This article is based on an interview with a 35-year-old man who is in recovery for gambling addiction. We have removed or changed some details to protect his identity. Parts of the story have been edited for clarity and brevity.
If I had to put a number on how much I’ve lost gambling, I’d say it’d be $150,000 over the last 20-odd years.
It started at a young age. My dad loved horse racing, but he wasn’t a big gambler himself — the biggest bet he’d put on would be $5.
On Saturdays, we’d go to the races together. It was something I looked forward to doing with my dad. From the time I was about 16, bookmakers on the track were happy to take my bets. They weren’t going to ask for my ID or anything.
When I was 18, I started with online…
