Online Casinos Put Professor’s Life on Hold

 She discussed her entry into the poker world and world of online casinos: “About three years ago, I met some women in the casino that I used to go to and they were quite interested in playing poker. I didn't know how to play the game so I looked on the internet and started to play for points. I thought it was quite easy so I started playing for money.” Carol said that the fiscal losses weren’t too terrible at the online casinos she played at, instead it was the frequency with which she played at online casinos that took a toll for the worse. “My real problem was in the number of hours I spent playing. I would stay up until 4am, 5am or 6am. Sometimes it would run to two or three days at a time - I wouldn't go to bed. If I had 20 minutes in the morning before work I would spend that time playing poker. It also affected my work. I'm a lecturer and I would finish class early so that I could come home. The only thing that was in my mind was to get back onto the web to play - it was total compulsion.” Her husband finally gave her an ultimatum to quit online casinos, or he would leave her.

 But she continued frequenting online casinos, “For about three or four months I didn't use my credit card so, instead, I used my daughter's bank card. The whole thing about gambling and gamblers is that it's a solitary occupation - all of us are in our own little world. There's only superficial contact because we're far too focused on what the next hand is. I think for me it was about just doing it - the excitement, the buzz, the rush.” The lecturer entered counseling and began dealing with her addiction. But it wasn’t easy. She said, “Because it was difficult to co-ordinate with my counselor, the sessions weren't that regular.” In the end, she has dealt with her problems. But addiction is real.