Former Canberra Raider Luke Bateman has detailed the severity of his gambling addiction, which led him to lose as much as $80,000 in a single month and sell personal belongings to fund his habit. The 31-year-old opened up about the period when his addiction consumed his life, making him unable to afford basic necessities despite earning $400,000 annually.
Bateman described how his gambling progressed to the point where nearly everything he did revolved around a gambling app on his phone. During this time, he admitted that items from his apartment would go missing, as he resorted to selling them to obtain more money for gambling. "I was so broke… I couldn't pay for anything. I couldn't buy groceries," Bateman stated.
"I had $70,000 or $80,000 in my bank account, and in the space of a month, I had nothing," he revealed. "I was in so much debt… I was earning $400,000 a year, and I couldn't afford a lollipop."
The former rugby league player also reflected on his younger self, describing a sensitive child who found solace in fantasy books. However, he concealed this interest to focus on his dream of playing in the National Rugby League (NRL). He eventually achieved this goal, signing with the Canberra Raiders in 2015. Despite the accomplishment, the experience was not as fulfilling as he had anticipated, leaving him feeling "underwhelming" and unchanged.
As his addiction worsened, so did its impact on his mental health. Bateman reached a point where he contemplated suicide, overwhelmed by shame and pain, seeing "no way out."
In 2020, after a three-day gambling binge, Bateman sought help from his parents. He described a moment where he felt something inside him break, leading him to realize he had to choose between ending his life or getting help. He traveled to his parents in Brisbane instead of returning to Canberra.
Bateman eventually agreed to go to rehabilitation, where he reconnected with his childhood love of reading. Upon completing his rehab program, his parents offered to absorb his debts if he worked for his father's logging company to repay them. His parents took on approximately $130,000 of his debts, which he has since paid off.
Moving away from the city and working in the logging business also inadvertently aided his recovery, as the lack of internet access made it impossible to gamble. "All my gambling was done on my phone. So in the beginning, even if I wanted to gamble, I couldn't. [It] was fantastic for my recovery," he said. He has since signed a book deal, further reconnecting with his passion for reading.