This story is part of a CBC News series examining the public health impacts of online gambling.
Dave, a retiree recovering from gambling addiction, says that when he was winning, he felt like a king, hooked by the prospect of wealth and recognition.
But he says like most gamblers, he “inevitably” started losing.
“Not only money — trust, people we care for, spouses, children, we lose the whole gamut. Everything that we built goes crumbling down,” he told CBC News during a recent online Gamblers Anonymous meeting in Toronto.
“So we often try suicide, which I did try. I turned out to be an utter failure at that.”
CBC reporter Dave Seglins speaks to a Gamblers Anonymous meeting in Toronto. (Ousama Abdel Rahman/CBC)
A CBC News investigation…