Central Ohio Sees Rise In Gambling Addicts Banning Themselves From Betting
Wednesday July 17, 2013
COLUMBUS, Ohio - Imagine an addiction so strong, you spend away your house, you alienate family and you lose your sense of control.
Gambling.
The fear of failing is so great for some, especially with nearly a dozen new casinos and racinos popping up across the state, that they're banning themselves from betting.
10TV spoke with the first person to put himself on a growing state-wide list to keep addicts out of casinos.
Justin Gale said the first time he went into a casino was to win money, but he left with an addiction.
“The first thing that would happen when I would walk into a gambling facility is my heart would start racing, the anticipation would be there, the excitement, the hope that today’s going to be a day, going to be a great day,” Gale said.
Gambling at casinos and race tracks for 35 years, Gale said he could not stop.
“No matter if I won or lost, I wanted to place a bet as soon as possible,” Gale said. “Any money a compulsive gambler can get their hands on, they’re betting it.”
Gale, who is a recovering addict, called gambling his drug that allowed him to be free.
“It was a feeling of like Novocain for me,” Gale said. “When I was out gambling, I had no problems. I had no worries.”
Outside of the casinos and race tracks, he said nearly every relationship he ever had was ruined.
“It was my father’s dying wish 15 years ago that I’d quit gambling, and even then, I wasn’t ready to quit,” he said. “I still kept gambling.”
After losing the majority of his money for decades, Gale decided it was time to stop. He then joined support groups, went to therapy and even banned himself from betting.
He said he signed up for the voluntary exclusion list a month before the casino in Cleveland opened.
Gale said he did it because he needed help.
Now, more than 300 people have followed suit.
Since the Columbus casino and racino have opened last year, the number of gambling addicts asking for treatment has more than doubled, says Paul Coleman, the CEO of Maryhaven.
“When you’re taking that money away from things that you and your family need, that’s a big problem,” Coleman said. “If you get into illegal activities to get that money that is probably a bigger problem.”
One Columbus mother told 10TV her vice was Internet cafes.
“To me, it was a bad lifestyle,” said Diane, who asked 10TV News to only use her first name. “I guess I was out of control if I spent $300, $400.”
She said that the Internet cafes were easy and convenient for her, and thus the cause of many of her problems. She has worked hard to stop the spending and is now in treatment.
“It was really hard emotionally,” Diane said. “Going home and feeling bad about the choices I made, and knowing that I wanted to do something different.”
Both Diane and Justin hope that because they told their stories, they will be able to help others from making the same mistakes they did.
“People ask me, ‘Does it get easier over time?’” Gale said. “The answer’s yes. That being said, you can’t let your guard down for one second because in the next minute, you could place your next bet.”
Maryhaven’s new gambling addiction treatment facility is scheduled to open in the next few weeks, thanks to more than $270,000 appropriated funds from the state’s casino taxes.
Watch 10TV News and refresh 10TV.com for the latest updates.
Gambling.
The fear of failing is so great for some, especially with nearly a dozen new casinos and racinos popping up across the state, that they're banning themselves from betting.
10TV spoke with the first person to put himself on a growing state-wide list to keep addicts out of casinos.
Justin Gale said the first time he went into a casino was to win money, but he left with an addiction.
“The first thing that would happen when I would walk into a gambling facility is my heart would start racing, the anticipation would be there, the excitement, the hope that today’s going to be a day, going to be a great day,” Gale said.
Gambling at casinos and race tracks for 35 years, Gale said he could not stop.
“No matter if I won or lost, I wanted to place a bet as soon as possible,” Gale said. “Any money a compulsive gambler can get their hands on, they’re betting it.”
Gale, who is a recovering addict, called gambling his drug that allowed him to be free.
“It was a feeling of like Novocain for me,” Gale said. “When I was out gambling, I had no problems. I had no worries.”
Outside of the casinos and race tracks, he said nearly every relationship he ever had was ruined.
“It was my father’s dying wish 15 years ago that I’d quit gambling, and even then, I wasn’t ready to quit,” he said. “I still kept gambling.”
After losing the majority of his money for decades, Gale decided it was time to stop. He then joined support groups, went to therapy and even banned himself from betting.
He said he signed up for the voluntary exclusion list a month before the casino in Cleveland opened.
Gale said he did it because he needed help.
Now, more than 300 people have followed suit.
Since the Columbus casino and racino have opened last year, the number of gambling addicts asking for treatment has more than doubled, says Paul Coleman, the CEO of Maryhaven.
“When you’re taking that money away from things that you and your family need, that’s a big problem,” Coleman said. “If you get into illegal activities to get that money that is probably a bigger problem.”
One Columbus mother told 10TV her vice was Internet cafes.
“To me, it was a bad lifestyle,” said Diane, who asked 10TV News to only use her first name. “I guess I was out of control if I spent $300, $400.”
She said that the Internet cafes were easy and convenient for her, and thus the cause of many of her problems. She has worked hard to stop the spending and is now in treatment.
“It was really hard emotionally,” Diane said. “Going home and feeling bad about the choices I made, and knowing that I wanted to do something different.”
Both Diane and Justin hope that because they told their stories, they will be able to help others from making the same mistakes they did.
“People ask me, ‘Does it get easier over time?’” Gale said. “The answer’s yes. That being said, you can’t let your guard down for one second because in the next minute, you could place your next bet.”
Maryhaven’s new gambling addiction treatment facility is scheduled to open in the next few weeks, thanks to more than $270,000 appropriated funds from the state’s casino taxes.
Watch 10TV News and refresh 10TV.com for the latest updates.
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