The problem with my gambling, Caroline has always maintained, is not the fact that I nearly always lose. I only ever bet on QPR, so that’s inevitable. No, the issue is that I might pass on the habit to my children, particularly the boys. My bets rarely exceed £25, but my sons might have less self control. What if they become addicts, she wants to know? It will ruin their lives. In her eyes, gambling in front of them is like snorting heroin off the kitchen table.
Well, it pains me to say it, but she was right. My youngest recently celebrated his 18th birthday and the first thing he did, at one minute after midnight, was open a bet365 account. The fact that his becoming an adult coincided with the start of the World Cup didn’t help. His older brother told Caroline the 18-year-old has taken out a £200 overdraft from Monzo and stuck it all on England to win. I think he’s joking just to wind her up, but it may be true because he’s so convinced it’s our year he wants to get a tattoo on his arm, consisting of three lions and the words: ‘World Cup Winners, 1966 and 2026.’ Persuading him to wait until the end of the tournament – ‘just in case’ – has not been easy.
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