The Hollow Victory of Regulating Gambling Ads Luke Bateman's story is a harrowing one. As a former NRL player turned fantasy writer, he appeared to have it all: a high paying job and a successful career.
But beneath the surface, he was struggling with addiction. In 2019, his gambling habit reached catastrophic levels, with him losing tens of thousands of dollars in mere weeks.
Despite earning $400,000 a year at the time, Bateman couldn't afford to feed himself or buy groceries.