before Birmingham faced Blackpool in the first leg of the 2012 Championship playoff semi-finals, where Townsend found himself at his lowest.

According to Townsend, it happened whilst he was just lying in bed, having trouble falling asleep, the night before one of the biggest games of the season. The combination of boredom and nervousness have brought him to betting a huge amount of money and losing them.

In reflection of his actions, Townsend stated that “I am probably the only lad in the history to lose £46,000 (approximately $ 60,000) lying in bed on a Wednesday night in Blackpool”

However, he had stopped gambling, after being caught by the Football Association in June 2013. He was also banned from the player as he had breached regulation – in which he was betting on soccer games. As a result, he was handed a four-month ban and this was sufficient to make him kick his habit.

TOWNSEND WANTS TO SHARE HIS MESSAGE

According to the man himself, he believes that it is likely that he would still be betting, had he not been caught by the Football Association.

He now hopes to help others with the same addiction, by sharing his story and message. The soccer player was only 10 years old when he lost his half brother Kurtis who tragically died in a car crash. Townsend admitted that this pain was something he carried with him throughout his early football career.

He said: “I’m telling it for the people out there who have had their knocks – for those who have been misunderstood, depressed, lost, and especially the ones who have battled addiction. It didn’t stop until I got caught. And thank God that I got caught. When I was charged by the Football Association and facing a ban from soccer, it snapped me back to reality.”