George Burgess gambling addiction revealed

The full extent of George Burgess’s out-of-control betting can be revealed as the troubled NRL star continues to seek treatment for gambling addiction.

Sources close to the 30-year-old say he ‘got lost’ betting on horses and greyhounds in recent years and in the process has dropped ‘hundreds of thousands’ of dollars.

Burgess has been reeling from injury problems and insecurity surrounding his playing future at the St George Illawarra Dragons as he faces the results of his problems with gambling.

It is understood Burgess, who has three young children with his model wife Joanna, was even forced to borrow money from family members to make ends meet.  

Finally, he checked himself into a rehabilitation facility which specialises in addiction where sources said he was ‘doing really well’ and was expected to leave soon.

Burgess was once one of the NRL’s best props and was earning $800,000. He played at South Sydney with older brothers Sam and Luke and twin George and won a premiership in 2014 

George is one of four Burgess brothers to have played NRL along with older siblings Sam and Luke and twin Tom. For a time, all four played together at South Sydney.

He had long been a keen gambler – particularly on horses and dogs – and found it easier to bet big in Australia than in his native Great Britain. 

Sources say George’s gambling was still a relatively ‘harmless’ habit while playing a short stint in Britain with Super League in 2020 following his departure from Souths a year earlier.

Flattened in a brutal tackle during Wigan’s season opener, Burgess would play just nine matches as he grappled with a serious hip injury that ultimately required surgery.

It is believed it was during Burgess’s extended time on the sidelines, as he missed the thrill of competition and routine of training, that his gambling increased. 

The hip procedure Burgess underwent is one from which league players rarely make a full recovery.

Burgess is the only player in the history of the NRL who has returned to playing high-level football following such an operation.

Sources say George’s gambling was still a relatively ‘harmless’ habit while paying a short stint in Britain with Super League in 2020 following his departure from Souths a year earlier. He is pictured with wife Joanna

Things started to look up in late 2021 when it was announced Burgess would be returning to the NRL this year having been offered a two-year contract by St George Illawarra.

Burgess’s contract with the Dragons is reportedly worth $120,000 to $150,000, whereas at his peak he was earning $800,000 a year. 

He has been counselled to curtail spending on a lifestyle that cannot be supported by the money he now earns from football. 

Lingering hip problems and a much smaller pay check set in motion a gambling spiral which also coincided with a highly-publicised ‘sexual touching’ charge.

On 23 March, it was announced that Burgess had been arrested and charged with sexually touching a woman’s bottom without her consent.

He has pleaded not guilty and will face a hearing in February next year. 

Burgess was charged in March with  sexually touching a woman’s bottom without her consent. He has pleaded not guilty and will face a hearing in February next year

It has been a long fall for the once all-conquering prop, hailed as among the best in the NRL when Souths won its 21st premiership in 2014.

Those close to the footballer say that once the famously close Burgess clan became aware of the full extent of his financial predicament they decided to intervene.

One source said Burgess had lost ‘everything’ – believed to be hundreds of thousands of dollars. 

Daily Mail Australia understands family members had been urging him to seek help for at least a year. 

Sources close to Burgess say that after keeping a something of a lid on his gambling losses members of his famous clan became aware of the full extent of his financial predicament and decided to intervene. Left to right are Tom, George, mum Julie, Luke and Sam

Burgess took the step to admit he had a serious problem and checked himself into a rehab facility where it is believed he is spending at least one month in attempt to beat his gambling demons.

He has played just four games this season, the last of which was a 13-minute appearance in the Dragons’ 12-6 win over West Tigers in round eight on May 1. 

St George Illawarra confirmed Burgess’s leave – and stressed that it had nothing to do with his current criminal matter – via a statement at the time.

‘St George Illawarra can confirm forward George Burgess was recently granted a leave of absence,’ the statement read.

‘Burgess’s absence is of a personal nature and unrelated to his current criminal matter.’

One source said Burgess had lost ‘everything’ – believed to be hundreds of thousands of dollars. Daily Mail Australia understands family members had been urging him to seek help for at least a year. George is pictured with wife Joanna

A source close to the Burgess family said George was prepared to do everything he could to overcome his addiction after a rocky few years which have been impacted by his potentially career-ending injury.

‘It has been a very tough road for him and feeling that pressure is harder when you have a young family,’ said a Burgess insider, who believed George also struggled with comparisons to his brothers.

‘Luke is doing well and has managed his investments. Sam is working through his personal issues and will probably be the assistant at Souths next year.

‘Tom has managed to remain virtually injury-free his entire career.

‘So it has been tough pill for George to swallow. But he is willing to do the work now.

‘He knows he has to do that.’

Another source said Burgess would soon be out of rehab and was feeling positive about getting his life in order. ‘He seems to be doing really well,’ the source said. 

The Burgess clan are ‘fiercely tight knit’ and the family are rallying around George say friends. The four brothers, Sam, Luke, George and Tom are pictured with mum Julie, their partners and children