An armed forces veteran from Westbury has been shortlisted for a national award following his work to raise awareness of the dangers of gambling.
Andy Gallie’s addiction began at nine-years-old and by age 13 his mother had called Gamblers Anonymous in a bid to find support.
Turbulent teenage years followed and Andy entered the Royal Navy to try and have a fresh start. But things in the Navy went from bad to worse.
He said, “I felt a lot of stress, peer pressure, self-doubt and imposter syndrome – feelings which a lot of serving men and women still face today.
“At the time when I was at HMS Raleigh, there were between 40 to 50 fruit machines on base, which normalised gambling.”
Andy’s addiction took a toll not only on himself but also his wider family. He was plunged £30,000 into debt and was convicted of both domestic abuse and fraud in the years which followed – leading to him serving time behind bars.
He said, “Gambling was my one true love. I’d do anything to keep people away from my gambling. That included gaslighting and deflection.”
Andy, 46, sees his addict as a separate person to who he is now and describes that version of himself as “horrible” and someone he “despises.”
This period was the turning point for the veteran, who has since completed rehab and written a book called ‘HMS to HMP’ about his time behind bars. Andy now works as a part of the Armed Forces Gambling Support Network which delivers awareness and prevention training to 20,000 and counting serving personnel.
He said, “I’ve had some wives reach out and say, ‘you’ve managed to save my family.’ While others have said, ‘hearing your story is what it took for me to leave my husband, as I know he won’t change.’ Meanwhile some men have said, ‘I need to check my behaviour’ after hearing my story and realised they need help.
“If there’s any way to make the hurt and harm I’ve caused to people worth anything, it’s to ensure that other people don’t go through it.”
Andy and the Armed Forces Gambling Support Network have been selected as a finalist in the 2025 Soldiering On Awards in the ‘Education, Training and Development Award’ category. The Soldiering On Awards celebrate the courage, resilience, and achievements of former servicemen and women who have overcome significant challenges after leaving the military.
The awards ceremony, hosted by Jeremy Vine, will take place later this year in the House of Lords.
Andy adds, “I never felt I had anyone to talk to about what I was going through. Instead, I kept things hidden.
“I want to continue to share my story openly and reach more people in a bid to help others.
“We need to talk about gambling more and the impact it can have on everyone.”
