Australian Football Star Says He Has Problem with Online Gambling

A football star from down under has gone public with his difficulty in controlling his online gambling and horse race wagering, saying he needs counseling.

Brendan Fevola, a star forward for the Brisbane Lions of the Australian Football League, came forward and said problem gambling had put him deep in debt and driven him to seek counseling. Fevola says he lost hundreds of thousands of dollars betting on horse racing, slots, and online gambling, especially Internet poker.

Fevola adamantly denied his troubles had in any way affected him as a football player, and said he had never bet on a football game. He says he told his coach of his difficulties in January, and began undergoing therapy the following month.

Fevola is only recently a Lion, as he was received in trade from Carlton after embarrassing the team with public drunkenness and crude behavior. Scientists have found that impulse control with gambling is generally associated with broader control problems, such as substance abuse and alcoholism.

"I have a gambling issue and I want to knock it on the head," said Fevola on the AFL Footy Show. "It hasn't affected my footy, but by addressing it I hope I will come out the other end a better person."

According to reporters on the Australian TV show, Fevola owes over $100,000, including debts to three bookmakers. Some sources say the debt is actually over $300,000, but lawyers for Fevola dispute that, saying $100,000 is still high.