How do you help someone with a gambling problem?

[RoseCity07]

Anyone ever have to deal with family that has this problem? I have two aunts that have squandered over a hundred thousand each. They still gamble and there doesn't seem to be an end in sight. Every time my family meets up somewhere to eat these two find a machine to gamble.

I find that it's impossible to say anything without sounding like I'm telling another adult what to do. It is there money but it's so destructive. I don't even think it's about the money to them. They really can't stop.

How does anyone get over gambling?

[sweggeh]

Challenge them to a 2 on 1, no disqualification, anything goes street fight. Bet them that if they lose, they have to give up gambling. They are addicts so they won't be able to refuse.

Then its up to you to fight for your family. Give em all you got bro, I believe in you.

[RoseCity07]

damn, what kind of gambling do they do?

thats a lot of money

All slot machines. srs. They even go to Vegas and play slots. It's crazy. It's also ironic that many of the adults that play those machines put down video games. They don't even realize they're playing a video game. It's sad though because their game is one where the CPU always wins in the end and it drains your bank account. At least when you buy a game you can play it forever and never spend more money on it.

[ZenMaster]

Have them banned from the casino for gambling problems if they visit a place like that.

Sounds like they are just using slots all over the place so it's a tall order for you. Your best bet is probably getting them registered in a good program for gambling addiction.
But it will be very hard for you to do anything about this, there is a part of the brain that gambling addicts access, or don't acces I'm not sure. But what it means is that they cannot help themselves.
I've tried explaning to a guy that the slot he was playing had a sticker on it saying that it paid back 80%, this means if you put 10$ in you will lose 2$. So does it make sense to play it? He answered "no", 2 days later he was back playing slots.

Alternatively you can try and open their eyes up for a game that pays close to 50%, like roulette. Unless they raise the stakes at the wrong time at least they won't lose as much.

[enayes]

Collect money from your whole family to send them on a 3 week vacation to a very beautiful but remote location, as in no slots anywhere, they will hopefully reconnect with their soul and come to the realization that they've been wasting their lives and money

[GimmeThat]

Anyone ever have to deal with family that has this problem? I have two aunts that have squandered over a hundred thousand each. They still gamble and there doesn't seem to be an end in sight. Every time my family meets up somewhere to eat these two find a machine to gamble.

I find that it's impossible to say anything without sounding like I'm telling another adult what to do. It is there money but it's so destructive. I don't even think it's about the money to them. They really can't stop.

How does anyone get over gambling?


next time your family gets together and eat.

don't invite them.



clearly it shows how they feel about your family.

[iamgine]

Anyone ever have to deal with family that has this problem? I have two aunts that have squandered over a hundred thousand each. They still gamble and there doesn't seem to be an end in sight. Every time my family meets up somewhere to eat these two find a machine to gamble.

I find that it's impossible to say anything without sounding like I'm telling another adult what to do. It is there money but it's so destructive. I don't even think it's about the money to them. They really can't stop.

How does anyone get over gambling?
Over how many years?

[kurple]

http://tvmedia.ign.com/tv/image/article/103/1033602/AlwaysSunny_FranksIntervention_095_1255099601.jpg

[GimmeThat]

http://tvmedia.ign.com/tv/image/article/103/1033602/AlwaysSunny_FranksIntervention_095_1255099601.jpg


"but I'm betting on YOU GUYS!!!"

"well..@#@.!@4!#%.$#%!@#$@!%^$#^"

[~primetime~]

Old women LOVE slot games, there is a connection there but I'm not sure what it is. The slot industry is built on the money of senior women.

Go in a casino during the day time and look at the machines, nothing but old ladies.

Some of them smoking too... The DNA that is immune to lung cancer and emphysema can be found in casinos. See some 85 year old lady chain smoking away and spending her retirement money up playing slots.

[SCREWstonRockets]

It's sad though because their game is one where the CPU always wins in the end and it drains your bank account. At least when you buy a game you can play it forever and never spend more money on it.
That's not always true. People get lucky and win money thats how they get hooked. From personal experience, I'd say I come home a winner, 40-50% of the time. But the highest I've spent on the slots is $80 and under with my best win came from turning $20 into $290. So I don't go crazy, most of the time I only profit $40-$60. I go for the free drinks mainly lol.

But I will say that you have a better chance at winning money on the tables, than the slots. Slot machines are all luck, while table games can involve some strategy.

If they haven't stopped after losing over a hundred grand, then I'm afraid they won't stop until they hit rock bottom. Are they wealthy? Maybe they have the money to blow.

[RidonKs]

"but I'm betting on YOU GUYS!!!"

"well..@#@.!@4!#%.$#%!@#$@!%^$#^"
:roll:

[DCL]

i think most gamblers are either very delusional or naive.

they are different from other kinds of addicts.

other addicts will usually admit that they have a problem or that they're doing something bad to themselves but they just don't know how to quit. ie. smoking.

addicted gamblers, on the other hand, are just mostly fking delusional or dumb. they don't know what the fk they're doing and they're clueless of any laws of statistics. they live in a fantasy world and think they will beat the house edge if they keep on playing. that's exactly what the casinos want them to do.

[gts]

Over how many years?

My question exactly

[ZenMaster]

i think most gamblers are either very delusional or naive.

they are different from other kinds of addicts.

other addicts will usually admit that they have a problem or that they're doing something bad to themselves but they just don't know how to quit. ie. smoking.

addicted gamblers, on the other hand, are just mostly fking delusional or dumb. they don't know what the fk they're doing and they're clueless of any laws of statistics. they live in a fantasy world and think they will beat the house edge if they keep on playing. that's exactly what the casinos want them to do.

That is because gambling addiction is a disease, they literally cannot help themselves. There are plenty of people who are succesfull in other parts of life, CEOs of big companies and what not. They are not stupid, they are just gambling addicts. I work for a very big online gambling company, you would not believe some of the stories I've heard.

Seen a few post in this thread now referring to rationality and how the addicts are just sad because they do not realize one or the other. If you keep this line of thought you will never get close to understanding what the problem is.

[Jailblazers7]

Old women LOVE slot games, there is a connection there but I'm not sure what it is. The slot industry is built on the money of senior women.

Go in a casino during the day time and look at the machines, nothing but old ladies.

Some of them smoking too... The DNA that is immune to lung cancer and emphysema can be found in casinos. See some 85 year old lady chain smoking away and spending her retirement money up playing slots.

Yeah, all of the older women in my family play slots. I've tried to convince them never to do it because it is a total waste but I guess you are allow to not give a **** once you reach a certain age.

[dunksby]

Nothing you can do about it, stop fretting about them and live your own life. From what you have told us they don't care about you that much anyway.