Tony 10

^{Format: Paperback (272 Pages).}

 ^{Author: Tony O'Reilly & Declan Lynch.}

 ^{Publisher: Gill Books}

^{Reviewed: March 2020.}

This book really is "unputdownable"! You could read it in one sitting if you had the opportunity. A blow-by-blow description of one man's gambling addiction and the personal misery that it brought. It's the true story of a postman named Tony O'Reilly, who had the moniker of "Tony 10" on his Paddy Power online betting account. How his first bet of only only €1 rose to €10 million and the €1.75 million he stole from the local Post Office in Wexford, where he worked, to fund and fuel his total addiction to gambling.

His story takes you from the very beginning, showing how he hid his addiction from his family and friends. To the nerve-shredding experience of gambling his wedding money on the Epsom Derby, to winning over half a million on a weekend betting spree, and to his eventual downfall. The loss of his job, his family, his home, and the prison sentence that followed. It's a salutary and cautionary tale of the potential devastation that gambling can bring. A compelling read and a highly recommended one. 

Racecourse Advisor Overall Rating: 9/10