"The more I won, the deeper my happy, little gambling hobby sank into a dark and dangerous compulsion. I literally couldn’t stay away."

Leo Dirr

"I stole from friends or borrowed money with concocted stories to hide my gambling losses, I had become a pretty despicable person."

Graham

"My life is now fulfilled and in retrospect I can see how miserable and unhappy I really was and I don’t now know where I found the time or interest to gamble on pokies."

Elsie

"I used every dollar I could spare (and money that I could not spare) to put into the money-hungry pokie machines."

Roy

"I stopped going out with my friends, didn't take care of myself, and literally became apathetic about anyone who are not interested in gambling."

Tom

"When my mum gambles and looses everything, I lose everything too."

Kate

"The glitz of the lights, the sounds of the slots, the hope in the air. It all made me feel so alive."

Leo

"Not only was gambling destroying my family and me financially, it was more importantly destroying my soul."

John

"I was always a casual gambler but now I have become a loner and my entire days are consumed with it."

Rick

"I've almost lost my home, my car, all of my savings are gone and I can't seem to stop myself."

Anonymous

"I began by playing for an hour or two every so often. Eventually I was playing from eleven every day."

Xavier

"I am an addict. I am a liar; I am a cheat; I am a thief. I am all of these things when I am in addiction."

Jane

"I chased that big win every day of my life, figuring that I can do this again."

Arnie Wexler

"It’s a rip-off. But I can’t complain because I made the mistake of getting involved in it."

Tony

"My intention was never to steal money. I had a very serious problem. I was a desperate man trying to cover up my addiction. I know what I did was wrong."

Scott Glandon

"The internet is making all the difference now. It's still gambling and still potentially destructive but it is hidden away."

Faith

"Everyone believes the harm is how much money is spent, and that what’s driving the compulsive gamblers is a desire to make money. But the idea of winning money falls away when you get to the point of addiction."

Natasha

"What feelings rise up in the hearts of parents when they discover that their beautiful, intelligent child is using drugs or drinking massive amounts of alcohol?"

Anonymous

"Learn from the mistake you've made and understand why you did it, and then put the lessons you've learnt into action"

John Rogers, PhD

"I saw my father for who he was, instead of the man I had created in my mind"

Lucy

"That bubble burst when I heard him turn to a friend and say, “Gimme $600.” My mouth fell open at the request and then my eyes went wide as the request was granted. So much for responsible."

Lucy

"I couldn’t even imagine the state of my family’s finances being contingent upon whether Dragon Tail come in first in the fifth at Aqueduct"

Lucy

"I have messed up yet again. I have lied, stolen, borrowed and broken the last bit of trust you all may have had for me"

Liam Conaghan

"I stole my girlfriend's (at the time) and sisters bank cards and emptied their accounts before later getting my friends details for money that I soon gambled away. At that moment I knew I had reached rock bottom of my life."

Liam Conaghan

"Even if I win, I will keep gambling until it's all gone again and without any logic, I will use all our money available."

Katy

"When I stopped drinking in 1992, after years of alcohol abuse, I almost immediately began gambling. It very quickly became a problem which I could not control. I wanted to stop, tried to stop, but couldn’t."

Alan

"I believe I began playing the machines for fun and excitement. At first I saw no harm in it. The truth was though; I was really trying to fulfil instantly something that was missing in my life."

Will

"I have not gambled since my first visit with my new counsellor, but I don’t want to make the mistake I made the last time and stop the counselling too early."

Gail

"My gambling has had an impact on my marriage as there have been frequent arguments over the years about my gambling, about the debts and the uncertainty of our financial situation."

Ricardo

"One night after not being able to sleep from sheer guilt and fear, I woke my fiancé up early in the morning and told him everything. My fiancé was stunned and shocked by this revelation. He was so disappointed and that made me really want to give up gambl"

Elaine

"If it wasn't for her gambling counsellor I don't think I would have made it this far."

Amy

"I was out of control and not seeing things too clearly and I hate to say I didn't care."

Cheryl

"I had it all, wonderful husband, son, family, friends, home and career. Then, eighteen years later I found myself divorced and starting again."

Angie

"I understand now that the reason I was playing the machines was to supplement the lack of excitement in my life."

Will