Gambling addict wastes £500,000 and spends her wedding night losing money
Lisa Walker, 48, from Essex, is a Peer Aid support worker. She has been addicted to gambling since she was 18. Lisa lost up to £500,000 in the last 20 years. Her last big win was £127,00 at Rendezvous casino in February 2001. Now she is in debt and she had to sell her house to pay it off. She is now married to Garry. He is her third husband. They are trying to help her. The money she lost is not enough to cover her debts. It is difficult to think of what she could have had. she would like to warn others of the dangers of gambling.
An estimated 2 million adults in the UK have an unhealthy relationship with gambling.
Pay important bills on payday before you gamble. Spend more time with family and friends who do not gamble and deal with your debts.
Lisa is a former gambling addict who has been in recovery for three-and-a-half years. She is sharing her story to raise awareness of the life-altering impact of a gambling addiction. According to Gamcare, the number of women reporting gambling problems is increasing at double the rate of men. Only 1% of them contact the National Gambling Helpline. Lisa is in the process of establishing a women-only group for compulsive gamblers. Psychotherapist Liz Karter believes the gambling pandemic is creating a perfect storm of triggers for addictive gambling in women.
Gambling is not a way to make money, it's an entertainment.