At the height of his addiction, Shilton had credit limits of £9,000 to £10,000 on his accounts, something that only got worse as internet gambling came in.
“In 2011 I found myself in a dark place. I had recently had a brilliant run and was up £20,000 on my betting account. Most people would say, ‘time to withdraw the money and bank it, Shilts’, but, oh no, not me. I wanted a bigger win.
“But you know what I’m going to say, don’t you? Yes, the money disappeared into losses within days.
“Gambling had become the main preoccupation of my life. I was living on my own, so when I wasn’t working I had the freedom to stay up most of the night betting after an afternoon online.