I gambled away all our gift money on wedding night

IT was meant to be the happiest day of her life.

- By ROBERT DALLING

Elissa Hubbard had just got married in the sun soaked isles of Cyprus, on a night that should have been spent with her new wife looking forward to their long future together.

The reality, however, was quite different.

The newlywed was sat in the hotel lobby, alone, locked to her mobile phone, playing casino games.

But something that should have been a bit of fun and a harmless flutter, was actually something far more serious.

Elissa was gambling all the money she and her wife had been gifted on their special day, losing it all in quick fashion.

This wasn't a first time occurrence for the now 39-year-old.

That moment was at the height of a gambling addiction.

The first seeds of which were sown when she was the tender age of just nine.

Elissa would visit local pubs with her family and would make use of a fruit machine, an interest that spiralled as she went through her life and developed an interest in online casino games.

The former plasterer would work day-to-day, just to help fund her gambling, rushing home to wager her daily earnings online.

She said: "Most days, I would skip my basic needs like lunch, I was constantly thinking about getting home to gamble online.