Gambling's Ugly Side - Bankruptcy

Bankruptcy comes about due to many different circumstances. It is common knowledge that gamblers are at a higher risk of bankruptcy than non-gamblers. This story from The Kansan, about personal bankruptcy should be posted at the entrance of every casino:

Bankruptcy can be an ugly side of gambling

PUBLISHED: Saturday, June 23, 2007

By Cristina Janney

Newton Kansan

The therapist tried to reason with the man on the other end of the line. It was Friday night; he had taken his life savings out of the bank and was on his way to a Kansas casino.

Somewhere in the hundreds of words that spilled from her mouth as she attempted to get him to think about gambling his life away, she got through. He turned his car around and came home.

“I didn’t stop talking to him until he was back in his driveway, but there is nothing to say he wasn’t back at the casino the next day,” said the Wichita therapist, who did not wish to give her name to protect the identity of herself and her client.

“If you drink or do meth or cocaine, at some point you are going to pass out or die,” she said. “The harm stops, but that never happens with gambling. I know people who have gone 23 hours without stopping and been $25,000 down. When they reach the point they have no money, they find creative ways to find money. They are chasing the money — chasing their losses.”