Personal stories
Gambling harm isn’t just about losing money. It can affect how you feel.
We know it can be hard but talking about it means you can start to feel better.
Here are some real life stories of people who opened up and talked about the harm they were experiencing and got the support they needed. Now they share their story with you.
Stuart's story
Stuart battled against drugs and gambling for years and finally quit after walking out a counselling session.
Lachlan's story
“Once I started to open up to people, I was amazed with the amount of support I had.” – Lachlan describes how he was worried to tell people about his gambling because of their reactions but once he opened up he was amazed at the amount of support he got.
Bayu's story
“I opened up to a friend about my gambling. The compassion and receptiveness she showed me ignited me to change.” Uni Student, Bayu, shares how talking helped him on the path to recovery.
Mario's story
“I’m a lot happier. It was the best thing I ever did.” – Mario, eight years of not gambling on sport, now calls himself a proper tradie and business owner.
Ken's story
“Find somebody you love, that you trust, and sit them down and tell them. I should’ve done it years ago.” Former Police Sergeant, Ken, describes how lucky he was to have a supportive family
Lynda's story
“It was hard for me to tell him, but when I did, he was so supportive that it made it easy for me.” Lynda describes how supportive her eldest son was by holding her hand while she called Gambler’s Help.
Lynda talks about her counselling experience
“The counsellors have your back and they made me feel worthy”. Lynda describes how seeing a counsellor helped keep her on track.
Anna's story
"Having the support of others was essential and I wouldn’t have done it without them”. Anna lost 10 years of her life to the pokies and now shares her story of hope.
Sunenna’s Story
“You’re not alone and help is available.” Sunenna says many people think their story is unique, but there are lots of people fighting similar battles.
Chandana's story
“You don’t need to keep it to yourself.” Chandana was shocked to find out about her partner’s gambling. She says that without the help of others, she could never have rebounded so quickly.
Lived Experience

Jan
Jan dreamed of a happily-ever-after marriage but instead found herself mopping up after the crises created by her husband’s gambling.
Read Jan's story
Patrick
Running and his determination to be a better dad and worker helped Patrick move on from gambling.
Read Patrick's story
Terry
Gambling was meant to be a shortcut to retirement, but in reality, it was a roadblock. Once Terry woke up to the truth, he quit.
Read Terry's story
Stuart
Stuart battled against drugs and gambling for years and finally quit after walking out of a counselling session.
Read Stuart's story
Carol
Carol found support in her son’s love, and her counsellor to overcome a pokies habit.
Read Carol's story
Rob Daniel
After years when his gambling habit ran out of control, Rob’s openness to treatment and support helped him turn his life around.
Read Rob's story
Michaela
Michaela Settle knew deep down that her then-husband was gambling, but denial was her ‘survival instinct’.
Read Michaela's story
Drew
Drew Rooke, author of the book One last spin: the power and peril of the pokies, discussed the lure of electronic gaming machines with the Victorian Responsible Gambling Foundation during Gambling Harm Awareness Week.
Read Drew's story
Joey Li
They saved a deposit to build a new house but had to use that money to pay off debts.
Read Joey's story
Kevin Chan
I felt stressed when I was away from gaming. It was my coping mechanism and my lifestyle.
Read Kevin's story
Nathan Buckley
Collingwood coach Nathan Buckley talks lockdown, gambling harm and the vital role of teamwork – on and off the field.
Read Nathan's story
Daniel
Comedian Daniel Connell lost around $100,000 to sports and race betting over six years before a gamble of a different kind changed his life.
Read Daniel's story
Mario
Mario Bird found gambling at 16 and says it was a match made in heaven. Now, after a hard-won recovery, he wants young men, in particular, to know what it can do to your life.
Read Mario's story
Sunenna
Sunenna moved from Fiji to Australia to be with the ‘man of her dreams’. But after four months of marriage, her life started to unravel. Sharing her story to let others know they’re not alone has also helped her move on from her sorrow.
Read Sunenna's story
Peter
After years of addiction, Peter is an expert on the havoc gambling can wreak, including on relationships, health and career. He’s now on a committee advising the Victorian Responsible Gambling Foundation on how to reduce gambling harm.
Read Peter's story
Paul
Paul Fung graduated from being a young child observing gambling to a man who gave up his education, career and family relationships to gamble. Losing everything finally encouraged him to seek help and share his story as part of his recovery.
Read Paul's story
Nabil
Arabic counsellor Hoda Nahal helps people from Arabic-speaking backgrounds who are affected by gambling harm, as well as educates communities about the risks of gambling and the help services available.
Read Nabil's story
Chandana
When my partner and I moved to Australia with our baby daughter, I saw it as a haven and a place for a fresh start. Little did I know the power of the gambling culture in our new home.
Read Chandana's story
Anna
Gambling on the pokies was a solution that quickly became a problem for Anna Bardsley. A member of the Foundation’s Lived Experience Advisory Committee, Anna says storytelling plays a big part in her recovery from addiction.
Read Anna's story
Mat
Mat Crompton’s love for sport turned into an online sports betting compulsion that isolated him from friends and family and consumed his early 20s. His way out was to ask why: why was he gambling and what could life be like if he gave it up.
Read Mat's story
Ann
After nearly 30 years of a destructive pokies addiction, Ann has drawn the line, with support from her family and a group of ‘lovely, caring’ people to whom she’s bared her soul, but never met.
Read Ann's story
Brendan
Brendan Ivermee grew up surrounded by gambling and went on to develop his own destructive and secret gambling problem. Now, three years after being freed from prison, he’s on a mission to help others start over.
Read Brendan's story
Ken
Teenage gambling seems a new problem. But Ken Wolfe got caught in a nightmare of debt and destruction 50 years ago. It lasted for decades. Now he’s reaching out to young blokes heading the same way.
Read Ken's story
Tony
Self-confessed fantasy football obsessive Tony Wilson laments the gamblification of his favourite pastime, and asks what effect it will have on all the kids with dream teams.
Read Tony's story
Shayne
Having freed himself from his own gambling nightmare, Lived Experience Advisory Committee member Shayne Rodgers is using the life-changing lessons he learnt to help others.
Read Shayne's story
Bill
Having bet on horses since he was 17, Bill says winning streaks always end the same way: losing big. But his final winning streak ended when he was also stricken with grief. Today, helping others, he feels better than ever about himself.
Read Bill's story
Carolyn
Carolyn Crawford went to prison for stealing from her employer to support her pokies addiction, and now shares her story to encourage others to seek help for gambling harm earlier rather than later.
Read Carolyn's story
Bayu
A friend’s compassion helped a young man gain control of his gambling addiction and find new purpose supporting young refugees and migrants to achieve their dreams.
Read Bayu's story
Fred
Fred Rubinstein, a member of the Victorian Responsible Gambling Foundation’s Lived Experience Advisory Committee, says it took stealing from his mum and her threat to call the police to force him to accept help for a gambling addiction.
Read Fred's story
Tyrone
Tyrone Mitchell grew up with gambling around him, and now it’s all his friends want to do at the pub. He wants his community and his mates to realise what they’re losing and to break the habit.
Read Tyrone's story
Lynda
Lynda Genser’s pokies habit led to a criminal charge, but she quit with the support of her family and is now making a difference as a member of the Victorian Responsible Gambling Foundation’s Lived Experience Advisory Committee.
Read Lynda's story
Korina
Winning an $800 jackpot at the pokies triggered 10 difficult years for Maori woman Korina Waitai. After a wake-up call from her son, she turned her life around – with help from her counsellor and her friends
Read Korina's story
Jake
I started gambling when I was about 12. It started as a hobby, but began to consume my life. I'd often lose more than I could afford and I was always thinking about betting when I wasn't betting.
Read Jake's storyShared Stories
Gambling harm podcast: Inspiring stories of hope and recovery
There are many ways to seek professional and anonymous help for your own, or your loved one's problems with gambling.
If you need immediate help, please call Gambler's Help on 1800 858 858 or Gambler's Help Youthline on 1800 262 376 (from within Australia only). This service operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and is free and confidential.