Former Petrojet and El Entag El Harby player Karim Lala has shared a harrowing account of his descent into sports betting addiction, describing how it devastated his financial and mental well-being. Speaking on a podcast with journalist Abdulrahman Magdy, Lala reflected on the past four years as a period where he felt “hardly alive,” noting that his once-stable career was derailed by this destructive habit. He revealed that his downward spiral began following the death of his mother in 2022, when a friend introduced him to gambling as he struggled with severe psychological distress.
Lala detailed a rapid financial collapse, starting with an initial loss of 50,000 EGP, followed by another 350,000 EGP in just two months, which ultimately forced him to sell his apartment to meet family obligations. The situation reached a breaking point when he lost approximately one million EGP on a single match, leading him to contemplate ending his life during his darkest moments. This story serves as a stark warning about the severe risks of sports betting, highlighting the dire financial and psychological crises it causes for athletes and the urgent need for mental health support and increased awareness.