Former Ipswich player Michael Chopra opens up about gambling addiction
The latest stats from the NHS show almost 6 in 10 adults in the East of England place a bet every year
A new study has discovered which English regions are gambling the most, with the East of England coming second in the rankings.
The research was conducted by Japanese Online Casino Guide, which collated data from the latest NHS Health Survey for England (2021/22) on adult participation rates in any gambling activities in the last 12 months, by region.
The regions were then ranked based on their adult participation percentage, with stats showing 57% of people in the East of England took part in gambling activities between 2021 and 2022.
It was beaten only by the North East, where 59% have had a flutter over the same time period.
This comes as a former Premier League, and Ipswich Town, star has opened up about his past addiction.
Michael Chopra, who played for the Blues, as well as clubs like Newcastle United, has appeared on The Central Club Podcast revealing how bad it got.
Chopra has spoken openly about his battle with a gambling addiction over the years in an effort to raise awareness and help others.
The Geordie, who spent time at the Sporting Chance Clinic, previously estimated that he lost up to £2m through betting.
At one point Chopra asked his team-mate Kieron Dyer to palce a £120,000 bet for him, though Dyer said no.
Looking back on when his gambling was 'really bad', Chopra said he had a £50,000 limit with a bookmaker used by Dyer when the former Newcastle striker asked his team-mate to place a £120,000 wager on Juventus to win a game.
"He said, 'I'm not doing it,'" Chopra recalled to the Central Club. "I was like, 'Put it on'. He said, 'I can't do it for you. If they lose, you're £170,000 in debt.'
"Juventus won. I came in and said, 'That would have cleared the balance on my debt', but he was looking out for me and not putting that much of a bet on for me.
"...You chase it. It didn't help when you're 17 and you're on a plane going to Malaysia for pre-season and you're watching all the lads play three card brag and there's £40,000 or £50,000 in fifties on the table. You're thinking, 'It's just the luck of cards. You could have three threes, the best hand, and walk away with £50,000.' Little things like that probably got me attached to it."
You can see the full episode of the podcast here: