Can you imagine losing €10 million to a gambling addiction?

That's what happened to former post office manager Tony O'Reilly, who spent three years in prison for stealing €1.7m from An Post. Over a seven-year period, he gambled away €10m.

His extraordinary story is detailed in a new book, Tony 10, co-written with Sunday Independent columnist Declan Lynch.

Tony's gambling started with a £1 bet in 1998, on Dennis Bergkamp's wonder goal against Argentina in the World Cup. He says, "That was when I got the initial buzz and rush of adrenaline."

Over time his addiction spiralled, eventually leading to him taking the money from An Post, as he had access to the safe. By 2010 he had dig himself into a debt hole of €300,000.

Even though Tony knew he needed to get the money back, he continued to try and gamble his way out of the problem. But things caught up with him.

"I knew from Christmas 2010 that even if I did get the money back in, it was going to catch up with me."

"I was still gambling, still believing that I didn't have a problem."

When his fraud was discovered, he spent three days on the run in Northern Ireland, but was caught on CCTV while placing a bet in Belfast.

Declan Lynch was struck by the fact that Tony's story was like "the parts in movies that they make up", but that it all really happened.

"Looking through the amazing record of all his bets, it's a really perverse thing because your heart sinks with all the winners. The bet that started him off was an excellent bit of punting, but it was also disastrous."

"Tony's an ordinary man who got swept away in this addiction, but he's also exceptional. Every bad thing that could have happened to him happened, and he came through it."

Tony went on to seek help for his addiction, spending three months in Cuan Mhuire. He has now resolved to help others going through the same thing and raise awareness of the dangers of gambling.

"I'm trying to make myself available to as many people as I can. That's what I hope to achieve from the book."