Gambling Recovery: Taking Back Your Life

What happens when someone who has dedicated his life to serving others finds himself struggling with an addiction he never expected?

In this episode I welcome George back for a powerful and deeply personal conversation about his journey through gambling addiction, arrest, and recovery. George grew up in Pittsburgh in a close-knit Greek Orthodox community and went on to become a priest. But during the isolation of COVID, as he faced immense personal and professional challenges, gambling began to take hold of his life.

George opens up about how his gambling progressed, how addiction affected his relationships, his faith, and his ability to be truly present in his own life. He also discusses the consequences of his actions, including his arrest and the legal process that followed. He speaks honestly about facing those consequences, the shame and guilt that came with them, and the difficult work of rebuilding his life through recovery.

Most importantly, George shares how recovery has changed his perspective on life, relationships, and being present for the people around him. His story is a reminder that gambling addiction can affect anyone, regardless of their background, career, or faith, and that the consequences can reach far beyond money.

This is an honest conversation about addiction, accountability, and the courage it takes to face the truth, ask for help, and begin moving forward. Recovery takes time, but even after serious consequences, healing and change are possible.

This episode got personal in a way I didn’t expect. I sat down with Dr. Michael Zhang, psychologist and founder of Incumental, to explore the voice that kept telling me to keep gambling, and the recovery that helped me stop listening. Michael guided me through exercises using my own story. We revisited the shame, the lies, and the pain I caused my family. Even after more than 14 years without a bet, there were emotions waiting to come out. This is an honest look at the hold gambling can have on us, and the hope, connection, and work that help us take our lives back.

Gambling. Drugs. Alcohol. For Rob, addiction started young and grew into years of lying, chasing losses, broken trust, and escaping the pain he carried inside.

In this episode of Gambling Recovery: Taking Back Your Life, Rob shares how childhood insecurity and trauma shaped his journey, and how his addictions fed off one another. From arrests and overwhelming debt to nearly losing his marriage, he opens up about the moment he finally surrendered and accepted help.

We talk about stopping versus staying stopped, working the 12 steps, making amends, and rebuilding trust through action. We also discuss addiction’s impact on families and warning signs loved ones can look for.

This episode hits deeper for me. Rob and I share lived experience and a passion for helping others. We both went through our own personal hell, and today we use those experiences to give someone else hope.

Rob also shares how that mission led him to build Right Choice Recovery. After visiting the facility, I felt the family he’s created there. Our partnership means a lot because we believe in each other and our work.

Bob had a successful career, a wife, and a family—but behind it all was a gambling addiction that nearly cost him everything. Years of chasing wins, hiding losses, and keeping secrets eventually brought him to his knees in a hotel room in Cleveland.

His wife, Karen, lived through that same addiction from a different side: the confusion, the half-truths, the broken trust, and the fear of what it meant for her family.

Today, Bob and Karen join me together to share both sides of their story—and the work it took to begin healing. From facing the truth to setting boundaries and rebuilding trust, their journey shows how deeply gambling addiction affects an entire family, and why each person’s recovery matters.

This is a conversation about love, accountability, and finding hope after years of pain. Welcome to Gambling Recovery: Taking Back Your Life.

I’ve been quiet for the past two weeks because I’ve been working on something I’m excited to share with you.

I’m building an in-person podcast studio in Chicago, and the first video episode of Gambling Recovery: Taking Back Your Life launches Tuesday, September 29, at 6:00 a.m. Central. You’ll find it on YouTube at Gambling Recovery with Jimmy Morris.

I’m also taking the podcast on the road to 13 cities over the next three months. If you believe your story could help someone, email me at mailto:[email protected].

To everyone who has listened, shared an episode, or supported this mission: thank you. We do this together. ❤️

Today, we’re taking the conversation to  Uganda, Africa where I’m joined by Pierre Ntango, 

Pierre shares his personal experience with gambling addiction in a place where awareness, treatment, and recovery support are extremely limited. His story highlights the isolation many gamblers face when they don’t even have the language or resources to ask for help.

This is a powerful conversation about gambling harm, shame, and why people everywhere need to know that recovery is possible.

In this episode, Adnan Alisic shares the choices, consequences, and turning points that shaped his life. We talk about how gambling addiction slowly changed the way he thought, the warning signs he missed, and how it ultimately led him to commit one of the most infamous casino bank robberies in Arizona history. We also discuss the impact it had on his family, what life was really like spending more than 15 years in federal prison, and what recovery looks like today.

This conversation goes far beyond the headlines. It’s an honest discussion about shame, denial, accountability, second chances, and finding purpose after hitting rock bottom.

If you’ve ever wondered how gambling addiction can completely change a person’s life,or if you’re searching for hope that recovery is possible, this is an episode you won’t want to miss.