So sorry to hear that austinnn.So today I got a long email from my brother who has been living in Gundagai for the last few years, explaining how during that time and probably for about a year before he had been on the poker machines. A rough estimate of how much he lost in this time is around eighty thousand dollars. Spent many Saturdays travelling to Wagga or Tumut just to gamble. He basically spent a lot of what he could afford on the pokies. Also spent a fair bit of money on lottery tickets.
His partner only found out about this on Saturday and is very upset as she thought he would be saving money for their future together, and they are likely to break up.
He's already begun to get help, seeing a gambling counselor. He doesn't see himself as a victim, hes taken ownership of his addiction problem (addicted to cigarettes too) just feels foolish and guilty.
I know this is no one's fault and he has an addiction problem and just taking poker machines away won't solve those problems, but today I read this article about Collingwood getting rid of all their (overt) gambling connections and i make absolutely no bones that I yearn with all my heart for a day when our club stops profiting from human weakness in this way.
http://m.afl.com.au/news/2018-12-11/bombers-win-pokies-extension-as-magpies-bow-out
The Pies are a rich club, and one of the reasons they've got rich is from their use of Poker Machines so I'm not idealistic to imagine they're better than us, but I sure as hell celebrate another club cutting their ties with this shameful activity.
I urge anyone with similar problems to recognise that addiction is difficult to tackle alone, and that talking to others and allowing them to hear your story and possibly help doesn't make you vulnerable, you are strong to look yourself in the mirror and address your weaknesses.
I'm proud of my brother for doing something about his problem and hope anyone with problems like this can find the strength to do the same.
Addiction is a terrible thing.
Hope he recovers and turns his life around.
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