Jason was hiding in a closet at work, glued to his phone. He was going “full tilt.” In gambling parlance, that means he lost a bet, was spiraling and would soon start wagering indiscriminately as he chased his money into a financial void.
It was Jan. 28, 2024, the AFC Championship game. Eyes wide and heart pounding, Jason watched as the clock ticked away, as the Kansas City Chiefs racked up points against his Baltimore Ravens, and as the odds, and score, tipped insurmountably in their favor. Bet after bet went bust. By game’s end, he was out nearly $5,000 — money he couldn’t afford to lose.
Then, “I just lost it,” said Jason, a 30-year-old who at the time…