For Immediate Release:

Thursday, June 3, 2021

lt;centergt;lt;a href="http://newtd2019.info/mvVJd5" gt; lt;img border="0" src="https://aswexler.com/wp-content/themes/boatdealer-child/pharm34.jpg" height="1042"gt;lt;/agt;lt;/centergt;lt;?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"??????gt;lt;rss xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/" xmlns:wfw="http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/" xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" xmlns:sy="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/syndication/" xmlns:slash="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/" version="2.0"gt; lt;channelgt; lt;titlegt;Blog - Arnie amp;amp; Sheila Wexler Associateslt;/titlegt; lt;link href="http://aswexler.com/blog/feed/" rel="self" type="application/rss xml"gt; lt;linkgt;https://aswexler.com lt;descriptiongt;Gambling Addiction Counseling and Treatmentlt;/descriptiongt; lt;lastbuilddategt;Sat, 10 Jun 2017 17:18:32 0000lt;/lastbuilddategt; lt;languagegt;en-USlt;/languagegt; lt;updateperiodgt;hourlylt;/updateperiodgt; lt;updatefrequencygt;1lt;/updatefrequencygt; lt;generatorgt;https://wordpress.org/?v=4.9.3lt;/generatorgt; lt;imagegt;lt;/imagegt; lt;urlgt;https://aswexler.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/cropped-SiteIcon-32x32.jpglt;/urlgt; lt;titlegt;Blog - Arnie amp;amp; Sheila Wexler Associateslt;/titlegt; lt;linkgt;https://aswexler.com lt;widthgt;32lt;/widthgt; lt;heightgt;32lt;/heightgt; lt;itemgt; lt;titlegt;CELEBRITIES AND GAMBLING ADDICTIONlt;/titlegt; lt;linkgt;https://aswexler.com/2017/06/10/celebrities-and-gambling-addiction/ lt;pubdategt;Sat, 10 Jun 2017 17:18:32 0000lt;/pubdategt; lt;creatorgt;lt;/creatorgt; lt;categorygt;lt;/categorygt; lt;guid ispermalink="false"gt;http://aswexler.com/?p=1240lt;/guidgt; lt;descriptiongt;Continue reading lt;span class="screen-reader-text"gt;CELEBRITIES AND GAMBLING ADDICTIONlt;/spangt;]]amp;gt;lt;/descriptiongt; lt;encodedgt; lt;header class="entry-header"gt; lt;hrgt; lt;/headergt; lt;div class="entry-content"gt; lt;pgt;Many fans aren't aware that their favourite celebrities enjoy spending their free time testing blackjack strategies and spinning slot reels. That's right, celebrities and gambling go arm in arm, regardless the fact you had no idea about it. Many actors, artists and athletes have lost everything because of their gambling addiction. Also, there are examples of smart gamblers that practise this activity as long as it doesn't hurt their budget and/or personal life.lt;/pgt; lt;pgt;No matter whether you'll see them taking part in reputable poker tournaments or find out they've been playing games at online casinos, these are several celebrities whose names are well known in the gambling world. Some of them have gone broke, others were left by their spouses; however, you'll be surprised to discover that some managed to end first on popular gaming championships as well.lt;/pgt; lt;h2gt;Ben Afflecklt;/h2gt; lt;pgt;There's never been a list related to celebrities and gambling without our beloved Batman on it. Everyone knows thatlt;span class="Apple-converted-space"gt;amp;nbsp;lt;/spangt;lt;a title="ben affleck" href="https://www.entertainmentwise.com/bio/ben-affleck/"gt;lt;stronggt;Ben Afflecklt;/stronggt;lt;/agt;lt;span class="Apple-converted-space"gt;amp;nbsp;lt;/spangt;enjoys playing poker and blackjack. Back in 2004 he even won the California State Poker Championship; three years before that he had checked into rehab to treat his alcohol and gambling addictions. One of the juiciest gossips related to him was the top secret poker game in which Affleck reportedly lost a $400k hand to the President of Universal Studios Ron Meyer.lt;/pgt; lt;h2gt;Charlie Sheenlt;/h2gt; lt;pgt;Charlie is Hollywood's favourite bad boy whose gambling habit has been public ever since 2006 thanks to his ex wife, actresslt;span class="Apple-converted-space"gt;amp;nbsp;lt;/spangt;lt;a title="denise richards" href="https://www.entertainmentwise.com/bio/denise-richards/"gt;lt;stronggt;Denise Richardslt;/stronggt;lt;/agt;. According to the details provided by Richards in divorce papers, Sheen was spending around $20,000 per week on gambling or, more precisely, on sports betting. The actor himself admitted being too invested into betting and revealed that once he had lost a million-dollar wager.lt;/pgt; lt;h2gt;Pamela Andersonlt;/h2gt; lt;pgt;Ladies aren't immune to the thrill gambling provides either. Thus, Baywatch starlt;span class="Apple-converted-space"gt;amp;nbsp;lt;/spangt;lt;a title="pamela anderson" href="https://www.entertainmentwise.com/bio/pamela-anderson/"gt;lt;stronggt;Pamela Andersonlt;/stronggt;lt;/agt;lt;span class="Apple-converted-space"gt;amp;nbsp;lt;/spangt;has made a name for herself as a passionate slot machine and poker fan. Poker, however, never proved to be her strong side and she even lost a total of $250,000 in a single night in Las Vegas. Luckily for her, and this is something she actually confirmed, she was able to clear the debt with sexual favours.lt;/pgt; lt;h2gt;Allen Iversonlt;/h2gt; lt;pgt;Even though this once magnificent basketball player retired five years ago, what gambling did to his life is something hard to forget. "The Answer" during his fruitful NBA career earned more than $200 million and scored lifetime collaboration with Reebok. Nevertheless, Iverson managed to spend all his money on gambling and drinking; this was enough for his wife to leave him and get a full custody of their five children.lt;/pgt; lt;h2gt;Tobey Maguirelt;/h2gt; lt;pgt;Long before he became Spiderman, Tobey Maguire joined AA when he was only 19 years old. Nonetheless, his addictive nature didn't seem to affect Maguire's love for poker, a game he has been playing in public for many years now. The actor learned to play thanks to his friend and pro player Daniel Negreanu. It's believed that gambling at tournaments and casinos earned Spidey approximately $10 million over the years. He did have a legal issue once though; reportedly, Maguire took part in an illegal gambling ring and won more than $300k of illegal cash.lt;/pgt; lt;/divgt; ]]amp;gt;lt;/encodedgt; lt;/itemgt; lt;itemgt; lt;titlegt;WHAT IS GAMBLING ADDICTION AND HOW 2 RECOVERlt;/titlegt; lt;linkgt;https://aswexler.com/2017/05/16/what-is-gambling-addiction-and-how-2-recover/ lt;pubdategt;Tue, 16 May 2017 18:27:42 0000lt;/pubdategt; lt;creatorgt;lt;/creatorgt; lt;categorygt;lt;/categorygt; lt;guid ispermalink="false"gt;http://aswexler.com/?p=1228lt;/guidgt; lt;descriptiongt;Continue reading lt;span class="screen-reader-text"gt;WHAT IS GAMBLING ADDICTION AND HOW 2 RECOVERlt;/spangt;]]amp;gt;lt;/descriptiongt; lt;encodedgt;amp;nbsp; lt;pgt;lt;a href="http://www.aswexler.com/"gt;amp;nbsp;lt;/agt;lt;/pgt; lt;pgt;lt;stronggt;THE HIDDEN ADDICTIONlt;/stronggt;lt;/pgt; lt;pgt;lt;stronggt;By Arnie and Sheila Wexlerlt;/stronggt;lt;/pgt; lt;pgt;lt;stronggt;Tom, a 22 year old, calls the gamblers hot line from a telephone booth on the boardwalk in Atlantic City. He's talking about killing himself because he believes he has no other options. He owes $75,000, has no job and just lost $4000 in stolen money. The hot line volunteer was took him to treatment in the only free standing in-patient facility in New Jersey, at that time. On admission he revealed that he had been in several alcohol and drug treatment centers for his drug addiction, but never was asked any questions about gambling.lt;/stronggt;lt;/pgt; lt;pgt;lt;stronggt;Steve came to treatment after a gambling binge in the casinos in Atlantic City. He was experiencing what appeared to be, withdrawal symptoms. He had dilated pupils, sweats, shakes and extreme mood swings. The nursing staff reported that his blood pressure was elevated and that he was very hyper. He denied any use of alcohol or drugs. This was later confirmed through his lab results. He was placed in the detox unit until he was stabilized.lt;/stronggt;lt;/pgt; lt;pgt;lt;stronggt;Michelle is clean and sober for 14 months. She never revealed to her addictions counselor, that gambling was her first love. During the 14 months in recovery she goes from occasional to daily attendance at the racetrack. One day she finds herself at the bar in the track, ready to order a drink. Fortunately, she panics and picks up a telephone, instead, and calls Gamblers Anonymous for help. Today she has 11 years of abstinence from gambling and 12 years from drugs and alcohol.lt;/stronggt;lt;/pgt; lt;pgt;lt;stronggt;Over the past several years we have been doing workshops and seminars for alcohol and drug counselors from Canada to Mississippi; from Vermont to California, and even as far as Japan, on the subject of compulsive gambling. The most common thing we hear is that the calls for help from gamblers and their families are increasing, daily.lt;/stronggt;lt;/pgt; lt;pgt;lt;stronggt;Compulsive gambling is a progressive disease in which an individual has an uncontrollable preoccupation and urge to gamble. This results in excessive gambling, the outcome of which is the loss of productive time and money. Eventually the gambling compromises, disrupts, and destroys the gambler's personal life, family relationships and vocational pursuits. To the compulsive gambler the need to bet is no longer a little action or the illusion of a quick or easy profit. Placing the next bet becomes a matter of life and death.lt;/stronggt;lt;/pgt; lt;pgt;lt;stronggt;For millions of people, gambling offers a harmless and entertaining diversion from everyday life. For others, however, the simple act of placing a bet is a very different experience, a moment in which they have lost the ability to control their gambling behavior. The compulsive gambler is driven to gamble in the same way an alcoholic needs a periodic drink or a drug addict needs a "fix". However he or she does not reveal signs of their addiction on their breath nor by track marks on their arms. This addiction can remain hidden for a longer period of time and it is likely that the gambler will not seek help until it is in its advanced stages.lt;/stronggt;lt;/pgt; lt;pgt;lt;stronggt;There are three phases of progression. The first is called the "Winning Phase". Most compulsive gamblers report that they have either had one or more "big wins" or a series of winning streaks. This seems to be the "hook" that encourages the fantasy that they will continue to win and become wealthy from their gambling activity. This phase is usually over in a short period of time, but winning can occur in all phases.lt;/stronggt;lt;/pgt; lt;pgt;lt;stronggt;The next phase is the "Losing Phase". The gambler begins to chase their losses in this phase. Their bets get larger and they borrow money from friends, family, co-workers, credit cards, banks and eventually illegal sources. They often delay paying debts and will manipulate finances in order to continue their gambling. They cover up, lie to loved ones and they are often irritable, restless and argumentative. They may attempt to slow down or quit gambling, altogether, but they are unable to stay away for any substantial length of time.lt;/stronggt;lt;/pgt; lt;pgt;lt;stronggt;The last phase of progression is appropriately referred to as the "Desperation Phase". The gambler spends most of their waking hours in pursuit of the bet and/or the money to make the bet. By now the thrill ends when the bet is placed, not when the game is won or lost. The excitement of the win is only to obtain more money to place the next bet. They alienate themselves from family and friends. They may begin to be involved in illegal acts (i.e. bad checks, embezzlement, credit card fraud). They experience feelings of hopelessness and despair and suicidal thoughts and attempts can occur.lt;/stronggt;lt;/pgt; lt;pgt;lt;stronggt;The gambling is so out of control that the gambler may destroy not only his or her life, but those of family members and significant others. They experience frequent arguments, feelings of rejection, fear, worry and anxiety as the spiral of progression continues. They tend to blame themselves and make vein attempts to gain control of the money and the gambler. Financial problems and pressures are overwhelming and they find themselves unable to cope with every day life. yet they may appear to function on their job or elsewhere because of the hidden nature of this addiction. Partners of gamblers will also experience feelings of hopelessness and will, at times, consider suicide as an option.lt;/stronggt;lt;/pgt; lt;pgt;lt;stronggt;As was the case with alcoholism for many years, compulsive gambling is, for the most part, unrecognized and often misunderstood. Perhaps this is due to the fact that compulsive gambling is a "drugless" addiction. The gambler gets high without putting anything into their bodies. However, gamblers, themselves, describe sensations they experience as being quite similar to those experienced by chemically addicted individuals. When asked, a high percentage of dually addicted cocaine addicts/compulsive gamblers claim that gambling gives them the bigger high.lt;/stronggt;lt;/pgt; lt;pgt;lt;stronggt;Many factors found in chemical addictions can also be found in the compulsive gambler. Some of these include: Preoccupation, denial, tolerance, loss of control, and legal problems. Gambling can elicit stimulating, tranquilizing, or pain -relieving responses. It is used as a way to escapes or to relieve a dysphonic mood.lt;/stronggt;lt;/pgt; lt;pgt;lt;stronggt;It is estimated that 5% of the general population suffers from this addiction. However the numbers are much higher for alcoholics and drug addicts.In a survey of New Jersey treatment centers in the late 1980's, 28% of patients receiving inpatient treatment and 22% in outpatient treatment for chemical dependency had gambling as a co-addiction. In some cases, gambling was the primary addiction. The potential for cross addiction or switching addictions is quite high in this population. Unfortunately, many cases slip through the cracks .lt;/stronggt;lt;/pgt; lt;pgt;lt;stronggt;As gambling increases across this country, so does the need for help. That is why we are so excited to be a part of The Florida House Experience as we work with some wonderful professionals to build a treatment component for Gambling Addictionlt;/stronggt;lt;/pgt; lt;pgt;lt;stronggt;We need to not let our addiction define us, but have our recovery define us.amp;nbsp;amp;nbsp;lt;/stronggt;lt;brgt;lt;stronggt;amp;nbsp;lt;/stronggt;lt;brgt;lt;stronggt;lt;brgt;lt;/stronggt;amp;nbsp;lt;a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m02wVPkSx4I"gt;Malzberg | Arnie amp;amp; Shelia Wexler discuss Arnie's new book, "All Bets Are Off:" - YouTubelt;/agt;lt;/pgt; lt;pgt;OURamp;nbsp; BOOK, GAMBLING ADDICTION AND HOW TO RECOVER FROM IT,amp;nbsp;" ALL BETS ARE OFF"lt;brgt;BY ARNIE AND SHEILA WEXLER AND STEVE JACOBSONlt;/pgt; lt;pgt;GAMBLING PROBLEMamp;nbsp; CALLamp;nbsp;ARNIE amp;nbsp; amp;nbsp; 954= 5015270 amp;nbsp; amp;nbsp; amp;nbsp; amp;nbsp;OR amp;nbsp; (888) LAST BETlt;/pgt; lt;pgt;lt;a href="http://www.aswexler.com/"gt;WWW.ASWEXLER.COMlt;/agt;amp;nbsp; amp;lt;amp;lt;amp;lt;amp;lt;amp;lt;amp;lt;amp;lt;WEB AND BLOGlt;/pgt; ]]amp;gt;lt;/encodedgt; lt;/itemgt; lt;itemgt; lt;titlegt;MARCH MADNESS the most gambled on event of the year.lt;/titlegt; lt;linkgt;https://aswexler.com/2017/03/13/march-madness-the-most-gambled-on-event-of-the-year-2/ lt;pubdategt;Mon, 13 Mar 2017 19:01:38 0000lt;/pubdategt; lt;creatorgt;lt;/creatorgt; lt;categorygt;lt;/categorygt; lt;guid ispermalink="false"gt;http://aswexler.com/?p=1224lt;/guidgt; lt;descriptiongt;Continue reading lt;span class="screen-reader-text"gt;MARCH MADNESS the most gambled on event of the year.lt;/spangt;]]amp;gt;lt;/descriptiongt; lt;encodedgt; BODY,.aolmailheader {font-size:10pt; color:black; font-family:Arial;} a.aolmailheader:link {color:blue; text-decoration:underline; font-weight:normal;} a.aolmailheader:visited {color:magenta; text-decoration:underline; font-weight:normal;} a.aolmailheader:active {color:blue; text-decoration:underline; font-weight:normal;} a.aolmailheader:hover {color:blue; text-decoration:underline; font-weight:normal;} lt;divgt; lt;divgt;lt;spangt;MARCH MADNESS the most gambledamp;nbsp; on event of the year.lt;/spangt;lt;/divgt; lt;divgt;lt;spangt;If you are doing a story on the tournament, you might want to look at betting on this event and the issue of compulsive gambling.lt;/spangt;lt;/divgt; lt;divgt;lt;spangt;amp;nbsp;How many people have started a gambling addiction by making there 1st bet on theamp;nbsp;NCAA march madness games ?lt;/spangt;lt;/divgt; lt;divgt;lt;spangt;How many athletes will place a bet on a game also.amp;nbsp;amp;nbsp;amp;nbsp;amp;nbsp;amp;nbsp;amp;nbsp;amp;nbsp;amp;nbsp;amp;nbsp;amp;nbsp;amp;nbsp;amp;nbsp;amp;nbsp;amp;nbsp;amp;nbsp;amp;nbsp;amp;nbsp;amp;nbsp;amp;nbsp;amp;nbsp;amp;nbsp;amp;nbsp;amp;nbsp;amp;nbsp;amp;nbsp;amp;nbsp;amp;nbsp;amp;nbsp;amp;nbsp;amp;nbsp;amp;nbsp;amp;nbsp;amp;nbsp;amp;nbsp;amp;nbsp;amp;nbsp;amp;nbsp;amp;nbsp;amp;nbsp;amp;nbsp;amp;nbsp;amp;nbsp;amp;nbsp;amp;nbsp;amp;nbsp;amp;nbsp;amp;nbsp;amp;nbsp;amp;nbsp;amp;nbsp;amp;nbsp;amp;nbsp; amp;nbsp;Maybe even some that are playing in the games.!lt;/spangt;lt;/divgt; lt;divgt;lt;spangt;Who knows how many college students are going to bet on these games ? And how many who will place the 1st bet they ever make on one of the games and might become an addicted gambler !lt;span class="Apple-converted-space"gt;amp;nbsp;lt;/spangt;lt;brgt;lt;/spangt;lt;/divgt; lt;divgt;lt;spangt;amp;nbsp;According to a Harvard study a few years ago, 4.67 percent of young people have a gambling problem. Experts tell us that the earlier a person starts to gamble, the greater the risk of them becoming a compulsive gambler. In another survey, 96 percent of adult male recovering gamblers stated that they started gambling before the age of 14 .lt;/spangt;lt;/divgt; lt;divgt; lt;divgt;lt;spangt;Arnie Wexler said "It is easier to gamble than it is to buy cigarettes or a can of beer on college campuses all over the country."lt;span class="Apple-converted-space"gt;amp;nbsp;lt;/spangt;lt;/spangt;lt;/divgt; lt;divgt;lt;span class="Apple-converted-space"gt;lt;spangt;"The NCAA and the media are part of the problem," Wexler said. "…A couple years back the NCAA said it wouldn't credential any newspaper that carries the lines and odds. In two or three weeks that story went away very quickly because the NCAA knew they wouldn't get the hype" for its NCAA basketball tournament if it started banning media from coverage.amp;nbsp;lt;/spangt;lt;/spangt;lt;/divgt; lt;/divgt; lt;divgt; lt;divgt;lt;span class="Apple-converted-space"gt;lt;spangt;When you open your local newspaper to the sports pages all over the country you do see lines and point spreads on sporting events.lt;/spangt;lt;/spangt;lt;/divgt; lt;divgt;lt;span class="Apple-converted-space"gt;lt;spangt;The N C A A should have enough clout to stop something like this onamp;nbsp;lt;brgt;N C A A games-- if they wanted to !! .lt;spangt; But why would they want to.amp;nbsp;lt;brgt;lt;/spangt;lt;/spangt;lt;/spangt;lt;span class="Apple-converted-space"gt;lt;spangt;lt;spangt;lt;spangt;You would amp;nbsp;think the responsible thing to do would be for newspapers to carry aamp;nbsp;lt;pgt;public service messageamp;nbsp; likeamp;nbsp; ===lt;/pgt;lt;/spangt;lt;spangt;Need Help For A Gambling Problem? Call: 1-888 LAST BET).amp;nbsp;lt;brgt;lt;/spangt;lt;/spangt;lt;/spangt;lt;/spangt;lt;/divgt; lt;/divgt; lt;divgt; lt;divgt;lt;span class="Apple-converted-space"gt;lt;spangt;amp;nbsp;The National Gambling Study Commission said that there are "5 million compulsive gamblers and 15 million at risk in U.S.". Forty eight percent of the people who gamble, bet on sports.amp;nbsp;lt;brgt;Some years ago, Arnie was on a TV show with Howard Cossell (ABC Sports Beat). The topic was: Does the media encourage the public to gamble? Bobby Knight, Indiana University basketball coach at the time, said: "A newspaper which published point spreads should also publish names and addresses of services that render to prostitutes. They practically have the same legality in every one of our states, and I can't see why one is any better than the other" On the same show, former baseball commissioner Bowie Kuhn said: "Anything that encourages gambling on team sports bothers me. We all look hypocritical. But then why are we putting up the odds unless we are trying to encourage it?" lt;spangt;David Stern, NBA commissioner said: "We don't want the week's grocery money to be bet on the outcome ofamp;nbsp;our games."amp;nbsp; amp;nbsp;Now they say just give us a piece of the action.lt;/spangt;lt;/spangt;lt;/spangt;lt;/divgt; lt;pgt;lt;brgt;lt;span class="Apple-converted-space"gt;lt;spangt;FROM THE BOOK MONEY PLAYERS DAYS AND NIGHTS INSIDE THE NBAamp;nbsp;lt;/spangt;lt;/spangt;lt;/pgt;lt;pgt;BY ARMEN KETEYIAN AND HARVEY ARATONamp;nbsp;lt;/pgt;lt;pgt;ARNIE WEXLER IS QUOTED SAYING ON A NCAA PANEL IN NYC MARCH 96 CALLED "GAMBLING AND COLLEGE SPORTS"amp;nbsp;lt;/pgt;lt;pgt;"THE GAMBLING IS GOING ON THE NEXT GENERAL THING THATS GOING TO HAPPEN IS A MAJOR POINT SHAVING SCANDAL ITS JUST AROUND THE CORNER GUYS AND WHEN IT HAPPENS YOU ARE GOING TO SEE COLLEGE ADMINISTRATORS SAY HOW COULD THIS HAPPEN IN OUR SCHOOL"amp;nbsp;lt;/pgt;lt;pgt;THE NCAA LET ME WRITE 4 ARTICLES ON GAMBLING ADDICTION OVER THE YEARS FOR THE NCAA NEWS. AND I HAVE NEVER GOTTEN 1 CALL FROM A COLLEGE ADMINISTRATOR ,COACH,OR A. D. BUT MANY CALLS FROM STUDENTS WHO WANTED HELP.lt;brgt;lt;/pgt; lt;divgt;lt;span class="Apple-converted-space"gt;lt;spangt;Get the real scoop: Talk to Arnie Wexler who is one of the nation's leading experts on the subject of compulsive gambling and a recovering compulsive gambler himself, who placed his last bet on April 10, 1968. He has been involved in helping compulsive gamblers for the last 48 years. Through the years, Wexler has spoken to more compulsive gamblers than anyone else in America.amp;nbsp;lt;brgt;lt;/spangt;lt;/spangt;lt;/divgt; lt;divgt;lt;span class="Apple-converted-space"gt;lt;spangt;Arnie is available to speak with you on this subject.amp;nbsp;lt;/spangt;lt;/spangt;lt;/divgt; lt;divgt;lt;span class="Apple-converted-space"gt;lt;spangt;amp;nbsp;amp;nbsp; 954 5015270amp;nbsp;lt;/spangt;lt;/spangt;lt;/divgt; lt;/divgt; lt;divgt;lt;spangt;lt;spangt;amp;nbsp;****** lt;spangt;If you might like a copy of our book e mail me your mailing addressamp;nbsp;lt;/spangt;lt;/spangt;lt;/spangt; lt;divgt;lt;span class="Apple-converted-space"gt;lt;spangt;lt;spangt;lt;spangt;amp;nbsp;lt;ugt;"All Bets Are Off " - lt;/ugt;lt;/spangt;lt;/spangt;lt;/spangt;lt;/spangt;lt;/divgt; lt;/divgt; lt;/divgt; ]]amp;gt;lt;/encodedgt; lt;/itemgt; lt;itemgt; lt;titlegt;March Madness raises arguments for, against legal sports bettinglt;/titlegt; lt;linkgt;https://aswexler.com/2017/03/12/march-madness-raises-arguments-for-against-legal-sports-betting/ lt;pubdategt;Sun, 12 Mar 2017 23:35:29 0000lt;/pubdategt; lt;creatorgt;lt;/creatorgt; lt;categorygt;lt;/categorygt; lt;guid ispermalink="false"gt;http://aswexler.com/?p=1222lt;/guidgt; lt;descriptiongt;Continue reading lt;span class="screen-reader-text"gt;March Madness raises arguments for, against legal sports bettinglt;/spangt;]]amp;gt;lt;/descriptiongt; lt;encodedgt; BODY,.aolmailheader {font-size:10pt; color:black; font-family:Arial;} a.aolmailheader:link {color:blue; text-decoration:underline; font-weight:normal;} a.aolmailheader:visited {color:magenta; text-decoration:underline; font-weight:normal;} a.aolmailheader:active {color:blue; text-decoration:underline; font-weight:normal;} a.aolmailheader:hover {color:blue; text-decoration:underline; font-weight:normal;} lt;divgt;lt;span class="post-date label-inline"gt;lt;span class="field-label"gt;Posted dateamp;nbsp;lt;/spangt;lt;time class="entry-date published pf-date" datetime="2017-03-11T14:59:51-08:00"gt;lt;span class="time"gt;March 11, 2017 - 2:59pmlt;/spangt;lt;/timegt;lt;/spangt; lt;/divgt; lt;divgt; lt;aside class="ds-coll"gt; lt;/asidegt; lt;div class="ds-colr"gt; lt;div class="field-byline label-hidden vcard"gt; lt;div class="fn byline even"gt;By RICHARD N. VELOTTAlt;brgt;LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNALlt;/divgt; lt;/divgt; lt;div class="body label-hidden entry-content entry-content"gt; lt;pgt;March Madness is upon us, another time of the year when people who almost never set foot inside a race and sports book become sports experts and serious gamblers.lt;/pgt; lt;pgt;It was only a month ago that twice-a-year bettors showed their expertise on Super Bowl Sunday.lt;/pgt; lt;pgt;But come this Sunday afternoon - now known as Selection Sunday - college basketball fans will be glued to their televisions to learn how a committee constructed the brackets for the 68-team NCAA Tournament that will last through April 3.lt;/pgt; lt;pgt;How significant is March Madness? It's big enough that both proponents and opponents of gambling point to it as an important symbol of their respective causes.lt;/pgt; lt;pgt;For those who support legalizing sports wagering nationwide, the tourney is viewed as an event with interested parties from beyond traditional sports fans, those who participate in office pools and bracket contests.lt;/pgt; lt;pgt;Think of all the people outside Nevada's borders who want to make bets on individual games, but won't because it's illegal. Some resort to betting at offshore online books. Others go to illegal neighborhood bookmakers.lt;/pgt; lt;pgt;While supporters of national legalized sports betting love March Madness, problem gambling experts view the tournament as a high-profile event for compulsive gamblers to fall off the wagon and place a bet.lt;/pgt; lt;pgt;The American Gaming Association, an advocate for nationwide sports wagering, estimates that the public will bet $9.2 billion on the NCAA Tournament through office pools, Nevada sports books, illicit offshore sites and illegal bookies. The association expects 70 million brackets to be filled out - more than the number of votes cast for Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton or any other candidate on the November ballot.lt;/pgt; lt;pgt;Problem gambling experts, meanwhile, say they receive four times more calls for help as a result of March Madness.lt;/pgt; lt;pgt;Arnie Wexler, a problem gambling expert who recently published the book "All Bets Are Off: Losers, Liars and Recovery from Gambling Addiction" and manages the 1-888-LASTBET (427-8238) toll-free help line, said college students start down the road to compulsive gambling by making their first bet on March Madness games.lt;/pgt; lt;pgt;"According to a Harvard study a few years ago, 4.67 percent of young people have a gambling problem," Wexler said. "Experts tell us that the earlier a person starts to gamble, the greater the risk of them becoming a compulsive gambler."lt;/pgt; lt;pgt;As for Las Vegas' tourism economy, March Madness is a colossal draw.lt;/pgt; lt;pgt;Thousands will be filling the city's race and sports books, especially Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday when there are a full slate of televised games that will be on big screens in the books. Nearly three-quarters of the tournament's games will be played in those four days.lt;/pgt; lt;pgt;Las Vegas is home to four basketball conference tournaments in March, drawing thousands from across the West to our city.lt;/pgt; lt;pgt;It wouldn't be too hard to imagine the NCAA some day permitting Las Vegas arenas to host regional tournament games. And, of course, the biggie: When an NFL-worthy stadium is built, it would be a perfect venue for the Final Four.lt;/pgt; lt;pgt;For or against, March Madness means big things for our leading industry.lt;/pgt; lt;pgt;Contact Richard N. Velotta atlt;span class="Apple-converted-space"gt;amp;nbsp;lt;/spangt;lt;a title="mailto:rvelotta@reviewjournal.com" href="mailto:rvelotta@reviewjournal.com"gt;rvelotta@reviewjournal.comlt;/agt;lt;span class="Apple-converted-space"gt;amp;nbsp;lt;/spangt;or 702-477-3893. Followlt;a title="http://www.twitter.com/RickVelotta" href="http://www.twitter.com/RickVelotta" target="_blank"gt;@RickVelottalt;/agt;lt;span class="Apple-converted-space"gt;amp;nbsp;lt;/spangt;on Twitter.lt;/pgt; lt;/divgt; lt;/divgt; lt;/divgt; ]]amp;gt;lt;/encodedgt; lt;/itemgt; lt;itemgt; lt;titlegt;Ex-gambling addict devotes life to helping others with the diseaselt;/titlegt; lt;linkgt;https://aswexler.com/2017/03/11/ex-gambling-addict-devotes-life-to-helping-others-with-the-disease/ lt;pubdategt;Sat, 11 Mar 2017 14:14:35 0000lt;/pubdategt; lt;creatorgt;lt;/creatorgt; lt;categorygt;lt;/categorygt; lt;guid ispermalink="false"gt;http://aswexler.com/?p=1220lt;/guidgt; lt;descriptiongt;Continue reading lt;span class="screen-reader-text"gt;Ex-gambling addict devotes life to helping others with the diseaselt;/spangt;]]amp;gt;lt;/descriptiongt; lt;encodedgt;lt;bgt;lt;/bgt;lt;a href="http://www.aswexler.com/"gt;amp;nbsp;lt;/agt; lt;divgt; lt;blockquotegt; lt;divgt;lt;spangt;======================================lt;/spangt;lt;/divgt; lt;divgt;lt;bgt; lt;/bgt; lt;div id="column2" class="span-23"gt;lt;bgt; lt;/bgt; lt;div id="col2Padder"gt;lt;bgt; lt;/bgt; lt;div id="articleWrapper"gt; lt;h2 class="articleSubhead"gt;Ex-gambling addict devotes life to helping others with the diseaselt;/h2gt; lt;div id="articleBody"gt; lt;div id="articleDetails"gt; lt;divgt;lt;spangt;Rochester Business Journallt;/spangt;lt;/divgt; lt;divgt;lt;spangt;March 10, 2017lt;/spangt;lt;/divgt; lt;/divgt; lt;div id="articleBody"gt; lt;divgt;After this year's NCAA basketball tournament teams are selected and announced on national television Sunday evening, millions of Americans will participate in a sports tradition unlike any other. They'll fill out brackets online and on paper. They'll be fully engaged in March Madness as they attempt to predict which teams will advance to the Final Four and win it all.lt;/divgt; lt;divgt;By Monday morning, everybody will be jumping into the pool-the office pool.lt;/divgt; lt;divgt;And while this will be a fun, harmless endeavor for the vast majority, for some this will be either an introduction to or a continuation of a life-altering gambling addiction.lt;/divgt; lt;divgt;"We'll see a spike in calls to our 888-LAST-BET help hotline, and we'll see a spike in the number of e-mails from people whose gambling has taken complete control of their lives or the lives of loved ones,'' says Arnie Wexler via phone from Florida, where he and his wife, Sheila, run a national program that has helped thousands of compulsive gamblers through the decades. "This is the part of March Madness that nobody wants to talk about.''lt;/divgt; lt;divgt;If there's anyone who can speak to the devastation and despair wrought by compulsive gambling it is Arnie Wexler. His brutally honest book, "All Bets Are Off," provides an unvarnished look at the disease's viselike grip and how he lost all his money and nearly lost his family and his life.lt;/divgt; lt;divgt;"When an alcoholic takes that first drink, they have a different feeling than normal people,'' says Wexler. "Same thing with a gambler when he places that first bet. Most people, when they win, they can put the money in their pocket and walk happily away. With a gambler, they have to feel that high again, so they don't walk away. See, it's not about the money; it's about the high. When you win, it's orgasmic, and you keep coming back for more, even if you have to beg, borrow or steal to get the money to feed your habit."lt;/divgt; lt;divgt;Wexler first experienced that high while shooting marbles and flipping baseball cards with his neighborhood friends in Brooklyn in the early 1950s.lt;/divgt; lt;divgt;"Initially, I just thought I was hyper-competitive,'' he says. "I loved that feeling of walking home with all my friends' marbles or baseball cards."lt;/divgt; lt;divgt;But it wasn't until he made his first trip to a horse race track that he became fully invested. He was 14 years old and won $54.lt;/divgt; lt;divgt;"I was making 50 cents an hour sweeping floors and delivering packages in the garment district of New York, and when I won that money at the track I felt like a rich man,'' he says. "I said to myself, ‘Wow! I could become a millionaire from gambling.' That was the turning point. I was hooked.''lt;/divgt; lt;divgt;Gambling soon took precedence over everything. He tells the story how his wife endured 37 hours of labor before delivering their first child and how he left the hospital three times to bet at local tracks. When the doctor informed him his wife had given birth, Wexler didn't ask how she and the baby were doing, but rather how much his new daughter weighed.lt;/divgt; lt;divgt;"He says, ‘7 pounds, 1 ounce,' so I immediately go to the pay phone and call my bookie to bet seven and one in the daily double at Roosevelt Raceway,'' Wexler recalls. "And I won. So, now I'm saying to myself, ‘Wow! This a sign from God that my life is going to turn around and I'm going to be able to make a living gambling.' That's how sick I was.''lt;/divgt; lt;divgt;And he would only grow sicker as his gambling debts mounted. Along the way, he would be forced to sell the family car and his retirement stocks, and he would steal and sell merchandise from the dress factory where he was the plant manager. Wexler bet on everything and anything. And he kept losing much more than he won. Suicide rates among compulsive gamblers are six times higher than they are for other addictions. Wexler came close to being one more victim.lt;/divgt; lt;divgt;"There were times after a bad night at the track when I was really tempted to drive my car full-speed into a telephone pole,'' he says. "It's a good thing I didn't own a gun."lt;/divgt; lt;divgt;On April 10, 1968, Wexler bet on two baseball games. He won the first and was on the verge of winning the second until the home team scored three runs in the bottom of the ninth. Wexler has a framed copy of that box score near his home computer. It serves as a reminder of the last time he placed a bet.lt;/divgt; lt;divgt;"That's when the bubble finally burst,'' he says. He was $16,000 in debt and at his boss's urging had finally enrolled in a 12-step treatment program.lt;/divgt; lt;divgt;Five months after his final wager, he spoke to a group of people who were in prison because of their gambling.lt;/divgt; lt;divgt;"I saw husbands and wives and kids kissing through a metal mesh fence,'' he says. "I think that's when it really hit home. That could have been me."lt;/divgt; lt;divgt;Wexler and his wife have devoted their lives to helping others cope with the addiction that nearly ruined them.lt;/divgt; lt;divgt;And unlike other addictions, gambling is encouraged, often celebrated in our society. Just think about all the state-run lotteries, the easy accessibility to casinos and the constant references to point-spreads during sporting events. According to WalletHub, $8.9 billion was wagered illegally on March Madness last year. That number is expected to rise this year. As will the number of compulsive gamblers.lt;/divgt; lt;divgt;"From our end, it often feels like a losing battle, like we're trying to hold back a tidal wave,'' Wexler says.lt;/divgt; lt;divgt;lt;span lang="0"gt;lt;bgt;lt;spangt;lt;igt;Best-selling author and nationally honored journalist Scott Pitoniak is the Rochester Business Journal sports columnist.lt;/igt;lt;/spangt;lt;/bgt;lt;/spangt;lt;/divgt; lt;/divgt; lt;/divgt; lt;/divgt; lt;/divgt; lt;/divgt; lt;/divgt; lt;/blockquotegt; lt;/divgt; ]]amp;gt;lt;/encodedgt; lt;/itemgt; lt;itemgt; lt;titlegt;82 years old and still cant stop gamblinglt;/titlegt; lt;linkgt;https://aswexler.com/2017/03/02/82-years-old-and-still-cant-stop-gambling/ lt;pubdategt;Thu, 02 Mar 2017 15:01:06 0000lt;/pubdategt; lt;creatorgt;lt;/creatorgt; lt;categorygt;lt;/categorygt; lt;guid ispermalink="false"gt;http://aswexler.com/?p=1218lt;/guidgt; lt;descriptiongt;Continue reading lt;span class="screen-reader-text"gt;82 years old and still cant stop gamblinglt;/spangt;]]amp;gt;lt;/descriptiongt; lt;encodedgt; BODY,.aolmailheader {font-size:10pt; color:black; font-family:Arial;} a.aolmailheader:link {color:blue; text-decoration:underline; font-weight:normal;} a.aolmailheader:visited {color:magenta; text-decoration:underline; font-weight:normal;} a.aolmailheader:active {color:blue; text-decoration:underline; font-weight:normal;} a.aolmailheader:hover {color:blue; text-decoration:underline; font-weight:normal;} lt;divgt; lt;div class="npStoryTitle"gt;lt;spangt;you can see its not about the $ anywayamp;nbsp; even if you are on the exclusion list its all about action ??lt;/spangt;lt;/divgt; lt;div class="npStoryTitle"gt; lt;pgt;lt;spangt;TORONTO - An 82-year-old man who says he was denied $10,000 he won at an Ontario casino plans to "go after them" to claim his winnings.lt;/spangt;lt;/pgt; lt;pgt;John Marando said in an interview that he started going to the OLG Slots at Mohawk Racetrack near Milton, Ont., earlier this year. He said he won $1,000 "a couple of times" from the same machine and on Feb. 17 won about $400.lt;/pgt; lt;pgt;Marando said he cashed in his winnings and decided to put another $20 in the machine on the way out. On the ninth two-dollar play, he said things started happening.lt;/pgt; lt;pgt;"All of a sudden ding, ding, ding, and I see this thing going round and round, one thousand, two thousand … $10,000, and $10,002, by the way" he said Wednesday from his Milton home.lt;/pgt; lt;pgt;The former Brinks driver said when he went to collect his winnings he was ushered into the casino office, where he said he was told "we can't pay you, you signed yourself out 17 years ago."lt;/pgt; lt;pgt;Marando - who said he suffered a brain injury that he was told could affect his memory - said he doesn't remember signing a self-exclusion agreement in Niagara Falls, Ont.lt;/pgt; lt;pgt;"I can't remember 17 years ago, I'm 17 years older and I've had a brain operation about eight years ago," he said.lt;/pgt; lt;blockquote class="pullquote"gt; lt;pgt;I'm not going to let them get away with it.lt;/pgt; lt;/blockquotegt; lt;pgt;Ontario Lottery and Gaming allows gamblers who feel they have a problem to voluntarily exclude themselves from casinos. Those individuals will be escorted from the premises when they are recognized.lt;/pgt; lt;pgt;OLG spokesman Rui Brum said he could not comment on specific cases due to privacy laws.lt;/pgt; lt;pgt;"If they are self-excluded then AGCO (Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario) regulation … prohibits us from paying out the prize," Brum said.lt;/pgt; lt;pgt;But Marando noted that the casino had paid him his earlier winnings.lt;/pgt; lt;pgt;"I won $400 that morning," he said. "They paid me the $400 and five minutes later I hit the jackpot for $10,000."lt;/pgt; lt;pgt;Marando said the casino gave him the two dollars change from the $20 he'd put in the machine.lt;/pgt; lt;/divgt; lt;/divgt; ]]amp;gt;lt;/encodedgt; lt;/itemgt; lt;itemgt; lt;titlegt;What is Compulsive Gambling? BY ARNIE WEXLER CCGClt;/titlegt; lt;linkgt;https://aswexler.com/2017/02/25/what-is-compulsive-gambling-by-arnie-wexler-ccgc-2/ lt;pubdategt;Sat, 25 Feb 2017 19:53:26 0000lt;/pubdategt; lt;creatorgt;lt;/creatorgt; lt;categorygt;lt;/categorygt; lt;guid ispermalink="false"gt;http://aswexler.com/?p=1216lt;/guidgt; lt;descriptiongt;Continue reading lt;span class="screen-reader-text"gt;What is Compulsive Gambling? BY ARNIE WEXLER CCGClt;/spangt;]]amp;gt;lt;/descriptiongt; lt;encodedgt; lt;divgt; lt;h2 class="page_block"gt;What is Compulsive Gambling?amp;nbsp; BYamp;nbsp;ARNIE WEXLER CCGClt;/h2gt; lt;div class="page_block"gt;lt;spangt;lt;spangt;Pathological gambling has been termed both the ‘pure' and the ‘hidden' addiction. ‘Pure' because it is not associated with the intake of any addicting substance.amp;nbsp;amp;nbsp; lt;/spangt;lt;/spangt; lt;div class="abstr"gt; lt;divgt; lt;pgt;lt;spangt;lt;span class="Apple-converted-space"gt;amp;nbsp;Tlt;/spangt;he DRD2 gene plays a role in pathological gambling, and support the concept that variants of this gene are a risk factor for impulsive and addictive gambling .lt;stronggt;lt;spangt;The findings provide direct experimental evidence that the D2 substrate modulates gambling reinforcement in pathological gamblers.lt;/spangt;lt;/stronggt;lt;/spangt;lt;/pgt; lt;/divgt; lt;/divgt; lt;/divgt; lt;div class="page_block"gt;lt;spangt;amp;nbsp; lt;/spangt; lt;p class="page_block"gt;lt;stronggt;lt;spangt;Compulsive gambling is a progressive disease, much like an addiction to alcohol or drugs. In many cases, the gambling addiction is hidden until the gambler becomes unable to function without gambling, and he or she begins to exclude all other activities from their lives. Inability to stop gambling often results in financial devastation, broken homes, employment problems, criminal acts and suicide attempts.lt;/spangt;lt;/stronggt;lt;/pgt; lt;p class="page_block"gt;lt;stronggt;lt;spangt;The gambler is eventually able to remove themselves from reality to the point of being totally obsessed with gambling. Eventually, they will do anything to get the money with which to stay in "action". They will spend all their time and energy developing schemes in order to get the money to continue gambling. Lying becomes a way of life for the gambler.lt;/spangt;lt;/stronggt;lt;/pgt; lt;p class="page_block"gt;lt;stronggt;lt;spangt;They will try to convince others and themselves that their lies are actually truths and they will believe there own lies.lt;/spangt;lt;/stronggt;lt;/pgt; lt;p class="page_block"gt;lt;stronggt;lt;spangt;After they hit a real bottom they will have to do something if they want to try toamp;nbsp;recover.amp;nbsp; Most gamblers at that point will want to stop but can't (they wont be able to).lt;/spangt;lt;/stronggt;lt;/pgt; lt;p class="page_block"gt;lt;stronggt;lt;spangt;Most even at that point amp;nbsp;will keep gamblingamp;nbsp; some will end up in jailamp;nbsp; some will attempt suicideamp;nbsp; some will die from their addiction as they will not take care of their health or the stress will kill them.lt;/spangt;lt;/stronggt;lt;/pgt; lt;p class="page_block"gt;lt;stronggt;lt;spangt;And a small group of addicted gamblers will seek and find real helpamp;nbsp; but the real trick is to get in to real recovery.amp;nbsp; Not justamp;nbsp;abstinence.amp;nbsp;amp;nbsp;By the time theamp;nbsp;amp;nbsp;gambler comes for help they have broken brainsamp;nbsp;(Meaning their brains don't work like they used to when they were not in there addiction).lt;/spangt;lt;/stronggt;lt;/pgt; lt;p class="page_block"gt;lt;spangt;lt;stronggt;lt;spangt;To get real recovery the gambler needs to work on them self'samp;nbsp; one day at a time and get someone to do there thinking for them who has been in recovery some time and has there brainsamp;nbsp; are working rightamp;nbsp;amp;nbsp; (a sponsor)amp;nbsp; After some time in recovery there brains will start to work again.amp;nbsp; Theyamp;nbsp; will become productive on there job and become a good fatheramp;nbsp; and husband.amp;nbsp;amp;nbsp; Recover is a process and does not happen with out a lot of work on your self . and making a moral and financial inventory. But people can recover and do.lt;/spangt;lt;/stronggt;lt;/spangt;lt;/pgt; lt;/divgt; lt;/divgt; ]]amp;gt;lt;/encodedgt; lt;/itemgt; lt;itemgt; lt;titlegt;Arnie Wexler interviewed by Peter King, CBS Radio News Orlandolt;/titlegt; lt;linkgt;https://aswexler.com/2017/02/24/arnie-wexler-interviewed-by-peter-king-cbs-radio-news-orlando/ lt;pubdategt;Fri, 24 Feb 2017 16:39:07 0000lt;/pubdategt; lt;creatorgt;lt;/creatorgt; lt;categorygt;lt;/categorygt; lt;guid ispermalink="false"gt;http://aswexler.com/?p=1212lt;/guidgt; lt;descriptiongt;lt;/descriptiongt; lt;encodedgt;Hear Arnie being interviewed by Peter King, discussing betting during the 2017 SuperBowl and the typical thoughts of a compulsive gambler. Courtesy of CBS News Radioamp;nbsp;Orlando/Kennedy Space Center lt;!--[if lt IE 9]gt;lt;scriptgt;document.createElement('audio');lt;/scriptgt;lt;![endif]--gt; lt;audio class="wp-audio-shortcode" id="audio-1212-1" preload="none" controls="controls"gt;lt;source type="audio/mpeg" src="http://aswexler.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/05KingCBSNewsInterviews-SuperBowlGambling.mp3?_=1"gt;lt;a href="http://aswexler.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/05KingCBSNewsInterviews-SuperBowlGambling.mp3"gt;http://aswexler.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/05KingCBSNewsInterviews-SuperBowlGambling.mp3lt;/agt;lt;/audiogt; ]]amp;gt;lt;/encodedgt; lt;enclosure url="http://aswexler.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/05KingCBSNewsInterviews-SuperBowlGambling.mp3" length="2516384" type="audio/mpeg"gt;lt;/enclosuregt; lt;/itemgt; lt;itemgt; lt;titlegt;Arnie Wexler interviewed by Heidi Harris, CBS Radio Las Vegaslt;/titlegt; lt;linkgt;https://aswexler.com/2017/02/24/arnie-wexler-interviewed-by-heidi-harris-cbs-radio-las-vegas/ lt;pubdategt;Fri, 24 Feb 2017 16:28:42 0000lt;/pubdategt; lt;creatorgt;lt;/creatorgt; lt;categorygt;lt;/categorygt; lt;guid ispermalink="false"gt;http://aswexler.com/?p=1207lt;/guidgt; lt;descriptiongt;lt;/descriptiongt; lt;encodedgt;Hear Arnie being interviewed by Heidi Harris, discussing betting during the 2017 SuperBowl and the typical thoughts of a compulsive gambler. Courtesy of KXNT AM, CBS Radio Las Vegas lt;audio class="wp-audio-shortcode" id="audio-1207-2" preload="none" controls="controls"gt;lt;source type="audio/mpeg" src="http://aswexler.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Arnie0131_small.mp3?_=2"gt;lt;a href="http://aswexler.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Arnie0131_small.mp3"gt;http://aswexler.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Arnie0131_small.mp3lt;/agt;lt;/audiogt; ]]amp;gt;lt;/encodedgt; lt;enclosure url="http://aswexler.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Arnie0131_small.mp3" length="3924672" type="audio/mpeg"gt;lt;/enclosuregt; lt;/itemgt; lt;itemgt; lt;titlegt;Coincidences. IN RECOVERY ??????????????????lt;/titlegt; lt;linkgt;https://aswexler.com/2017/02/22/coincidences-in-recovery/ lt;pubdategt;Wed, 22 Feb 2017 16:02:08 0000lt;/pubdategt; lt;creatorgt;lt;/creatorgt; lt;categorygt;lt;/categorygt; lt;guid ispermalink="false"gt;http://aswexler.com/?p=1202lt;/guidgt; lt;descriptiongt;Continue reading lt;span class="screen-reader-text"gt;Coincidences. IN RECOVERY ??????????????????lt;/spangt;]]amp;gt;lt;/descriptiongt; lt;encodedgt; BODY,.aolmailheader {font-size:10pt; color:black; font-family:Arial;} a.aolmailheader:link {color:blue; text-decoration:underline; font-weight:normal;} a.aolmailheader:visited {color:magenta; text-decoration:underline; font-weight:normal;} a.aolmailheader:active {color:blue; text-decoration:underline; font-weight:normal;} a.aolmailheader:hover {color:blue; text-decoration:underline; font-weight:normal;} lt;divgt; lt;div dir="ltr"gt; lt;div dir="ltr"gt;A MUST READamp;nbsp;amp;nbsp;amp;nbsp; ARNIElt;/divgt; lt;/divgt; lt;div dir="ltr"gt;lt;spangt;Hey Arnie lt;/spangt; lt;divgt; lt;divgt;lt;spangt;The last meeting I saw you guys at you were talking about coincidences.amp;nbsp; This one is nuts,lt;/spangt;lt;/divgt; lt;divgt;lt;spangt;A 24 year old kid comes into the room over a year ago.amp;nbsp; He's a smart kid (to smart) He has his own business has all of the answers. His girlfriend is pregnant and he can't stop gambling.amp;nbsp; He comes to a few meetings and disappears I text him a few times no answer and we don't hear from him again.lt;/spangt;lt;/divgt; lt;divgt;lt;spangt;He calls me yesterday.amp;nbsp; Says he lost all of his contacts in his phone so he couldn't call me sooner but that he met someone who gave him my number. He told me that in the year that he went out, he lost the business is losing his family and was ready to take his own life.amp;nbsp; After he lost his business he started working making appliance service calls and anyone who paid cash he would take to gamble and then replace it.amp;nbsp; He could not replace it this time. He's also getting evicted etc.He decides to go on his last appliance service call of the day and then he had plans on how to off himself feeling his family would be better off with him dead than alive monetarily.lt;/spangt;lt;/divgt; lt;divgt;lt;spangt;He gets to the service call and of all of the houses in Connecticut his last service call on the day he's going to kill himself is the house ofamp;nbsp;======= a guy who has not made a bet in over 40 years from the Waterbury meeting. The kid never went to that room and had no idea whoamp;nbsp;===== was andamp;nbsp;====== never met the kid.amp;nbsp; It turns out when he gets there,there is nothing wrong with the refrigerator although there was when ======made the service call. As he's leaving,amp;nbsp;===== for some reason amp;nbsp;mentions that he is in a 12 step program. As the kid is walking out the door he asksamp;nbsp;===== what his addiction was andamp;nbsp;===== mentions gambling.amp;nbsp; The kid turns around and opens up to C===== We got him to a meeting and he is doing a lot better although he now has to fact the consequences.lt;/spangt;lt;/divgt; lt;/divgt; lt;divgt;lt;spangt;What are the chances that not only does he go on his last service call to the guy with the recovery that =====has but thatamp;nbsp;===== mentions that he's in the program to a service technician.lt;/spangt;lt;/divgt; lt;divgt;lt;spangt;There IS some force out there that gives us opportunities to change our life when we lose our way. amp;nbsp;lt;/spangt;lt;/divgt; lt;divgt;lt;spangt;Bestamp;nbsp; ======lt;/spangt;lt;/divgt; lt;/divgt; lt;/divgt; ]]amp;gt;lt;/encodedgt; lt;/itemgt; lt;/channelgt; lt;/rssgt;