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BBC Newsline has been investigating the effects of compulsive gambling.

Addicts, and those who work with them, say internet gambling is making the problem worse. 

For the second part of our special series, Chris Page talks to two members of Gamblers Anonymous.

For more information you can contact the following organisations.

Gamblers Anonymous Belfast - Tel 90249185. 

Meetings are also held in Derry, Coleraine, Craigavon Armagh, Newry and Omagh.

Gamcare 0845 6000143

GamAnon - helps friends and family of compulsive gamblers.
Helpline 08700 50 88 80

Dunlewey Substance Advice Centre 028 90611162

We have transcribed a section of an interview with a gambler, who wanted to remain anonymous.

A gambler speaks

Q Tell us, how did you start gambling?

Probably from an early age.  Now, what age that was I don’t know, but I started off... I didn't think I had a problem with gambling as such.  Certainly I was a social gambler, you know?  And that progressed the older I got, with going out with boys, y'know? Couple of pints and stuff, y'know... a wee pound on the pool table or a couple of pound in the fruit machine, y'know?

But it didn't take long for it to progress.  I was spending more time basically gambling, I was spending more money, y'know, so....

Q How much money did you end up spending?

Well, the money is not the key.  It's when you go over your means.  Now that could be by one pound, y'know, I could, I could spend one hundred pounds a week.  Somebody else could spend could spend a thousand pound a week.  Somebody else could spend a thousand pound a week.  There's no value in money, so there's not.

Q. When did you realise there was something not quite right and you should try to go and get help?

Ehm, obviously later on  (PAUSE) I think it was a problem, five or six years ago.  I knew that I had.. I knew something was wrong, but I didn't exactly know what to do about it or who to talk to.  I just knew a lot of things were wrong, ehm, personally, emotionally and in the house y'know?  Basically.

Q Give me an idea of just how is affected your life, just day to day life, friends and family.

Well I see it as am emotional illness. You almost stop living. Yes, you are a man, but you almost turn back into that child. You spend that much time focused on one thing, which was gambling, and one thing only. You forget how to talk, you forget how to communicate. You forget how to do the simple things – cry laugh. You’re just focused on yourself and nobody else. You don’t care about anybody else except for yourself. You just care about that bet.

Q What sort of things were you gambling on, was it a whole range of things or was it one thing in particular?

It started with fruit machines, poker machines and that went on for a period of time. I came up with this idea that I had nothing but bad luck. So I said, I might have better luck if I went into the bookies and put a couple of pound on a dog or a horse. But mainly fruit machines or poker machines, but it did progress into other forms of gambling, so it did.

Q Did you end up in debt then? Were you owing money to people? 

Yes, a bit in debt. Not as much debt as other know, you know, but certainly there was debt there and to this day I probably don’t know just how much debt.

Q Can you just describe to me emotionally how you feel if you’re in the position and you don’t know what to do about it?

If you think you have a gambling problem?

Q Yes

Well I hope if someone has or thinks they have a gambling problem I hope that they are aware that Belfast has Gamblers Anonymous. I hope people are aware of that. Unfortunately some aren’t. But there are other means of compulsive gamblers attending the meetings. That can also be through friends, family or even through a newspaper or broadcasting, like this, you know?

Q Where did you go whenever you first tried to get help?

Well I made a phone call and I was asked to go to “The Rooms”, we call it – Gamblers Anonymous and you arrive there, you meet another member, and he talks to you. It’s not like a counselling session. We’re not counsellors. It’s basically a compulsive gambler talking to a compulsive gambler – someone you can relate to, somebody who understands, somebody that answers you questions almost. You just feel safe, knowing that there’s Gambler’s Anonymous out there and there’s other people out there that have the same problem.