There are many things that bring people into bankruptcy. More than a few times, I’ve represented people who have had something in common: a gambling problem. There are unique legal and practical issues that face gambling debtors. But before I get into my professional perception of things, let me share with you some personal experiences.
When I was in college in Newport, Jai Alai had opened. Jai Lai is a game where men hurl balls using large baskets at a wall. I forget exactly what you're supposed to be betting on. I think it was points.
Anyway, my first visit was a little over 20 years ago. I walked in with $10 in my pocket. I left with more than $100. Obviously, given that I was a poor college student who had a steady diet of macaroni and cheese and other various pasta creations, I was pleased as kitten at a cat nip farm. I also looked forward to going back.
My second – and last visit was a week later. I walked in with $50. At one point in the evening, I was up $100. I eventually left with nothing. I wasn’t feeling so great. And then it really bugged me that it wasn’t feeling great. And then it bugged me even more that it really bugged me that my losing $50 was not making me feel great. I felt silly and ashamed. Perhaps it was knowing that I blew my grocery money on Jai Alai: a game where men use large baskets to hurl balls at a wall. Needless to say, I didn’t sleep well that evening.
But the good that came out of it was I vowed to never gamble again. It just seemed too easy. Too fun. And far, far too risky. I know this because at throughout that sleepless night, I constantly thought about how I could win the money back. Perhaps I could borrow. Perhaps I could... you get the picture. Clearly, this was headed in a good direction.
When I went to New Orleans a few years back for a conference, my hotel was next door to a casino. One night, on the way back to my room, I thought I would take a stroll through the casino - as I had never been in one. I saw many folks having a good time and drinking (presumably free) cocktails while playing black jack and roulette. I was able to get a cheap buffet that had fairly marginal food (but tasted great at the late hour). It was there where I saw many folks who did clearly did not have the same economic means as the high rollers at the black jack and roulette tables, but were nevertheless playing two, three or four penny/nickel slot machines at a time. I wondered how many lived in FEMA Trailers and were hoping for something that could get them out of it.
As an experiment, I took out a $5 bill for the sole purpose of seeing how long it would take to disappear. At one point, I was up to $7.50. It was all gone within 10 minutes. I made up for it at the buffet.
When I have represented folks with gambling issues, they have all felt shame. On varying levels, all of these folks let their gambling hurt their families, lives and careers. The shame factor feeds secrecy; family members do not know why money is missing, where their loved one is at some ungodly hour of the night, or why they are being told not to answer the phone. By the time a gambler has come to me – a bankruptcy attorney – a significant amount of financial and emotional damage has piled up. And most often, the shame and the secrecy continue to thrive.
If you’re a gambler, and you’re reading this, I have two more things I want to share: the first is, if gambling is creating havoc in your life, please talk to someone about it. Call the toll-free National Hotline for Gamblers Anonymous: 1-888-424-3577. For information on meetings and other services, click here.
And the last thing is that if you want to come see me to talk about your financial problems that were brought on by gambling, please tell me about the gambling. Tell me about the scratch tickets, the late nights at casinos or the harassing calls from bookies. Tell me all of it. If I do not know about it, then I cannot prepare, and I cannot advise you properly. If I cannot prepare, then I cannot do my job well. And I cannot do my job well, no one is happy. Including me. And especially you.
