Against the odds, compulsive gamblers can win
During the nearly five years I’ve written this column, I’ve met a number of people whose lives have been damaged by gambling, including an Uber driver who told me last week he’d lost $60,000 in casinos, chasing losses.
According to the California Council on Problem Gambling, 3.7 percent of adults are problem or pathological gamblers.
There was a time when I could gamble responsibly, when I could go into a casino, put $20 to $30 in a slot machine, and if I won a jackpot and had $100 in my pocket, I would walk out.
Back in the early 2000s, I crossed that invisible line and found myself never leaving the casino with even a dollar in my pocket, and that included until the ATM wouldn’t give me any more money.
When I came back to GA, I had $12 left in that account and had racked up $45,000 in credit card debt.
Larry credits Gamblers Anonymous for his recovery and this month celebrated his eight-year anniversary in the program.