ALL IN: The Addicted Gambler's Podcast | The Original Gambling Addiction Podcast

Brian has not gambled in 44 weeks and an email from Jill, a compulsive gambler, who energizes the show. Brian and Jill have a GA meeting over skype.

Frank has an addictive personality. He has struggled with drugs, alcohol, and other vices. Brian shares the story of gambling after his father died suddenly.

Jason is a close friend of Brian. Jason's mother died from alcoholism. Jason shares his views on why he does not think addiction is a disease. Brian shares another gambling story that directly affected Jason's wallet.

Keith is a compulsive gambler and alcoholic who shares his story and thoughts with Chris and Brian.

Chris and Brian recount previous trips to Las Vegas. They continue discussing the 12 steps. And a conversation about what they want out of life.

Step 4 from the 12 steps proves to be the most difficult for Brian to answer.

Chris and Brian take a deep dive into the DSM 4 and why gambling addiction is a disease. Plus Brian's recalls his second visit to gamblers anonymous.

Every compulsive gambler has a ritual.

In this episode, Brian and Chris go deep into the mechanics of addiction: not just the gambling itself, but everything that surrounded it. Brian walks through his gambling ritual step by step- the ATM stop before the casino, the calculated plan to drain his bank account, the cigarettes, the cash advances on maxed-out credit cards, and the desperate scramble to cover bills that led him deeper and deeper into the quicksand of payday loans.

In this episode

• How compulsive gamblers mentally prepare before a session — and why the ritual itself becomes part of the addiction
• The step-by-step financial self-destruction that accompanies problem gambling
• How ATM limits, cash advances, and overdrafts become normalized in active addiction
• Why payday loans and gambling are a catastrophically dangerous combination
• How the cycle of paying bills with borrowed money keeps gamblers locked in their addiction
• What it takes to recognize these patterns and begin to break them

Some gambling stories are about money. Some are about relationships. This one is about both and the kind of guilt.

Brian shares one of the darkest chapters of his addiction: the day he stole money from his grandfather under the pretense of using it for school and gambled every dollar of it away.

His grandfather never found out. He passed away before Brian ever had the chance to come clean, make amends, or say he was sorry. The weight of that secret, the guilt, the grief, and the shame is something Brian carries to this day.

In this episode

• How desperation drives gamblers to cross lines they never imagined crossing
• What it feels like to steal from someone you love to fund a gambling addiction
• The unique grief of carrying a secret that can never be confessed to the person who deserved the truth
• How guilt and shame fuel the cycle of compulsive gambling and how to begin to break it
• Why honesty, even when it comes too late for some, is still a vital part of recovery

Gamblers Anonymous has helped millions of people around the world but most people have no idea what actually happens when you walk through those doors for the first time. Brian tells Chris

Brian opens up about his personal journey with Gamblers Anonymous, what finally pushed him to go, the nerves and vulnerability of that very first meeting, what kept him coming back, and what he ultimately learned from the experience.

In this episode

• What Brian's first Gamblers Anonymous meeting was really like
• Why he decided to walk through the door in the first place
• What he gained from GA and how it supported his recovery
• Why he eventually stopped going — and what that decision meant
• How Gamblers Anonymous compares to other recovery tools and support systems
• Whether GA might be the right fit for you or someone you love