'Gambling has ruined my life'

Gambling levels are rife in our society and something has to give.

ANONYMOUS

When I was 18 I turned $6 into just over $1000 in a couple of hours while at a Wellington sports bar.

This gambling was easy - I was on to a winning thing. Why wasn't everyone doing this?

Since then I would estimate my gambling losses at somewhere around $40,000. At least $15,000 of that is debt. I have an illness. A seemingly uncontrollable urge to gamble. Every. Last. Dollar. And then some.

My gambling addiction has cost me my wonderful girlfriend, countless mates and caused strained relationships with every family member.

It has caused depression, anxiety and had adverse effects on my ability to study.

I have slept in homeless shelters and on the street, gambled rent away and have tried to commit suicide twice.

I'm seeking help, but I struggle every time a dollar, let alone a pay check, passes through my fingers.
Gambling has ruined my life and yet I can't stop. As I write this I flick between the online poker I have running - playing free tournaments in the hope of winning back minute amounts of money - and this article.

All by the age of 21.

But I write this not so much to tell my story as to question why our society is so accepting of gambling.

One only has to go for a walk down Wellington's Courtenay Place to realise how entrenched gambling is in our society - even in a city without a casino.

People can play the pokies at more than nine places, play the TAB at three and on various nights play poker at three places. All within 450 metres.

I understand that for many - the majority of - people who gamble it's a fun social activity. The majority of people don't give the house the majority of money, however. The people who spend the longest at the TAB - the people I know well - cannot afford to lose and yet put in more money than anyone else. They cannot stop.

When people are aware they have a gambling problem they are able to enter themselves on to a voluntary self-exclusion database at all establishments that have gambling. In theory this means the bookies won't accept bets from people who have their photo and details on the list.

However, this list, particularly the TAB one - which is sent widely around every TAB - is so ineffective that in all likelihood if I was in Wellington's central city I could easily place a bet at any one of several outlets. This is even easier in other cities where I am less likely to be recognised. On countless attempts I've only ever been stopped twice outside Wellington.

The same system is applied at casino's but I am skeptical about whether it is in their best interests to adhere to their own policies - after all what business wants to turn away their biggest customers? I am on this list and yet have only ever been approached once - after losing $1400 over 3 hours - even then only as I was leaving after I'd already lost my money.

I am not suggesting banning gambling, but something needs to be done to stop the systemic abuse the gambling industry does to their most vulnerable customers.

For while we all have to take personal responsibility, gambling is an addiction, largely caused by a lack of dopamine - the chemical the brain releases to make people feel happy. Pokies are designed to trigger dopamine centres in the brain. Bright lights, colours, loud noises and many, many, small wins. Casinos are designed to keep people playing, and losing, longer. Longer. Longer.

Pokies are supposedly used to help fund parts of society but this system makes absolutely no sense. Creating one social harm to cure another is ludicrous.

Gambling levels are rife in our society and something has to give. Either the gambling industry needs to be held to account or the amount of problem gamblers are going to increase. More children will be left outside more casinos'.

But hey, at least we'll have a convention centre.

The writer's name has been withheld to protect his identity. He has had counselling for his addiction for two years and is currently employed.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff-nation/assignments/share-your-news-and-views/8641924/Gambling-has-ruined-my-life