The dangers of remote gambling: Peoples Stories
The dangers of on-line gambling are best appreciated via consideration of real life examples of the human cost:
Recently a man living in Edinburgh killed his mother and then killed himself after having gambled away all their savings on the internet and racked up a five figure debt. He was caught in the vicious cycle wanting to get back the money he had lost but using gambling as a means to do so. He gambled to distract himself from the ever increasing pressure, guilt and shame he felt because of his addiction. Even though there are organizations that would have helped him deal with his addiction he decided to end it and took two lives that were not his to take. Though this story is on the extreme end of the way people have sought to deal with gambling addiction it is not an isolated tragedy.
Then there is the case of the Sunderland stockbroker who embezzled £370,000 over a 7 year period to cover a debt he owed because of his online gambling, horse racing and casino habit. You can read about him HERE.
Significantly gambling is no longer just a man's activity. A recent sad story concerns a woman in Norwich who worked for the Royal Mail. She started to play bingo online and at first it was a bit of harmless fun, but as she enjoyed the excitement more and more and saw the gambling as a means to escape the routine and stress of daily life, she became addicted, spending more money and time gambling at home via the internet. After having stolen in excess of £70,000 from her workplace, she was discovered and charged with theft. She was prosecuted and sentenced to 12 months in prison, depriving her 15 year old son and 9 year old daughter of their mother.
It is also important to understand that debt is not the only problem associated with gambling. This story of a Cambridge University mathematics student illustrates that gambling addiction is also about time and relationships. The student who wants to remain unnamed would play poker all of his waking hours, actually making significant sums of money, but not spending any time in lectures or doing work towards his degree. The addiction had adverse effects on his health, education, relationships and overall wellbeing.
If you think you might be addicted to gambling, or have a loved one who you believe might have an addiction you can go HERE to find out about organizations that offer help.
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