A PUNTING epidemic has gripped the ranks of AFL players.

David Schwarz, a reformed gambling addict, who will front the AFL’s revamped gambling program, says he has talked to up to 30 current players with major gambling problems.

Horse racing and multi-bets placed across a range of sports, mostly American, are the biggest attraction.

The Herald Sun has learned of:

A PLAYER who dropped $30,000 in a day betting on horses.

ANOTHER player who lost $40,000 on a Saturday before playing next day.

MARK ROBINSON: GAMBLING FOOTY’S SECRET SCOURGE

Schwarz said last night he had spoken to players who had lost hundreds of thousands of dollars.

“It’s an escalating problem ... it’s bordering on being an epidemic,’’ he said.

“I know players who have lost three-quarters of their wages in a month through gambling, which is hundreds of thousands over time.’’

Leading player manager Paul Connors last night said of gambling: “It’s the hidden problem in footy.’’

And an AFL club chief executive, who did not wish to be named, said last night: “After training, the players go home and they are bored and start betting. American sports, that’s what they bet on: the NFL, the NBA.’’

In late March team captains alerted the AFL to the growing crisis, warning gambling was the No.1 problem with players in their spare time.

media_camera Some players aren’t afraid to lose up to $100,000 a year gambling, Schwarz says.

But many players don’t inform their clubs or the AFL Players Association because they are scared their names will be made public.

The AFL will shortly announce a new range of measures to help players.

“Ultimately, one player struggling with a gambling problem is one too many,’’ said Andrew Dillon, the AFL’s general counsel.

“David Schwarz has approached the AFL and put forward a proposal for a progressive gambling support program for players and the wider AFL community that is under consideration.”

Schwarz said growing numbers of players were contacting him for help each season.

“It affects their football,’’ he said.

“I’ve spoken to a number of clubs, a number of players and player managers, and they believe it’s the biggest problem with the players.

“It varies from managers who are concerned about their player, to players who are fully blown problem gamblers.

“They are on the verge of losing everything, or have hit a point where they will never recover,” Schwarz said.

“They will walk out of the game without having accumulated anything, and they have been in the system for eight to 10 years.

“The mindset is, they believe they are going to earn big money, so if they lose $100,000 in a year it’s not a big deal.

“Some managers take full control of their money and give them an allowance each week,’’ Schwarz said.

mark.robinson@news.com.au

LISTEN TO DAVID SCHWARZ SPEAK ON THE ISSUE ON SEN ON TUESDAY MORNING: