Anonymous's story

I’m 15 years old and my dad has had a gambling addiction for the past year. I'd heard horror stories of people ruining their lives and family before with gambling, but I'd never understood what it felt like to be in that situation until now.

It started on a cruise ship, on a family holiday where my dad had a try gambling for the first time with money. After the cruise we returned home, and he started having late night meetings almost everyday. He would arrive home at 11 pm most days. I thought he was just working hard, but I was upset because he wasn't spending anytime with me anymore.

Then one day after school my mum was looking at the computer, very stressed. She said dad had taken out several hundred dollars a few times out of the bank over the past month. I watched mum confront dad about it, who just ignored her, said he had to check emails and said it was nothing. Then the next day my dad didn't come home all night. My mum called the police, who waited at home. Dad came home at 5pm the next afternoon and admitted to having spent $5,000 dollars at the casino. I was really scared and angry.

After the incident he promised not to do it again. But in fact he repeated this every week, lying and finding ways to get the money. We put a ban on him from the casino, and despite a 6 month jail term and $5000 dollar fine if he gets caught, he still sneaks in and gambles behind our back.

Dad has secretly taken out loans and borrowed money so he can gamble without us knowing. Also when he is at home he spends his time playing poker on his computer or iPhone and never spends any time with me anymore :( I wish he could stop gambling. Me and mum are both very depressed.

He has lost at least 20 grand from our family account, and even more from the secret loans he made. I am very scared about the future and if my family can pay off the debt. I am really scared that I will have to move house or that my parents might divorce. My dad has been seeing a counsellor for around 2 months.

He appeared to have changed a lot – then we found out about the secret loans. So he is still lying all the time. Sometimes I feel like dad doesn't care about me anymore. I really hate the person who invented poker because this game has ruined my life and my family. We have lost so much in less than a year and my dad is a different person who lies to his family to gamble. I'm scared that this won't stop.

I'm really scared that he won't change and will keep gambling. I have tried everything to help him but nothing is working :(

I hope my story shows anyone who does gamble that gambling affects your family more than anyone else.

Our family used to be very happy and spend lots of time together. Now everyone is depressed all the time, mum and dad never stop fighting, we don't have enough money any more, I'm always worried about Dad losing money, mum always threatens to divorce. All this happened within a year.

If you ever read this dad, please stop losing money and please spend more time with me.

I really miss you :(