Brit Changed Name to Escape Gambling Past

A recovering gambling addict has embraced a new name in an effort to put his past of addictive gambling behind him. The 62-year-old spent most of his life struggling with gambling but is finally on the path to recovery.

Jagger Struggled with Gambling Almost His Entire Life

The elderly Brit, known as Mike Jagger, has had a very difficult life because of his gambling problems. After placing his first bet on a horse race, the man got hooked on gambling and has barely stopped playing since.

Unfortunately, his addiction cost him everything. Over the years, he lost hundreds of thousands of pounds and broke many relationships.

Jagger said that he has had flats and jobs but lost them all to gambling. He never paid rent or bills because he always gambled away his money.

According to Jagger, he has spent more time across betting shops than he has spent working. Now owning close to nothing, Jagger has also been disowned by his family because of his problem gambling. According to the man, he has never even met his grandchildren.

In an interview with ITV News Anglia, Mick Jagger, who legally changed his name in an effort to escape his past, said that he has had plenty of low points at which he thought it would have been better to “end it all.”

The Man Is Concerned about the Proliferation of Gambling

Over the years, Jagger struggled with homelessness, living in a tent by the Leeds and Liverpool Canal. He reminisced about his lower points when he was picking things out of bins just to survive.

After decades of suffering, Jagger eventually stumbled upon the homelessness charity Emmaus. The non-profit helped him immensely, providing him with a second chance at life.

Five years after discovering Emmaus, Jagger now lives at its base in Ditchingham, Norfolk, looking after the garden and allotment. Overwriting a lifetime of bad habits hasn’t been easy but Jagger has now spent 18 months without gambling a single time.

Jagger said that he is happy that Emmaus has helped him become a new person. However, he regretted that gambling addicts are considered bad people because of their problems.

Speaking of which, Jagger reflected on Britain’s concerning problem gambling rates, saying that the proliferation of advertisements is making it very difficult for people to avoid gambling content. Jagger will now join Emmaus’ 450-mile fundraising walk from Wales to Norfolk in hopes of raising £360,000 to refurbish the charity’s Norfolk property.