An inquest into the death of a 22-year-old Melbourne man has revealed he gambled nearly $900,000 through online betting platforms in the four years between his 18th birthday and his suicide. The Victorian coroner is investigating whether betting companies adequately assessed the risk of gambling-related harm in the years leading up to Kyle Hudson's death on 6 July 2021.
Massive Gambling Losses
The inquest at the Coroners Court of Victoria heard that Hudson's total online gambling turnover was $895,733, resulting in an overall net loss of more than $47,000. Counsel assisting the coroner, Georgina Coghlan KC, stated that the inquest would examine the immediate circumstances and contributing factors to Hudson's suicide, as well as his personal, financial, and online gambling history with Sportsbet, Entain, and bet365.
Girlfriend's Testimony
Hudson's girlfriend of seven years, Ashley Baker, described him as "a genuine good bloke" with a "quiet nature" who "would never swear or raise his voice at me." However, she noted that the construction management student loved gambling, opening an online betting account with Sportsbet on his 18th birthday in 2017. "The only thing Kyle and I would argue over was his gambling," Baker told the inquest.
Baker first noticed Hudson's gambling problem after his birthday when they were on holiday at Phillip Island. He was "unusually quiet" and revealed he had lost all his money, including a $2,000 birthday gift from his mother. "I queried him on what was wrong, and he told me he lost all his money and that he wanted to die. It was a really unusual thing for him to say, and I asked him not to say that," Baker said. "I think this represented Kyle's first significant [gambling] loss. This is really when Kyle's habit turned bad."
Attempts to Control Gambling
Hudson tried numerous times to reduce his gambling, including imposing self-limits and taking breaks. In December 2020, after losing $20,000—all his savings—he gave Baker control of most of his money and the password to his Sportsbet account. The "cycle" was so frequent "it was almost normal," Baker testified.
In the days before his death, Hudson began asking Baker for money and speaking in a way that "felt out of character for him." She sent him about $5,500 and ended their relationship. When she saw betting activity in his account, she felt he "had made his decision." On his computer, Baker found evidence that he had bet thousands of dollars in the last 24 hours of his life and "had blown all his savings."
Sportsbet's Response
The inquest heard that Hudson bet an average of 4.6 times a day with Sportsbet and triggered a behavioural alert every six weeks on average, starting just two months after his 18th birthday. In his first six months with Sportsbet, he placed 999 bets with an average stake of $107. Sarah Rizzo, Sportsbet's director of customer operations, testified that Hudson's behaviour triggered 37 alerts, mostly because he was under 23 and betting over $3,000 in a rolling week.
Sportsbet responded by sending "safer gambling" emails, which Coghlan said were almost identical and lacked specific information on problematic deposits. At no time did Hudson meet the company's highest risk threshold. In some cases, emails followed phone conversations, but Sportsbet did not retain call recordings. Hudson's account was suspended five times but was reactivated after he called and claimed he was "betting within [his] limits."
Coroner Paul Lawrie asked Rizzo: "The overall view that is put forward is that Mr Hudson was a reasonably sophisticated gambler who was doing reasonably well and appeared to be consistent and in control?" Rizzo replied, "Yes, that's correct." With hindsight, she acknowledged that "there may be times that Mr Hudson's gambling did get away from him." Since Hudson's death, Sportsbet has changed its procedures, and such behaviour would now trigger 70 alerts, some leading to deposit blocks and mandatory limits.
Continuing Investigation
Representatives from Entain Group and Hillside, owner of bet365, are scheduled to give evidence later this week. The inquest continues.
In Australia, crisis support is available from Lifeline on 13 11 14 and Gambling Help Online on 1800 858 858. In the UK and Ireland, Samaritans can be contacted on 116 123 or jo@samaritans.org, and problem gambling support is available via the NHS National Problem Gambling Clinic on 020 7381 7722 or GamCare on 0808 8020 133. In the US, the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline can be reached by call or text at 988, and the National Council on Problem Gambling offers support at 1-800-MY-RESET.
