A German man who previously found himself in prison due to his gambling addiction is aiming to raise awareness about the dangers of sports betting at soccer matches.
Thomas Melchior has quickly become a social media star, as people are intrigued and enjoy his way of gaining attention to turn the subject onto the more serious matter.
The man can be seen appearing outside many different soccer games in Germany, wearing the jersey of the home team’s rival. He also holds a sign saying ‘lost a bet.’
Once people begin to notice him standing outside the grounds, he then turns the conversation to speak about sports betting. In some videos, the opposing fans can be seen getting visibly angry at him wearing the rival’s jersey.
Man holds ‘Lost a bet’ sign at soccer games to raise awareness
In a video posted on September 17, Melchior posted his content alongside the caption (which has been translated into English): “€800,000 betting debt, 40 months in prison. The quotation was high – the price paid was even higher! I call sports betting the fight!”
Speaking to the Associated Press, he told them: “Yes, it’s dangerous. I wouldn’t recommend it for anyone.”
The bold moves come after he was sentenced to five and a half years in prison in 2019 for fraud and theft offenses against strangers and people he knew. He was a former bank teller and is now trying to right his wrongs. Since starting his campaign to raise awareness, his videos have been seen millions of times, with one video alone racking up 2.8 million views.
“When the handcuffs clicked, it was the first moment I felt free again since my first bet. That’s when I felt I had survived gambling addiction,” Melchior said. “In that moment, I decided I would try to repair all the damage. And I wanted to get out of prison with the best possible conditions so I could inform and warn people about gambling addiction. That’s why I’m here today.”
Featured Image: Screenshot via Instagram post
The post German man makes unique moves to raise awareness about dangers of sports betting appeared first on ReadWrite.
This articles is written by : Nermeen Nabil Khear Abdelmalak
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