I've seen it before. The studies say that gambling addicts are getting their biggest endorphin rush when they're losing, which explains much of the behavior. They basically play until they're kicked out.

My first two times at a casino I left with more money than I went in with, not a lot (like $20 and $100, respectively), but once I was up I stopped playing. Ever since I've left when I hit my budgeted loss limit. I usually play penny slots and drink the "free" drinks. I consider it an entertainment budget and try to stretch it as much as possible.

Had a family friend that had a gambling addiction. She cleaned out her retired mother's bank accounts. Then she pulled her mother from her nursing home so that she could spend her social security and pension checks at the boat. The mother passed away and she got very desperate. She ended up destroying her marriage and dying penniless.

Had a project manager at work that had a gambling addiction. We went to Vegas for a conference. About a day and a half in, I stopped gambling because I was enjoying watching him lose so much. I had budgeted for $200 of gambling during the week (I was young and didn't have much money.) I spent like $40. He lost $2,000, then had his wife wire him another $4,000, which he also lost.

They don’t build those mega-casinos because they lose money. Quite the opposite.

I grew up with two alcoholic parents. Miraculously my Mom quit on her own prior to my Dad. He went through a couple of in patient rehab stints, wrecked two cars that I remember. He didn't really kick it until I was almost out of the house and only after my Mom kicked his ass to the curb. They eventually got back together and were married over 50 years and he was sober for 25+ of those.

She's not responsible for curing him and is only enabling him. She needs to see a counselor and lawyer and protect herself from further financial harm.

This but somehow "they" think they can win.

I dated a nice looking lady a few years ago who was a croupier. She had travelled the world and worked in lots of different casinos.
She had seen it all and NEVER gambled on anything. Not even a $2 scratchy ticket.

We met at the local casino and I suggested we play some slots with the change from our drinks purchase.
She said, put it in here instead as she opened her purse. ;)

During our date she asked me about my job and living situation in a very indirect but polite way.
I didn't tell her anything but she made me feel like I should. There's smart and there's street smarts. She was definitely the later.
As I said she was "nice looking" and I'd bet she's doing really well.

Played the scratch offs every day for 3 months.
Started with $20. Winngs for each ticket were on-line.
Only bought the tickets with the most winnings still unclaimed.
Bought more tickets with the winnings.
Never spent anything except the original $20.
Got up to $500.
Kept all the scratched tickets to claim on taxes against winnings.
Went for 3 months when got down to $0 in winnings so I stopped there.
Tough it was good entertainment for $20 for an entire 3 months.

On-line gambling just scares me. It's just too easy to keep going.

I was talking to my next door neighbor about how his parents we’re doing since their house flooded during Harvey. He told me his parents house had flooded before and the only reason they’re still in that house is because of his fathers gambling. He said just that day he gave his father some money to help deal with the house and his father suggested they go to a casino. His father is retirement age and has no money despite having a good income for many years.

My theory is everyone has an addiction to something. Some worse than others. It also seems the worse a parents addiction the less likely the child is to have the same addiction.

A friend of mine, his dad - a Chinese guy, sold his green grocer business. then went gambling with the money. He had lost the whole lot by the end of the weekend.

Imagine how the family felt for the rest of their lives.

Uggh... :( That's a gut punch just reading about it.

I don't understand it. I did quarter slots in Vegas the weekend Tupac was murdered and set my loss limit at $200. Sure enough, I hit the target.

Not even a $1 scratch off since.

Amazed at the guy who buys $50 worth of lottery tickets at the gas station and then gets into a ratty S-10 with a broken spring lean. Mind you, I'm in line to buy beer.:)

Yeah, imagine hat. Going from quite comfortable to dirt poor in one weekend from playing cards.

My understanding is in a Casino environment the house 'wins' 80%+ time on every bet/ gamble, dice toss made. Online its higher as the software predicts your next bet. You have to figure that whatever amount of money 'spent' in a given day from your customers you get to keep you can build a pretty nice gambling establishment.

I had a lady friend that was so good at beating the Casinos (!) they gave her comps on rooms and meals left and right. So she'd take me to eat FREE crab legs on the BUFFET every now and then. VIP totin' Black Players Club Card we'd go to the front of the line and be seated pronto. I'd pick up the tip. She wound up getting married and now they are both addicted. And boy howdy, I sure do miss those FREE crab leg dinners!

I thought casinos comped people who bet a lot, not because they beat the casinos a lot. Think about it. You want big spenders to keep coming back. Even if players win a lot, the casinos eventually come out on top of the players keep playing long enough.

Never fails.

Win too much and they can kick you out.
'Counting Cards' (i.e. being smart) is illegal.
Enough said.

80% is probably true for slots. I don't know about craps. I don't know about machine poker but I'll bet it's a lot better than 20% for the player. Black Jack is possible to get close to even if you're good.

When there are no liquid or salable assets, an addict will turn to borrowing from a bookie or unsuspecting friends. The spouse becomes leaned on to pay the debt or else... The addict will also ramp up mental torment to try to manipulate a spouse who refuses to feed the addiction. It can go to physical threats or actual violence. Short of getting professional counseling, it almost never ends well.

Divorce his ass. Save herself.

The best option IMO.

Addicts can get help but they have to want it.

You really don't have to spend that much.

A few years back I did a lot of business trips in Alabama and Mississippi. On the way back I would usually stay for a night at Tunica. I limited myself to no more than a 200 nightly loss. I always got a free room and buffet. Sometimes I would even get 20 to 100 in free play. I only played blackjack and I could play for hours most nights and not lose a hundred. Some nights I won a bit.

I went in one time and all the tables were full so I sat down at a Top Hat blackjack machine. If you won a hand you could double up as many times as you wanted as long as you kept guessing right. All you did was pick high or low. 2- 7 or 9- ace. 8 was a push and you could go again or cash out. I was playing a $5 machine and you could bet up to 10 coins ($50). I won 1,600 in about 30 minutes. Cashed out and went back to the hotel room.