I first gambled aged 15 ..now I have lost £250,000

Chasing high of winning took Colin to brink of suicide

- RUTH SUTER

A MAN who emptied his bank account hours after getting paid every month has revealed he's lost over £250,000 to fund his betting addiction.

Colin Brown, 42, has opened up on his battle with betting after it was confirmed earlier this week bookmakers and casinos will be forced to fund NHS-provided support to tackle problem gambling, Under the measure, online stakes - which are currently unlimited-will be set at £5 per spin for those aged over 25 and £2 for 18 to 24-year-olds.

A cap of £2 will also be introduced on sums that can be staked on online slot machines.

The government will use the new statutory levy, with proceeds expected to be around £100million a year, to fund research, prevention and treatment of harms associated with gambling, For Colin, his addiction troubles began aged 15 when he won £4.80 on a slot machine from 50p at his local amusements.

The dopamine hit was so fulfilling he returned to the arcade with the wages from his paper round and spent the lot.