From time to time in the UK we see reports of addicted gamblers stealing large amounts of money to feed their habits. However, one female gambler in the US seems to have taken it to a whole new level after stealing almost $500,000 from her employers.

Over the last year we must have seen a least a dozen cases whether those with gambling problems have resorted to the theft of tens of thousands of pounds. One of the things to notice that in every case that I have seen over the last 12 months, it has always been a female being charged with gambling related thefts. Maybe given that we are focused on bingo and the majority of players are female might explain this, but it does seem somewhat strange

The latest reports involve Christina Michele Bratcher (43), who was a bookkeeper in Colorado Springs. She has been charged with felony theft after accusations that she stole almost $500 000 from her employer where she had worked for the last seven years.

It is reported that the theft has bankrupted the welding supply business and the discrepancies were only discovered by investigators that were preparing the company for a bankruptcy sale in 2010. They tracked a number of "large payments" to an unidentified online gambling website which lead to the arrest of Bratcher.

The case will be heard in court on 22nd November 2011.