my friend has a gambling problem

[Ibuprofen]

I've been around addicts (and had my own bouts) my entire life, ranging from drugs to gambling to food, etc. Butting in is by far the WORST thing you can do. Anybody who suggests it has never been a true addict.

You can't help someone who doesn't want help. Period. Butting in will only make you out to be the bad guy in his eyes. Believe me, there comes a time where every addict eventually breaks down and asks for help. This is when you should offer your concern, when he asks for it. If he's actually an addict he'll ask, just give it time.

[Banks2334]

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but his credit rating is not real high on the list of things he needs to worry about either.

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You are clueless. Try buying a car/house, renting an apartment, or even getting a good job with bad credit.

[RED_RAIN]

For some reason I feel I have read this post and replies before, yet it started today?

[freewheeler]

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but his credit rating is not real high on the list of things he needs to worry about either.

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You are clueless. Try buying a car/house, renting an apartment, or even getting a good job with bad credit.

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I am not clueless. I am not saying that credit rating is not important. It is. I'm just saying that - by the sounds of it - he has a lot more at stake than his credit rating.

[mikever]

Are we talking about you or “your friend”?

No, just kidding — sorta.

You can and should say something, gently, once. He will likely not accept your advice and keep screwing his life over. But as a friend, you have to at least try once, gently.

[vikefan24]

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I've been around addicts (and had my own bouts) my entire life, ranging from drugs to gambling to food, etc. Butting in is by far the WORST thing you can do. Anybody who suggests it has never been a true addict.

You can't help someone who doesn't want help. Period. Butting in will only make you out to be the bad guy in his eyes. Believe me, there comes a time where every addict eventually breaks down and asks for help. This is when you should offer your concern, when he asks for it. If he's actually an addict he'll ask, just give it time.

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For all we know a talk from a friend may be just what that guy needs.. It may not have been the best solution in your case but it is worth a shot here.. If he gets mad at you, you will have to live with that but when he figures it out on his own he will realize you were just trying to help.. different strokes for different folks, I think thats how that goes [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

[studebakerhawk]

From my own issues with addiction, I can tell you that nothing will happen until he is ready for it, and even then it will be a long process. Voice your concerns-- but don't expect them to have any effect. When the pain becomes great enough, something will give.

[IDN101]

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he will beg them to transfer the pot back to him while he sits there not playing.

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This must be an all-time low

[eleventy]

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he will beg them to transfer the pot back to him while he sits there not playing.

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This must be an all-time low

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That was my favorite part too. How is that working out for him?

[lefty rosen]

Dude I used to be a donk myself when it came to holding on to gambling winnings. What I did to overcome this is put 1k in 20 dollar bills in front of myself, and whenever I wanted to donk off my poker profits on crap(fancy dinners, sports tickets), I would show how much money I was blowing in stark terms. I learned to become tight and frugal. For him maybe if you showed him that 1k pile then told him he lost 40 times that he would get where he has descended........ [img]/images/graemlins/confused.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/shocked.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/blush.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/ooo.gif[/img]