Gambling

Australian sporting stars with a disclosed gambling issues


March 27, 2019

This list tracks current and former sporting professionals who have disclosed a battle with gambling addiction.

Ben Barba: The NRL player's heavy battle with gambling became public in 2013 - see Daily Telegraph.

Allen Christensen: the former Adelaide Crow turned Brisbane Lion revealed in 2019 that he'd lost hundreds of thousands due to a gambling addiction, mainly on horse racing. See AFL.com.

Owen Craigie: the former Newcastle Knights NRL star estimates he lost $1.5 million from a gambling addiction which ruined his career - see Fox Sports interview from 2016.

Daryn Cresswell: Lost almost $1 million gambling and finished up in jail - see this 2017 interview with Ross Coulthart on Sunday Night.

Brendan Fevola:
the former Carlton star estimates he lost $1 million gambling - see Herald Sun piece in 2013.

Ryan Fitzgerald: the media star played just 18 AFL games for the Swans and Crows but disclosed how a gambling addition nearly ruined his life - see Daily Mail.

Simon Goodwin: the former Crows captain was fined for betting on AFL games and revealed to Mike Sheahan in 2008 how a gambling addiction caused significant harm.

Brett Guerra: the Hawthorn Premiership player estimated he lost $400,000 over 4 years courtesy of a gambling addiction - see his own story via the VRGF in 2015.

Nathan Hindmarsh: disclosed $200,000 in losses over a six year period on the pokies in his autobiography released in 2012. See this extract. Later became an ambassador for Clubs NSW.

David Schwarz: the former Melbourne star disclosed he lost a seven figure sum and published a book, All Bets Are Off, in 2011. Hasn't gambled since 2005. See this Herald Sun piece from 2015. Spent many years subsequently working for pokies giant ALH.

Jake Stringer: it was former partner Abby Gilmore who disclosed that the former Western Bulldogs premiership player had lost large sums on gambling - see this 2017 piece in Mamamia.

Daniel Ward: played 136 AFL games for Melbourne but suffered significant harm from a gambling addiction - see Fox Sports.