Gambling is a very popular activity. According to statistics by Casino.org, about 1.6 billion people across the globe engage in one form of gambling or the other. These can range from a couple of online slot machine games to sports betting.
However, gambling is only good till you gamble responsibly. This indicates that you should not overshoot your gambling budget or else you will end up in a disastrous position like most of the personal gambling addiction stories you will read below.
These stories may seem difficult to digest, but they serve as a fair warning to all gamblers who might fall into addiction and ruin their lives in the process.
1. David Bradford Lost £500,000 in 30 Years
David Bradford realised that he was addicted to gambling, but the realisation came too late. By then, he had accumulated a £500,000 debt in the form of 21 loans. To pay these off, he had put his family home up for re-mortgage and stolen a lot of money from his centre of employment.
His wife, Denise got the first idea about his addition through a call in April 2004 when their solicitor stated that David had been handed a 2-year prison sentence and was being taken to Liverpool.
In their 60s now, they are still paying off what they can. David is an active member of Gamblers Anonymous and has a small charity set up along with his son for people who might be facing similar addition issues.
2. Michelle Singlehurst Gambled £550,000 in 3 Years
This story is going to be terribly sad, but it must be read. Michelle Singlehurst had it all – a loving husband, a wonderful home, a child and her elderly mother. She also had a passion for gaming which usually included Nintendo and GameCube games. However, all this soon changed as her stressful life made her turn to online gambling as a defence mechanism.
She soon took huge loans from here and there and started taking pills and nearly died of an alcohol overdose. Currently, she is healthy and with her family, trying to pay off her loans as best as she can.
3. Sharon Who Stole From Her Daughter’s Piggy Bank
Sharon was a gambling addict before she knew it actually. She started going out to the slot gaming machines in the local bar after fights with her husband. It was one of the socially acceptable ways to cool off during the 90s. But once she won $190 from a slot machine, she decided to spend more and more time on it, brushing off people who repeatedly warned her about the financial debt she would be putting herself in. It got so bad that her husband left her and yet she still continued to steal money even from her daughter’s piggy bank to continue playing slot games.
4. Viktor Gjonaj Who Faces 20 Years in Prison and $19m in Losses
Viktor Gjonaj was the founder of Title Plus Title Services. His gambling addiction led him down a dark road where at the end he defrauded his investors out of $19 million. The Michigan Lottery was where Gjonaj lost his senses as he bought ticket after ticket, even ones that cost $1 million in all. Gjonaj claimed to have found a sure-shot way of cracking the lottery and this led to his downfall which include lawsuits and incarceration.
5. Aaron Traynor Who Struggled With Addiction Since 13
Aaron Traynor struggled with addiction since his teenage years. Traynor kept on betting on horses, greyhounds and other sports competitions from the age of 13 or 14. Once in university, he gambled away his student loans and his extra income. Even Gamblers Anonymous could not help him cut off his habit. However, he did manage to wean himself off and that counts as victory.
6. Paul Pettigrew Burns £25,000 a Year Gambling
Pettigrew might not be the worst story in this list, but that is mainly because when he finally realised that he had a gambling addiction, he went ahead and swallowed the shame to inform his parents who immediately provided him aid instead of deriding him. This serves as a story to point out that helping addicts is the way forward.
7. Matt Blanks Who Lost £700,000 in 10 Years
Matt Banks’ addiction with gambling started with a fluke and then turned into one of the most disastrous stories in gambling history. This man gambled away his grandmother’s inheritance worth £100,000 and the savings his father had left for him amounting to £200,000. His parents’ divorce was a major reason for his addiction as he started to go to horse races often in order to escape the situation at home. Since 2018, he has not placed another bet. If you are struggling too, then maybe his story can be an inspiration for you?
8. Ted Ngoy Who Went Bankrupt and Rich Again Twice
A typical rags to riches story, Ted was a Cambodian refugee who arrived in California and tried to set up his own donut business, along with other refugees. He also has a tragic love story, but that is for another day.
The Downfall of Ted, the Gambler
Once he got the groove of Las Vegas, he started to frequent the casinos often. He started taking loans from the people he had leased shops to. Slowly, he signed over the shops to them. Gradually, his donut empire was no longer his own. He tried to take control of his addiction by going to Thailand and trying life as a Buddhist monk, but that did not work out. As soon as he was back, he was also back to gambling.
New Beginning for Ted
Finally, the turning point in Ted’s life came when an LA director called him wanting to make a film on The Doughnut King. He realised his flaws and apologised to everyone, starting afresh once again.
9. Jack Richie and the End of a Young Man’s Life
Jack Richie is not very different from the other gambling addiction stories narrated above. The only difference is that there is no happy ending or resolution here. Jack ended his life after a continuous struggle with gambling for over 5 years. His story is both a warning and a cry for help.
10. The Accountant Who Miscalculated £125,000 in Gambling Losses
Here is the story of a 42-year old accountant from Birmingham who incurred gambling losses worth £125,000 after UK online casinos failed to stop her or limit her gambling activities.
Final Thoughts
There might be worse gambling addiction stories out there. You might have a worse story that you have never been able to share. However, these stories can act as a helping hand when it comes to gambling addiction and send you on the road to recovery.
FAQs
What is the Most Addictive Type of Gambling?
Electronic slot machines or pokies are the most addictive type of gambling.
What Mental Illness Causes Gambling?
Gambling addiction can be the result of personality disorders, anxiety issues, OCD or depression among other mental illnesses.
What is the 3 Phases Compulsive Gambling?
The 3 phase of compulsive gambling include the winning phase, the losing phase and the desperation phase where you will do anything to win.