I live in Sin City, the gambling capital of the world. I only go out maybe twice a month at the most and go gambling and even then I keep it moderate.

However, my mother in law has a big gambling problem and it has come to the point where she has started lying to the family about where her money goes. This has caused a major headace for me because I am now the one stuck supporting her. Let me just give you a couple of examples.

On the first of this month, she was driving out from California to Vegas and on the way she stopped at the Stateline and did some gambling. She lost all $800 that she had and I had to wire money to her so that she could get to Vegas. Not a real big deal to me because at least she told the truth.

last week she came home and said that she would be unable to participate in christmas this year because she had just gotten "robbed" for the $400 she had left while comming out of a casino. Being a Criminal Justice major my first question was if she filed a police report. She said she did bother because "they would never catch the guy anyways". The next step I took was to call the casino and I told them that my mother in law had gotten robbed on their property for $400. They told me that all she had to do was file a police report and they would reimburse her for the loss because it had happened on their property. They would also look at the cameras to see if they could ID the guy. She still refused to file a police report and with her record, I do not believe for one second that she was robbed. I think that she lost the money and did not want to admit it again to anybody.

Does anyone else have any problems like this with their family members?

Yes i do.

My aunt is addicited to bingo and online poker. My cousin (her son) Hadn't seen her in two years because he lives in another state and he went up to see her for a week and he told me that see hardly even payed addition to him. She would just sit their on the computer all day and play poker.


This is how bad she is.

She goes online and sets the poker on automatic. Then goes to the bingo hall and pay 4 cards at once!


She blows all her money this way and lost her boyfriend from gambling.


It is sad how people can jsut throw away their lives this way.

yeah, that must be so hard having a family member just having this problem an throwing their lives away with gambling. It's not worth it. And, how can you prevent this? You know your mother in law has this probem, but what I can read, I think you don't really seem to know how you can prevent her from going back to a casino and gamble every cent away.

I think this is horrible ... Mostly if you are this close too her, but can't find a way to stop her throwing her live away.

I can't really say I know anyone like this.. I guess thats a good thing.

I don't really understand how you would become addicted to gambling, not to the extent that some people are. I mean, after spending that much money, even if you win something big, you'll never get it all back. Its impossible. I guess I don't understand how they can't understand that. Is your life worth wasting away on a statistic?

I think you have to find something to keep her occupied with and keep her away from any place where she can gamble. She won't stop unless you make her stop.. it doesn't seem like she really realizes what she's doing and how its affecting the people around her. Try and make her see that.

I never liked statistics.. I guess thats why I never liked gambling, either.

Heh.. I dont know anyone personally that gambles in excess, yet that stuff still bothers me.
I work in a grocery store, and we sell a lot of lotto and lottery tickets. It blows my mind when someone cashes a $60 child-support check.. then buys $20 worth of powerball. Every week. And the kicker is that these people are 100% convinced that if they just keep playing.. surely.. someday.. they just have to win it big. It's an investment, to them.

It really blows my mind o.o

That is a total pain for you and your family. A few people in my family have gambling addictions but they only lose money that they can afford to lose. My advice is to find some sort of program that helps control gambling addictions for your mother in law. When people in your family have to give money to someone who lost all of their money to gambling the addiction is getting way out of hand.

My mom buys lotto tickets sometimes four times a week, between 3-10 dollars each time. She has me check the numbers for her so when they don't win- 99% of the time- I throw them in a drawer in my room. I guess I am helping her. And I am just as guilty. But if I got out all of the old losing tickets and counted them up, it might make us all think twice.

Hi my name is Leah and my mom is a recovering from a gambaling adiction so i know what you are going through but i have some info that mite help you and you mother in law theres a place in shreveport louisiana called core and its the only facilaty in this country that only deals with gambaling adiction.if you want the # My e mail address is LeahLynn5578@aol.com please contact me at any time ill be happy to help are just to talk i know how stressful this adiction really it.

Leah

In my family we dont have many gambelers. My grandma did a lot of gambeling before she died, but the money she gambeled away was money that was basically given to her for whatever she wanted.

But my friends dad, he goes through 2 thousand dollars everytime he gambles! And he isnt one to gamble every 6 months, try atleast once a week....i dont understand people like that. How can you just blow away 2 thousand dollars? I dont evne have that much to lose.

I hate gambeling , i dont even like making bets. When i do i only put it what i can afford to lose. And once i win , i dont put it all in there to gamble again, i either leave it at that, or spend a little...its just safer that way.