A man has spoken out about his addiction which left him in £80,000 worth of debt. Rob O’Brien, 48, from Kirkby, had previously enjoyed gambling when he started playing online poker in early 2005.

But this time, Rob struggled to keep his usage under control. During this period, the websites accepted credit cards for payment and Rob ended up taking out several of them so he could keep gambling. Credit card transactions are no longer accepted at licensed UK betting sites or casinos.

Rob's addiction lasted around two years, putting a huge strain on his mental health and causing his relationship to collapse. Speaking to the ECHO, Rob said: “I spent all the money I had and then I was getting credit cards out too - you can’t do that anymore."

In poker, blinds are mandatory forced bets made before each hand is dealt to ensure there is money in the pot.

Rob said: "If you're playing with your mates, the blinds might be 50p and £1 or 25p and 50p. But in the...