DEAR DEIDRE: My husband’s gambling habit is way out of control and I’m scared we are going to lose our house.
We have three children so we bought a bigger house at the end of last year and we agreed that my husband would pay off his gambling debts so that we could start afresh.
That has never happened and every month we have less disposable income.
It first started when my husband won a lot of money on a stag weekend in Las Vegas five years ago. He got hooked on gambling and now bets whether it’s on the horses, the football, or on the slot machines.
He had another big win at Cheltenham last year and now he’s continuing to chase the dream of winning big again. He’s spent over two thousand pounds since Christmas on betting.
I’m worried we are going to lose everything. We are both 35.
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DEIDRE SAYS: His addiction is severe and he can’t be allowed to bring you all down with him.
In a quiet moment, spell out that only he can change his habits himself.
Impress upon him that you’ll support him up to a point – give yourself a time limit for him to get on a recovery programme.
There are practical things he can do if he’s determined to quit, such as putting blocks on his phone and leaving credit and debit cards at home and allowing himself the minimum of cash.
You can find further practical tips and advice through Gamcare can help (gamcare.org.uk/, 0808 8020 133).
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