Man Stole £1 Million from Employer to Gamble Online

This week a Norwich man pleaded guilty to stealing £1 million from his employer in order to gamble online, and now faces up to five years in prison.

Steve Girling was the Chief Finance Officer at Premier Education Group, and he ended up stealing large amounts of money from the firm. He worked from home, and pretended to be on the job while he was spending upwards of £50,000 daily playing slots and roulette games. The executive spent so much that bookies lauded him with perks and gifts, with one sending him to see the Dubai World Cup.

The ruse came to an end when the defendant's wife ended up learning of his crimes and reported Girling to his higher-ups. The crime was then reported to the police, and Girling was charged with the theft.

Girling appeared contrite, stating: "I'm so ashamed and deserve punishment. When I printed my bank statements and added up the total I'd stolen, I had to run to the toilet and be sick."

He also said that while he takes full responsibility for his actions, he said that he feels there is room for betting groups to improve safeguards. "I feel bookies should have a better duty of care to customers. It must have been clear to them I had a gambling problem yet no one asked if I was OK," the convicted criminal shared.

Thus far Girling has repaid £112,000 to his former employer and is working to liquidate assets to pay back more. He credits GamCare with helping him with getting clean from gambling, and he's gone over a year without placing a bet.

Casino Listings urges punters with a gambling addiction to seek help should they need it. We have a problem gambling page full of resources for punters, including links to outside counseling groups.