Educating young people around the dangers of the gambling industry and further risk of addiction.

Against The Odds Education and Awareness is a Social Enterprise CIC (Community Interest Company) that offers educative programmes to the next generation on the dangers of the gambling industry and further risk of addiction.

We work with Secondary Schools, Further Education Colleges, Grassroots Teams and a host of clubs throughout Professional Sport.

We educate young people around an addiction that has higher suicide rates than any other in the UK.

Our standard sessions cover everything from my journey as a gambling addict, physical and financial impacts, spotting a problem in yourself or within friends, gambling within elite sport, gambling advertising, money management, understanding your credit report and much more.

About Us

At the age of 16 (2007) two friends took me into a betting shop in Coventry.
I looked like I was in Year 11 in Year 7 so there was no ID required. I lost £5 in the roulette machine and could not believe it, gone just like that.

I developed an addiction that lasted 10+ years, at an age where it was illegal in this country to place a bet. At the time you could stake £100 maximum on the roulette machines in the bookmakers, gamble using a credit card and even ban yourself in one branch and head 2 minutes down the road to the next.

At around the same time payday loan firms become more prominent in the UK (various high publicity legal battles over affordability checks followed) and were advertised widely on TV. “What perfect timing”

Apart from Gambling Anonymous there we no outreaching avenues of support available. Although I tried GA (and admire the fantastic work they do) personally, it wasn’t the environment for me.

For over a decade, I battled with addiction losing over £200,000.
EMA to student loans, monthly salary, and commission to selling personal possessions.

In March 2020 I told myself for the final time I would stop betting however this time I started walking, clocking up miles instead of financial losses and in November 2021 Against The Odds was born.

“To empower the next generation with the knowledge of impacts caused by problem gambling. Our social purpose as a Community Interest Company is to ensure we bridge the gap in lack of education and awareness”