Gambling’s Stakes Too High
June 27, 2003
During the past two years my co-workers and I have been working with KQED, producing websites and public service announcements for public viewing. We have already created several websites and PSAs that are now online and on air.
Our most recent project is about gambling and the consequences and results of gambling. I liked this topic much more than any of the other projects we worked on in the past, probably because this is a topic I could barely relate to and I was curious to hear what others had to say about it. In the past we have worked on topics such as family communication and school pressure, topics that I certainly could relate to.
However, on a topic such as gambling, the comments I can make on the topic are limited, since I personally do not gamble. The only thing I could share with others was my experience watching my grandfather gamble and watching my family members hate him for it.
It was torture having to listen to all my family members talk about him behind his back. This was the man who used to take me to the park on weekends, laugh at my jokes and push me on the swings when I was younger. At that age, I just did not understand why everybody was being so unkind to him, yelling at him all the time. I had no idea what gambling was and how it had affected my family so much.
As I grew older, I began to see my grandfather from my family members’ points of view. Rather than feeling sorry for him, I suddenly felt sorry for my mom and my grandmother instead. My grandmother had to support her household with her minimum wage job and do all the chores by herself because my grandfather could not be depended on. He would go off to Reno once his paycheck arrived, gamble his earnings away and then come home broke after a few days, leaving no money for food and rent.
After I graduated from elementary school, his gambling got even worse. I heard stories about him stealing money from my mom’s cash register just so that he could satisfy his gambling obsession. It saddened me to hear this because I never would have thought that my grandfather would ever steal from his own family, his own flesh and blood.
Working on this KQED project, I heard from plenty of other young people with experiences just like mine, who had either suffered from their own addictions or faced the consequences of the addictions of those around them. Some were for gambling and some were against it. However, everyone agreed that it was very rare that anyone ever made a fortune by gambling alone. More often than not, gamblers ended up regretting their actions after they lost everything.
While doing research for the KQED project, I became upset after hearing that there were numerous cases of people who committed suicide after hitting rock bottom because of gambling.
It made me worry about my grandfather and his gambling addiction. He has been gambling for as long as I can remember. Would he suddenly hit rock bottom and become suicidal? I care about him a lot and don’t want anything to happen to him. Should I find help for him?
I decided to do research and try to help him. However, when I confronted him with my genuine concern for his well-being, he laughed it off, looking somewhat offended by my efforts. He told me to stop being so silly. I did feel pretty ridiculous after my conversation with him, yet I still do worry about him.
I don’t know what everyone else’s views are on the issue of gambling, but I know from my personal experiences that a single gambling addiction can tear a whole family apart and cause much agony and emotional pain for loved ones. I want everyone to realize that each person’s actions do not affect only him or her, but all those around him or her.
So, if you are concerned about a loved one’s gambling habits, there are people that can help, such as the counselors at NICOS Chinese Health Coalition. If you would like help for either yourself or your loved ones, you can call 888-968-7888 or look for help from websites online.
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