A senior finance manager for a Nottinghamshire borough council has pleaded guilty to stealing almost £1m ($1.2m) of taxpayers’ money to bankroll his gambling addiction. 

appeared in Nottingham Crown Court where he confessed

On Thursday, 57-year-old Alan Doig appeared in Nottingham Crown Court where he confessed before Judge Nirmal Shant KC. The Nottinghamshire native faces a “substantial prison sentence” for siphoning £934,343.30 ($1,226,909.55) of public funds from Gedling Borough Council and using the money to support his gambling addiction.

Doig managed to keep his thieving ways hidden from his employers for almost 20 years while he transferred the public services cash from the council into his own bank accounts. According to NottinghamshireLive, the ex-finance exec used the cash “to pay off debts he accrued” via gambling.

Doig pleaded guilty to fraud by abuse of position and obtaining a money transfer by deception

Attorney Roger Wilson acknowledged his client stole “a huge sum over a number of years” and that Doig knows he will get sentenced. Wilson, however, stated that before his sentence is handed out, Doig had “a number of matters he would like to deal with.”

The attorney then told Judge Shant that Doig has no previous convictions.

The judge gave Doig conditional bail as “an act of mercy” but told him not to think it meant he wouldn’t get a “substantial prison sentence.” Shant set the sentencing date for October 2, saying: “you need a little time to put your house in order.”

In a statement, Gedling Borough Council said it had been “working closely with Nottinghamshire Police to assist them with their investigation.” The fleeced council added it was “unable to comment any further while the court case is being heard but will be issuing a statement” after courts hand Doig his sentence.