Problem gambler Paul Fung lost almost a million dollars in three weeks
- From: news.com.au
- March 22, 2014
Paul Fung lost almost a million
dollars in three weeks on gambling. Picture: SBS. Source: Supplied
PROBLEM gambling is often spoken about in hushed tones in the shadows, if at all. The stigma attached to it is so strong that there are those who still see problem gamblers as “weak” or using it as a “cop out”.
But problem gambling is like any other addiction such as
alcohol or drugs with sufferers displaying characteristics including tolerance,
withdrawal and difficulty controlling urges, according to the American
psychology bible, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual IV.
For Victorian Paul Fung, problem gambling is what tore his life
apart.
Mr Fung had been gambling for more than two decades, betting on
everything from horses to footy matches to casino games, before the catastrophic
three-week period when he lost almost a million dollars. Anything he could win
on, he bet on.
It all started innocently enough. Mr Fung was eight when he
first gambled, betting with 10 cent and 20 cent pieces to spice up Chinese card
games and mahjong with family and friends.
He moved on to horses by the age of 14, asking anyone who was
willing to place bets for him. By the time Mr Fung was 16, he had acquired a
fake ID and could stride into a TAB himself and spent every weekend studying the
form guide and perfecting his ‘system’.
Paul Fung was betting on horse races
by the time he was 14 years old. Source: Supplied
He didn’t think so at the time, but Mr Fung said gambling
started to affect his school work. “I was in denial at the time but when I look
back at my grades in the last few years of school, they definitely slipped,” he
told news.com.au.
Once he turned 18, he engaged in more forms of gambling
including the myriad games on offer at the casino. It was also around this time
his parents started to express some concern. But they would still give him money
whenever he asked for it, something that continued for many years.
“It was an adrenalin rush when you won, it was such a huge
thrill,” he said. “I just wanted to gamble.
It didn’t matter what it was, as
long as I could put money down and get some back. But when you lose, you justify
that bad feeling only lasted a short period of time. You look for the next win,
which you convinced yourself will override that losing feeling.”
But as time went on, Mr Fung said the lows got lower while the
highs didn’t get higher.
After school, he took on a jockey apprenticeship but continued
to bet on horses despite strict rules against it. He said he never used his
position to influence the outcome of any races.
Paul Fung said he would bet on
anything he could win from. Source:
Supplied
Over the next 10 years, gambling consumed his life. He said:
“You’d forego almost everything to gamble. Eating, showering and work all came
second.” Mr Fung couldn’t keep a romantic relationship going for more than a
year. He started to see relationships within the same frame as gambling — the
chase and the thrill and then deciding whether to ‘gamble’ any more time on that
person.
The nadir came a few years ago. His brother put his mortgage
under Mr Fung’s name and all of a sudden he had access to a massive amount of
money. Up until that point, the most he’d lost in one spree would be $15,000 in
a wild night out at a casino.
Starting off with bets of a few hundred dollars, within three
weeks his gambling spiralled out of control to bets of tens of thousands of
dollars. He had lost almost a million dollars betting online, drawing from his
brother’s mortgage.
“I could transfer the money really easily. It was scary
because I knew I was in the hamster wheel and I just kept hoping I could get
back what I lost.
“For a few days I hid the loss but then my brother came back
from overseas and I had to confess to my family what I had done. They were
shattered. They knew I had this issue for so long but I had completely broken
their trust with my dishonesty and deceit.”
Paul Fung lost almost a million
dollars on online betting sites in three weeks. Source: News Limited
His brother lost his house which had to be sold to pay back
the debt. His relationship with his family, especially his brother, is still
strained but Mr Fung said he is working to repair it.
Six months after the million dollar incident, Mr Fung was at a
close mate’s house talking about his problems when his friend’s father walked
into the room.
“It was by chance that I found help. His father asked me to go
along with him to a meeting he ran. I was still in a lot of denial but I
thought, realistically, what did I have to lose? Nothing in my life was going
right at the time.”
Mr Fung said the Gamblers Anonymous meeting had an immediate
effect on him and he continued with them and sought out other help from
counsellors and support groups.
“At first I was frightened, anxious and scared but after
talking to people I felt inspired. Because problem gambling is not something the
community talks about openly, you feel alienated and isolated, like you’re the
only one with this huge problem.
Up to 170,000 Australians suffer from
problem gambling, according to a Productivity Commission report. Source: HeraldSun
“It’s such a huge stigma. You can’t tell a gambler, they could
be a CEO or a plumber. You can’t physically see the signs on a person.”
Mr Fung shared his story last
night on SBS’ Insight program, which looked at problem gambling
and young people.
Mr Fung now volunteers with a telephone support service where
he talks to other gamblers in the Chinese community.
“I tell them my experiences and it’s been a real help as part
of my own recovery. For someone who’s lost a bit of direction, it’s a lot easier
to talk to someone who understands and has been through it than a doctor or a
family member.”
Asked if there are enough resources for problem gamblers, Mr
Fung said the resources are there if you want them but you have to seek
them.
As for the proliferation of online gambling platforms, Mr Fung
said: “It’s quite infuriating. I find it hard to see and listen to these things.
A few years ago, there were not many of them but now it’s total saturation. To
me, the word horrendous comes to mind.”
Tom Waterhouse became the poster child
for the online betting industry, with the community focusing its frustrations on
the personality. Source: News
Limited
The issue of betting advertising in sports was the subject of
two parliamentary inquiries last year after significant community backlash over
live odds and the integration of betting personality Tom Waterhouse into Channel
9’s NRL broadcast. Mr Fung believes there should be more government legislation
to protect the community from excessive advertising from betting companies.
A month after embarking on the recovery path, Mr Fung had a
relapse. But since then he’s gone cold turkey. But it’s not that easy.
“Of course it pops into your mind every now and then. Like
with any addiction, once an addict, always an addict. It’s how you deal with the
day-to-day. Addictions are caused by emotions and if you can’t deal with or cope
with those emotions, then the chances of falling back into it are high.”
Today, he’s been ‘clean’ for 643 days.
A Productivity Commission report in 2009 estimated that there
are between 90,000 and 170,000 Australian adults suffering from significant
gambling problems and a further 230,000 to 350,000 people at moderate risk for
problem gambling.
If you think you may
have a gambling problem, visit Gambling Help Online or the federal government’s Problem
Gambling website.
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