Snooker's Willie Thorne 'penniless' from gambling

Snooker's Willie Thorne 'peniless' from gambling
Snooker's Willie Thorne 'peniless' from gambling



Legendary snooker player Willie Thorne has admitted that he's 'penniless' after borrowing £1 million to cover his gambling addiction.

The snooker player, who won The Classic in 1985, filed for bankruptcy in 2015 claiming debts of over £600,000.

Speaking recently he said: "I'm potless, penniless. I'm not coping."

Adding: "I've no money to gamble with now. I feel totally ruined. I haven't got a car and I'm penniless. I've got no equity in the house and even the Sky TV has been cut off.

Thorne says that when he has the opportunity to work he gets a good salary, but also added that 'at this time of year there's no work,' the Mirror reports.

The snooker player, whose betting problems started after his mother died, said even his phone has been disconnected.

According to the Sun, Thorne stated that he had borrowed money from 'the wrong people' and he now has a six year bankruptcy restriction order (BRO).

According to Citizens Advice, a BRO is a court issued order which 'extends the period of time for which you have to follow certain restrictions'.

These restrictions mean that you cannot get credit worth more than £500 without informing the lender you are under a BRO, set up a company without contacting the court or carry out a business in a 'different name from the one under which you were made bankrupt'.

Only in June this year the BBC reported that Thorne had managed to stay away from gambling for the last 18 months.

But, in pictures published by the Sunday Mirror in May this year, Thorne can be seen hunched over a gambling machine that lets users place bets of up to £750.

Thorne was working as a commentator for the BBC at the time, working on the World Snooker Championships at the nearby Crucible Theatre.

Thorne appeared on the BBC programme 'Famous, Rich and Homeless' earlier this year which was broadcast in aid of Sport Relief.

However the snooker star was criticised for spending a night in a hotel during the social experiment which saw celebrities living on the streets for a week.


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