‘I was stealing money from my father’s bank account’

AS a nation we have been betting far beyond our means.

Figures from 2007 show we gambled €14 million every day that year, spending €930m in Paddy Power retail shops alone.

Latest revenue figures reveal that in excess of €3.6bn was gambled in 1,093 betting offices during 2008 – representing a rise of almost €300m from 2006 and a slight increase from 2007, despite the decline in the number of bookies by almost 500.