So you like to have the occasional flutter? Did you say “occasional”? Our world is soaked with gambling opportunities: Horses and dogs, footy games - any code? Cricket? Tennis? American Football, Basketball? Elections? Pokies? Keno, Lotto, Powerball, Scratchies anyone? And we have so far only mentioned some the legal ones. Major betting businesses spend eyewatering sums for saturation advertising. Smartphone app technology is widely promoted on all electronic and printed media. Placing a bet on the spur of the moment has never been easier. Cases of kids stealing their parent's credit cards are common. Yes, gambling addiction is ubiquitous throughout all age groups and denominations. “The guvmnt orta do sumthn’ about it” I hear you say. Yeah, right. With government revenue from gambling taxes in excess of $6.6 Billion annually, governments are equally addicted!So what if you succumb and this becomes an obsession? What if every fibre of your being revolves around getting, borrowing, even stealing money to place your next bet?
“It is not just an addiction, this is a sickness” our guest speaker at last Wednesday’s meeting, Rod Buchanan (picture above, with meeting chairman Graeme Isaacson), explained. Rod once was a gambling addict himself. “It cannot be cured per se, the only way is total abstinence. Even accepting the gift of a raffle ticket will instantly put me back to square one” he said.
Once a gambling addict himself, Rod is a key member of one of the local branches of Gamblers Anonymous (GA). Similar to Alcoholics Anonymous, the organisation has regular meetings, designed to help people who are unable to control themselves and, in essence, wreck not only their own lives but also that of their families, their businesses and even their community. “The organisation is spiritual, not religious” Rod advised. On the Gold Coast meetings are held throughout the week at various locations. Visit https://gaaustralia.org.au/ or contact Rod directly via email: rodbuchanan126@yahoo.com