Robert

 I never thought I had a gambling problem, I thought it was more of an enjoyment. But when you lose $15,000 on a single weekend in Vegas, you know there’s something wrong. That outdid when I was using heroin – that’s how bad I felt. You go in with your head up, you come out and your head’s down, and then you continue going back and taking chances. That’s a problem.

I am still in recovery from addiction. I go to meetings, and I also go to different schools and talk to kids about getting high, and how peer pressure and boredom can make you a victim – whether it’s gambling, whether it’s drugs. All that stuff has an impact on your life – I wish I’d listened to my mother a little more closely!

If I met someone at a Narcotics Anonymous meeting and they told me they’re going to a casino, I would tell them: be careful, because gambling is another form of addiction. I wouldn’t tell them “don’t do it,” because that sometimes makes people want to do it even more. But they need to know it’s another form of addiction. You’ve got to take care of yourself.