<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<rss version="2.0"
	xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"
	xmlns:wfw="http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"
	xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"
	xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom"
	xmlns:sy="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/syndication/"
	xmlns:slash="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"
	>

<channel>
	<title>Compulsive Gambling Addiction Help</title>
	<atom:link href="http://recoveringgambler.com/feed/" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml" />
	<link>http://recoveringgambler.com</link>
	<description>Recovery from Compulsive Gambling by Arnie Wexler</description>
	<lastBuildDate>Thu, 15 Sep 2011 20:08:19 +0000</lastBuildDate>
	<language>en</language>
	<sy:updatePeriod>hourly</sy:updatePeriod>
	<sy:updateFrequency>1</sy:updateFrequency>
	<generator>http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.3</generator>
		<item>
		<title>HOW DO WE  COPE WITH  BUMPS IN THE ROAD IN OUR RECOVERY &#8212;&#8212;-WE ALL HAVE THEM</title>
		<link>http://recoveringgambler.com/2011/09/15/how-do-we-cope-with-bumps-in-the-road-in-our-recovery-we-all-have-them/</link>
		<comments>http://recoveringgambler.com/2011/09/15/how-do-we-cope-with-bumps-in-the-road-in-our-recovery-we-all-have-them/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 15 Sep 2011 20:08:19 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Gambling]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Gambling News]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://recoveringgambler.com/?p=114</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[DO WE CAVE IN  AND MAYBE RELAPSE DO WE ASK FOR HELP DO WE STUFF IT INSIDE   OR HIDE IT FROM EVERYONE DO WE LET IT EFFECT OUR RECOVERY DO WE TALK ABOUT IT IN THE G A ROOM DO WE TALK TO OUR SPONSOR DO WE TALK TO OUR SPOUCE / FAMILY DO WE [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>DO WE CAVE IN  AND MAYBE RELAPSE</p>
<p>DO WE ASK FOR HELP</p>
<p>DO WE STUFF IT INSIDE   OR HIDE IT FROM EVERYONE</p>
<p>DO WE LET IT EFFECT OUR RECOVERY</p>
<p>DO WE TALK ABOUT IT IN THE G A ROOM</p>
<p>DO WE TALK TO OUR SPONSOR</p>
<p>DO WE TALK TO OUR SPOUCE / FAMILY</p>
<p>DO WE SEEK PEOPLE WHO HAD THE SAME THING HAPPEN TO THEM</p>
<p>DO WE PRAY</p>
<p>DO WE DO NOTHING  AND WAIT TILL IT GOES AWAY</p>
<p>DOES OUR EGO SAY WE HAVE THE ANSWER SO WE DONT HAVE TO TALK ABOUT IT</p>
<p>DO WE LET IT LAY TILL IT BECOMES A REAL BIG  PROBLEM</p>
<p>HELP FOR GAMBLING PROBLEM CALL 888 LAST BET</p>
<p>ARNIE WEXLER CCCG<br />
=========================</p>
<p>===============================</p>
<p>RELAPSE VS RECOVERY         BY ARNIE WEXLER<br />
=========================</p>
<p>DO I FEEL UNHAPPY ABOUT MY LIFE</p>
<p>HAVE I STOPPED GOING TO GA EVERY WEEK</p>
<p>HAVE I FORGETTEN TO LIVE 1 DAY AT A TIME</p>
<p>IS MY SPOUSE NOT GOING TO GAMANON</p>
<p>I DONT REMEMBER HOW I FELT AT MY 1ST MEETING OF GA</p>
<p>DO I FEEL THINGS ARE NOT MOVING FAST ENOUGH IN MY LIFE</p>
<p>AM I STILL LIVING WITH MY OWN GUILT</p>
<p>AM I ASSOCIATING WITH PEOPLE WHO ARE GAMBLING</p>
<p>HAVE I STOPPED MY INVOLVEMENT WITH RECOVERYING PEOPLE</p>
<p>DO I FEEL DEPRESSED</p>
<p>IS MY EGO  TO BIG</p>
<p>DO I FEEL I CAN GAMBLE NORMALLY</p>
<p>AM I LIVING OVER MY HEAD</p>
<p>AM I NOT FOLLOWING MY PRESSURE GROUP FORMS</p>
<p>DO I NOT HAVE A SPONSOR AT THIS TIME</p>
<p>IF YOU ANSWER YES TO SOME OF THESE QUESTIONS YOU COULD BE ON SHAKEY GROUND</p>
<p>AND NEED TO WATCH OUT FOR A RELAPSE !</p>
<p>GAMBLING PROBLEM CALL 888 LAST BET</p>
<p>ARNIE WEXLER CCCG</p>
<p>==================================================</p>
]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://recoveringgambler.com/2011/09/15/how-do-we-cope-with-bumps-in-the-road-in-our-recovery-we-all-have-them/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>A Book maker once told me I love the N. F. L.</title>
		<link>http://recoveringgambler.com/2011/09/15/a-book-maker-once-told-me-i-love-the-n-f-l/</link>
		<comments>http://recoveringgambler.com/2011/09/15/a-book-maker-once-told-me-i-love-the-n-f-l/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 15 Sep 2011 20:07:11 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Gambling]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Gambling News]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://recoveringgambler.com/?p=111</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The bookmaker said&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;- &#8220;I have 200 gamblers who bet with me every day when the N. F.L games start i have over 800 gamblers bet with me its the best time of the year for me&#8221; Football is the most bet on sport in America. I remember when Skip Ballis, then of the Dallas Morning [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>The bookmaker said&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;-</p>
<p>&#8220;I have 200 gamblers who bet with me every day when the N. F.L games start i have over 800 gamblers bet with me its the best time of the year for me&#8221;</p>
<p>Football is the most bet on sport in America.</p>
<p>I remember when Skip Ballis, then of the Dallas Morning News, had a gorilla in the Dallas Zoo make football picks for them,&#8221; Wexler says. &#8220;The gorilla&#8217;s picks were doing better than the sports writers&#8221;.</p>
<p>According to the National Gambling Study Commission, there are 5 million compulsive gamblers and 15 million at risk in the U.S.</p>
<p>It is easier today to place a bet than it is to buy cigarettes or a can of beer.</p>
<p>Arnie Wexler sais &#8220;I have spoken to more compulsive gamblers than anyone else in America over the last 43 years. &#8220;Some have spoken about embezzlements, white-collar crimes and destroying themselves and their families. Others were so desperate that they were contemplating suicide. &#8221; &#8220;Over the years, I have also spoken to many college and professional athletes who had a gambling problem,&#8221;</p>
<p>Arnie Wexler is a recovering compulsive gambler who placed his last bet on April 10, 1968. Wexler has been fighting the injustice of how sports, society and the judicial system deal with compulsive gamblers for the last 43 years. He and his wife run a national help line: 1-888-LAST BET. If you want or need help, please call now.</p>
<p>Wexler says. &#8220;In fact, an NCAA study a few years ago noted that there is a disturbing trend of gambling among athletes in college. Do you think that these people will get into the pros and then just stop gambling? &#8221;</p>
<p>&#8220;Compulsive gamblers are very vulnerable during the N. F.L season because they are looking for the &#8216;lock bet,&#8217; Wexler says. &#8220;The media hype juices the gambler and &#8212; as addictive gambling is an impulse disorder &#8212; many compulsive gamblers will be in action and even some in recovery will relapse&#8221;.</p>
<p>&#8220;With all the games and the media hype about odds and betting lines, there is an explosion of betting on these games,&#8221; Wexler continues. &#8220;I can&#8217;t believe that newspapers carry ads from these so-called handicappers, who are really &#8216;scandicappers.&#8217; It&#8217;s also interesting to note how often the information is incorrect. &#8221;</p>
<p>You would not expect to open your local newspaper and get a price list of illegal drugs for sale; But that&#8217;s just about what you can get today when you open your local newspaper to the sports pages all over the country. True, you don&#8217;t see drug prices but you do see lines and point spreads on sporting events. Illegal drugs can&#8217;t be bought, legally in any state. You can&#8217;t place a legal bet in America, except in Las Vegas.</p>
<p>There are ads in newspapers for 800 and 900 numbers that sell information to gamblers. Some of these ads read : &#8220;Get the game of the month free&#8221;, &#8220;We pick 75% winners&#8221;, &#8220;Last week we went 11 for 12&#8243;, and &#8221; Get our lock of the week&#8221;.</p>
<p>I think the responsible thing to do would be for newspapers, radio and TV shows to carry a public service message. &#8221; Like if you or someone you know has a gambling problem and want help call 888 LAST BET</p>
<p>Picture the following scenario: A young man uses the lines and odds from his local newspaper and uses it to set up a bookmaking operation in the local town pub. A law officer comes in and arrests the bookmaker and players. The next day the headline in the paper says: &#8221; John Doe Arrested For Bookmaking and Hank Smith Arrested For Illegally Betting&#8221;. Hypocrisy you say? The very newspaper that carried the lines, now is carrying this headline.</p>
<p>Years ago i was on a TV show that Howard Cossell hosted (ABC Sports Beat). The topic was: Does the media encourage the public to gamble? Bobby Knight, Indiana basketball coach, said: &#8220;A newspaper who published point spreads should also publish names and addresses of services that render to prostitutes. They practically have the same legality in every one of our states, and I can&#8217;t see why one is any better than the other&#8221; On the same show former baseball commissioner Bowie Kuhn said: &#8220;Anything that encourages gambling on team sports bothers me. We all look hypocritical but than why are we putting up the odds unless we are trying to encourage it&#8221; David Stern, NBA commissioner said: &#8220;We don&#8217;t want the weeks&#8217; grocery money to be bet on the outcome of a particular sporting event&#8221;</p>
<p>I would like to pose a few questions:</p>
<p>• Do point spreads in newspapers cause a proliferation of gambling?</p>
<p>• Do people see point spreads in the newspaper and think it is legal to place a bet?</p>
<p>• Does the media entice people to gamble?</p>
<p>• Does the media have any responsibility for the increase in numbers of compulsive gamblers in America?</p>
<p>• Does the media give the appearance that it promotes and condones gambling?</p>
<p>Get the real scoop &#8212; talk to Arnie Wexler who is one of the nations&#8217; leading experts on the subject of compulsive gambling and a recovering compulsive gambler.</p>
<p>You can reach arnie at 561 249 0922 or his cell 954 501 5270</p>
<p>He has worked with college &amp; professional athletes who had gambling addictions. And has spoken on many college campuses over the years.He has been involved in helping compulsive gamblers for the last 43 years. Arnie has spoken to students who gamble in college day and night. They even gamble during class, and it even goes on in high school lunch rooms. According to a Harvard study a few years ago, 4.67% of young people have a gambling problem.</p>
<p>Experts tell us that the earlier a person starts to gamble, the greater the risk of them becoming a compulsive gambler. In another survey, 96% of adult male recovering gamblers stated that they started gambling before the age of 14.</p>
<p>Data from National Hot lines show:</p>
<p>Forty eight percent of the people who gamble, bet on sports.</p>
<p>Anyone who needs help for a gambling problem can call our 24 hour national help line</p>
<p>1-888-LAST BET</p>
<p>http://recoveringgambler.com/</p>
<p>aswexler@aol.com</p>
<p>561 249 0922</p>
<p>954 501 5270</p>
<p>ARNIE WEXLER CCGC</p>
<p>Arnie Wexler<br />
Arnie &amp; Sheila Wexler Associates<br />
Lake Worth, FL<br />
561-249-0922 954 501 5270</p>
]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://recoveringgambler.com/2011/09/15/a-book-maker-once-told-me-i-love-the-n-f-l/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>The Compulsive Gambler Working in the Gaming Industry</title>
		<link>http://recoveringgambler.com/2011/06/20/the-compulsive-gambler-working-in-the-gaming-industry-2/</link>
		<comments>http://recoveringgambler.com/2011/06/20/the-compulsive-gambler-working-in-the-gaming-industry-2/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 20 Jun 2011 20:14:14 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Gambling]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Gambling News]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://recoveringgambler.com/?p=109</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Many people, who work in the gaming industry, are vulnerable to problems with their own gambling behaviors. Some are naturally attracted to the action, because they already have a gambling problem. Some develop a problem after being exposed to the environment. Studies have shown that employees in gaming establishments (racetracks, casinos, lottery vendors, etc.) have [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Many people, who work in the gaming industry, are vulnerable to problems with their own gambling behaviors. Some are naturally attracted to the action, because they already have a gambling problem. Some develop a problem after being exposed to the environment. Studies have shown that employees in gaming establishments (racetracks, casinos, lottery vendors, etc.) have a higher percentage of gambling problems than the general population. When Mickey Brown was the president of Foxwoods Casino, he urged his staff not to &#8221; become one of the people you&#8217;ve seen across the table&#8221;. Mr. Brown estimated that &#8220;5-10% of Foxwoods employees have gambled more than they probably should, and more than just recreational&#8221;.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>It is difficult to spot a compulsive gambler, because, unlike other addictions, it is a hidden and invisible disease. For millions of people, gambling offers a harmless and entertaining diversion from everyday life. Whether playing bingo or baccarat, these people are participating in a legitimate and time-honored recreational activity by taking a chance on an unpredictable event in the hope of winning. For others, however, the simple act of placing a bet is a vastly different experience. What seems a moment of elation or excitement for some gamblers is in reality a moment of overwhelming compulsion- a moment in which these people have lost the ability to control their gambling behavior. These individuals cannot resist the impulse to gamble- they are compulsive gamblers.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>The American Psychiatric Association (since 1980) has defined the disorder using the following criteria:</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>Diagnostic criteria for 312.31 Pathological Gambling</p>
<p>DSM-IV</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>Persistent and recurrent maladaptive gambling behavior as indicated by at least five of the following:</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>1.    Is preoccupied with gambling (e.g., preoccupied with reliving past gambling experiences, handicapping or planning the next venture, or thinking of ways to get money with which to gamble)</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>2.    Needs to gamble with increasing amounts of money in order to achieve the desired excitement</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>3.    Has repeated unsuccessful efforts to control, cut back, or stop gambling</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>4.    Is restless or irritable when attempting to cut down or stop gambling</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>5.    Gambles as a way of escaping from problems or of relieving a dysphoric mood (e.g., feelings of helplessness, guilt, anxiety, and depression.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>6.    After losing money gambling, often returns another day in order to get even (&#8220;chasing&#8221; one&#8217;s losses)</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>7.    Lies to family members, therapist, or others to conceal the extent of involvement with gambling</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>8.    Has committed illegal acts, such as forgery, fraud, theft, or embezzlement, in order to finance gambling</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>9.    Has jeopardized or lost a significant relationship, job, or educational or career opportunity because of gambling</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>10.        relies on others to provide money to relieve a desperate financial situation caused by gambling</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>It is important to note that this is a treatable illness and a person can lead a productive life after finding help and recovery.</p>
<p>The American Medical Association adopted a resolution ( Resolution 430 in 1995) citing &#8220;the addictive potential of gambling&#8221;, suggesting that their member physicians &#8220;advise their patients of the addictive potential of gambling&#8221;.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>When I was the Executive Director of the Council on Compulsive Gambling of NJ, 8% of our calls to the hot line, came from casino employees. Since 1994, we have trained over 35,000 casino workers, nationwide. Raising the awareness of employees through training on the subject of compulsive gambling is sometimes the catalyst for the employee to seek help. Every time we do training, some workers, who have a gambling problem, themselves, or have a family member with the problem, approach us for help. Often we receive phone calls from employees, several months after they hear our presentation. Many of these people find it difficult to come forward with the problem, fearing that exposure will affect their chances for advancement with the company. Supervisors who recognize an employee who has a serious gambling problem also often approach us.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>The problem exists at all levels of employment. Workers have approached us from housekeepers to executives of casino companies. There was a housekeeper who revealed that she stole items from guest&#8217;s rooms in order to support her gambling addiction. A casino limousine driver called us and was planning to kill himself as the result of his gambling problem. There was a pit boss that let dead-beat gamblers sign markers and then got a pay off from the gambler. A racetrack announcer called me for help after trying to fix races in order to get money to gamble with. We received a call for help from an employee on the hotel side, who was using customers&#8217; credit cards to access gambling money for his gambling. A legal counsel to a casino company, asked for our help in getting him excluded from gambling in casinos in his state. A woman who worked in credit came forward to ask for help as she was in jeopardy of losing her marriage and children.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>As the problem or compulsive gambler becomes more and more pre-occupied with their gambling they will eventually effect their company and their job performance. Some areas include erratic work performance, inconsiderate treatment of customers, borrowing money from coworkers or customers, absenteeism, tardiness, theft, embezzlement, affecting the integrity of the game they are dealing or by being coerced to fix games by bookmakers or loan sharks whom they may owe money to, and increased health care costs for them and their affected families.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>It would be beneficial and good prudent, business judgment, if gaming companies helped their employees who had a gambling problem, rather than terminating them. Employees are their most valuable asset as they are often, in the front line with their customers Employers and supervisors need to realize that compulsive gambling is an addiction, similar to alcoholism and drug addiction.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>Many companies already have health benefits that include treatment for other addictions. These benefits should also include treatment for compulsive gambling for employees and their families, paid for by the employer. Employers can also make available a room for an in house Gamblers Anonymous meeting. Human Resource and EAP personnel should have training on the subject of compulsive gambling. Brochures and information regarding help for a gambling problem, should be made available to all employees.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>Another area that employers may want to consider is the legal ramifications of not taking action if they recognize that their employee has a gambling problem. They may be held accountable by the regulatory body in their state, for continuing to employ someone who has a compulsive gambling problem and is currently gambling. On the other hand, employers should have documented information before approaching a worker who is suspected of having a gambling problem.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>Early detection of this hidden illness may result in the employee getting help before he or she reaches the desperation phase of compulsive gambling. With recovery, both the employee and the employer will benefit.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>We are encouraged to see that some gaming companies have come a long way, in the last few years, by addressing this issue. They have developed training programs and responsible gaming programs and policies that have helped their employees who have a gambling problem.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>Written by:</p>
<p>Arnie and Sheila Wexler</p>
<p>Arnie and Sheila Wexler Associates</p>
<p>213 Third Avenue</p>
<p>Bradley Beach, NJ 07720</p>
<p>732-774-0019  cell 954  5015270</p>
<p>www.aswexler.com</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>Arnie and Sheila Wexler have provided extensive training on Compulsive, Problem and Underage Gambling, to more than 35,000 gaming employees (personnel and executives) and have written Responsible Gaming Programs for major gaming companies. In addition, they have worked with Gaming Boards and Regulators. They have presented educational workshops nationally and internationally. They  have provided expert witness testimony. They also run a national help line (888 LAST BET). Sheila Wexler is the Executive Director of the Compulsive Gambling Foundation</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://recoveringgambler.com/2011/06/20/the-compulsive-gambler-working-in-the-gaming-industry-2/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Art Schlichter was indicted -I understand i did it for years in my own gambling addiction</title>
		<link>http://recoveringgambler.com/2011/05/09/art-schlichter-was-indicted-i-understand-i-did-it-for-years-in-my-own-gambling-addiction/</link>
		<comments>http://recoveringgambler.com/2011/05/09/art-schlichter-was-indicted-i-understand-i-did-it-for-years-in-my-own-gambling-addiction/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 10 May 2011 05:49:10 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Gambling]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Gambling News]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://recoveringgambler.com/?p=104</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Art Schlichter was indicted -&#8221;I understand i did it for years in my own gambling addiction&#8221; Arnie Wexler Art Schlichter, the former Ohio State quarterback was indicted today on 13 felony counts in connection with the ticket-selling scheme that swindled people out of more than $1 million. Tuesday, February 15, 2011 02:52 AM By Mike [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<table>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>
<div><span style="color: #ffffff;"><strong>Art Schlichter was indicted -&#8221;I understand i did it for years in my own gambling addiction&#8221; Arnie Wexler<br />
</strong><br />
Art Schlichter, the former Ohio State quarterback was indicted today on 13 felony counts in connection with the ticket-selling scheme that swindled people out of more than $1 million.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #ffffff;">Tuesday, February 15, 2011 02:52 AM</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #ffffff;">By Mike Wagner</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #ffffff;">THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #ffffff;">&#8220;A lot of people think Arthur is just a crook, and I understand that,&#8221; said Arnie Wexler of Boynton Beach, Fla., a national expert on compulsive gambling who, on occasion, informally counseled Schlichter for nearly 20 years. &#8220;This addiction makes you do crazy things and turns you into one of the best liars in the world. I don&#8217;t think anyone has dealt with more compulsive gamblers than I have, and I&#8217;m telling you, Arthur is one of the sickest people I have ever encountered.&#8221;</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #ffffff;">Wexler said he wrote Schlichter a &#8220;hard&#8221; letter about 10 years ago explaining that he shouldn&#8217;t let people feed his ego or treat him as a star if he intended to truly overcome the addiction.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #ffffff;">He said Schlichter has refused to speak to him since.</span></p>
<p><strong><span style="color: #ffffff;">&#8220;People keep wondering how Arthur is able to get money from all these people,&#8221; Wexler said. &#8220;Gamblers know how to do this. Gamblers say, &#8216;My car broke, my kid is sick, I can get you tickets, I can double your money,&#8217; and on and on. There isn&#8217;t a real compulsive gambler who hasn&#8217;t committed some kind of criminal act to support the habit.&#8221;</span></strong></p>
<p><strong><span style="color: #ffffff;"> </span></strong><span style="color: #ffffff;"><strong>&#8220;I KNOW I DID IT FOR A LOT OF YEARS IN MY OWN GAMBLING ADDICTION&#8221;&#8211;ARNIE WEXLER<br />
</strong><br />
=====================================</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #ffffff;"><strong><span style="font-size: medium;">NEED HELP FOR A GAMBLING PROBLEM CALL 888 LAST BET<br />
</span></strong><br />
=====================================</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #ffffff;">Written for the NY Daily News (2/5/95)</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #ffffff;">COMPULSIVE GAMBLING</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #ffffff;">JAIL, INSANITY, DEATH OR RECOVERY</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #ffffff;">It was a rainy Friday afternoon in 1983. The late Dr. Robert L. Custer , whom was the &#8220;father&#8221; of treatment for compulsive gambling, asked me to drive him to Long Island, N. Y , to visit one of his patients. This patient had entered an in-patient treatment center for compulsive gambling. As we drove along the bumpy Long Island Expressway, I had no idea whom we were going to visit. It didn&#8217;t matter to me, as I would have done anything for Dr. Custer, since by now we had become personal friends. As a compulsive gambler , in recovery for about 15 years, I had learned the only way I could keep my recovery was to reach out to another suffering compulsive gambler. Even though it was a long time ago, I could still remember the pain that gambling caused me and my family and friends. I always loved the time I spent with Dr. Custer , but this particular time was really special, since most of the discussion focused on recovery from compulsive gambling.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #ffffff;">We arrived at the treatment center and went to see Dr. Bob&#8217;s patient. We talked for about an hour. He was a young man, about 21 years old and very handsome. He had the body of an athlete, seemed very intelligent and appeared to have quite a lot of potential. Yet, there was no doubt that he was a compulsive gambler and already had many losses including his career being in jeopardy. He was very likable and we hit it off immediately. For the next couple of weeks many of the conversations I had with Dr. Custer were about this patient. About three months later, in Bethesda Maryland, in the home of Dr. Custer,we met again. In the following year we met and spoke on the phone frequently. It seemed to me that we were becoming good friends. Even though he relapsed a few times over the next few years, we still kept in touch, often. During that time he still had the ability to perform in his career but his employers were afraid that the gambling addiction might interfere. Unlike alcoholics and drug addict, who get second chances, it is more difficult for compulsive gamblers to get second chances . In the meantime, the young man got married and got a job in another field. He had his own radio show, and as most compulsive gamblers , he was able to succeed at this new endeavor. However, recovery continued to elude him. His pain was getting greater and greater. He wanted to stop, but couldn&#8217;t. The need to gamble was stronger than his power to stop by himself. No compulsive gambler can stop on his or her own. He needed the help of other recovering people, but he was still struggling with this concept. The addiction had him by the throat and was destroying him little by little .</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #ffffff;">The death of Dr. Custer (in the mid 80&#8242;s) was a terrible loss to me and I know it had to be a tremendous loss for this patient. A few years later, his wife gave birth to their first daughter. Now they had become a family. Over the next few years we were still having contact over the phone. Often he would talk about his wife and his daughter and how much he loved them.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #ffffff;">Last year, before the Super Bowl, I was a guest on his radio show. The discussion was about compulsive gambling. Even though he hadn&#8217;t stopped gambling himself, he was still eager to carry the message about the devastation of compulsive gambling to his audience. Shortly thereafter he took a &#8220;geographical cure&#8221; and moved to Las Vegas, the Mecca of gambling in America. For most gamblers this town is Heaven, but for compulsive gamblers it&#8217;s Hell. Again he was a host of a successful radio show.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #ffffff;">With all the phone calls over the years, we had not seen each other for about five years. Last week was the first time I saw him, again. I was on one side of a glass partition, he was on the other. The visit took place in the North Las Vegas Correctional Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. As with all compulsive gamblers they will pursue their gambling into the gates of prison, insanity or death. As we talked over the prison phone, my life, prior to recovery, flashed before my eyes. Thank God I had stopped when I did or I could have been on the other side of the partition. At this time I am fortunate enough to have had recovery for twenty-six years, one day at a time. My friend told me that he had eight nine days without a bet. He said that now he believes he can stop and he wants to. That&#8217;s how recovery can begin. You admit you are a compulsive gambler and you have the desire to stop.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #ffffff;">The next day I saw him in Court for sentencing on the charge of bank fraud. I had the privilege to be asked by him and his attorney to explain the issue of compulsive gambling to the court. Not in my wildest dreams could I have believed that in my recovery I, or anyone else would ever be asked to speak in a Federal court about compulsive gambling.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #ffffff;">With a room full of reporters, a family member, friends and some recovering compulsive gamblers, the Judge sentenced him to twenty-four months in jail. When I heard the sentence I got a pain in my stomach, my hands started to sweat and I could feel his pain. When the defendant stood in front of the Judge, his only request was to serve his sentence in a federal prison in Terre Haute, Indiana, so he could be closer to his wife and his two children.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #ffffff;">Although we have come a long way in the area of compulsive gambling awareness, there is still virtually no help in the Federal correctional system. It seems to me that it would be very difficult for a compulsive gambler to find recovery or stay in recovery in this type of setting. I believe the federal correctional system should provide some of the following services: counseling services, Gamblers Anonymous meetings within the facility,and education and reading materials on compulsive gambling and it&#8217;s recovery. I believe strongly, that incarceration time should be reduced in lieu of alternatives like halfway houses or in-patient treatment facilities. In addition I think that sentencing should include making full restitution(within a realistic budget), community service, continued attendance at Gamblers Anonymous and on-going counseling services</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #ffffff;">It is ironic that he was sentenced two days before the Super Bowl because if not for the fact that he is a compulsive gambler ART SCHLICHTER might have been the starting Quarterback in the game.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #ffffff;">Arnie Wexler CCGC</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #ffffff;">954 5015270</span></p>
<p><a title="mailto:ASWEXLER@AOL.COM" href="mailto:ASWEXLER@AOL.COM" target="_blank"><span style="color: #ffffff;">ASWEXLER@AOL.COM</span></a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.aswexler.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #ffffff;">WWW.ASWEXLER.COM</span></a></p>
<p><span style="color: #ffffff;">FOR HELP WITH A GAMBLING PROBLEM</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #ffffff;">CALL 888 LAST BET</span></p>
</div>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p><span style="color: #ffffff;"><strong> </strong></span></p>
<p><strong><span style="color: #ffffff;"> </span></strong></p>
<p><strong></p>
<div>
<div>Arnie Wexler</div>
<div>Arnie &amp; Sheila Wexler Associates</div>
<div>Boynton Beach, FL</div>
<div>561-200-0165 cell 954 5015270</div>
</div>
<p></strong></p>
<p><strong> </strong></p>
<p><span style="color: #ffffff;"><strong> </strong></span></p>
<table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="1">
<colgroup>
<col></col>
<col></col>
</colgroup>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td><a title="http://www.aswexler.com/" href="http://www.aswexler.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #ffffff;"><img title="http://www.aswexler.com/" border="0" alt="http://www.aswexler.com/" align="middle" /></span></a></td>
<td><a title="http://www.aswexler.com/" href="http://www.aswexler.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #ffffff;">Contact Arnie Wexler</span></a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><a title="http://Journalist/AddQuestion.aspx"><span style="color: #ffffff;"><img title="http://Journalist/AddQuestion.aspx" alt="http://Journalist/AddQuestion.aspx" /></span></a></td>
<td><span style="color: #ffffff;"><a title="http://Journalist/AddQuestion.aspx">Ask a question with InterviewNet</a><sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">SM</span></sup></span></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p><span style="color: #ffffff;"><strong> </strong></span></p>
<p><strong><span style="color: #ffffff;"> </span></strong></p>
<p><strong></p>
<div>
<div><span style="color: #ffffff;">=================================</span></div>
<div><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: #ffffff;"></p>
<div><strong></p>
<div><strong><span style="font-size: medium;"> Is Lenny  Dykstra  an addicted gambler ? </span></p>
<div><strong> </strong></div>
<div><strong><span style="font-size: medium;">THAT RUMORS HAVE BEEN AROUND FOR YEARS !</span></strong></div>
<div><strong> </strong></div>
<div><strong><span style="font-size: medium;">If he is ! we now have two x professional athletes sitting in jail because of a gambling addiction. And you can be sure they are not the only ones.</span></strong></div>
<div><strong><span style="font-size: medium;">Art Schlichter  and Lenny Dykstra</span></strong></div>
<div>
<div><a title="http://www.google.com/url?sa=X&amp;q=http://www.fbi.gov/news/news_blog/baseball_041511&amp;ct=ga&amp;cad=CAcQAhgAIAAoATADOANAg-mn7QRIAVAAWABiBWVuLVVT&amp;cd=5Z2XNZK_tbw&amp;usg=AFQjCNHYUSDmAqUtnNiOIP5pT9zNeSRrOQ" href="http://www.google.com/url?sa=X&amp;q=http://www.fbi.gov/news/news_blog/baseball_041511&amp;ct=ga&amp;cad=CAcQAhgAIAAoATADOANAg-mn7QRIAVAAWABiBWVuLVVT&amp;cd=5Z2XNZK_tbw&amp;usg=AFQjCNHYUSDmAqUtnNiOIP5pT9zNeSRrOQ" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: medium;">Former MLB Star <strong>Lenny Dykstra</strong> Charged in Bankruptcy Fraud Case</span></a></div>
<div>
<h2><a title="http://blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/dayton/big_c_nfl_blitz/entries/2009/08/19/former_ohio_state_quarterback.html"><span style="font-size: medium;">Former Ohio State quarterback Art Schlichter </span></a><span style="font-size: medium;">back in jail<br />
</span></h2>
</div>
<div><span style="font-size: medium;"> When Will Sports Confront Gambling Problems of Its Own Athletes?<br />
</span></div>
<div><span style="font-size: medium;">Athletes may be more vulnerable than the general population when you look at the soft signs of compulsive gambling: high Levels of energy; unreasonable expectations of winning; very competitive personalities; distorted optimism; and bright with high IQs</p>
<p>It is time for college and professional sports to run a real program to help players who might have a gambling problem or gambling addiction problem. Yet college and professional sports still do not want to deal with this. They do not want the media and public to think there is a problem.</p>
<p></span></div>
<div><span style="font-size: medium;">One sports insider said to me: &#8220;Teams need to have a real program for players, coaches and referees, and they need to let somebody else run it. When you do it in-house, it&#8217;s like the fox running the chicken coop. You must be kidding yourself if you think any player, coach or referee is going to call the league and say, &#8216;I&#8217;ve got a gambling problem, and I need help.&#8217; &#8221;<br />
</span></div>
<div><span style="font-size: medium;">The gambler is eventually able to remove themselves from reality to the point of being totally obsessed with gambling. Eventually, they will do anything to get the money with which to stay in &#8220;action&#8221;. They will spend all their time and energy developing schemes in order to get the money to continue gambling. Lying becomes a way of life for the gambler.   They will try to convince others and themselves that their lies are actually truths and they will believe there own lies.</p>
<p>People keep asking me  how gamblers  are able to get money from all these people, Wexler said. &#8220;Gamblers know how to do this. I did it for years to support my own gambling addiction. Gamblers  will say, &#8216;My car broke, my kid is sick, I can get you tickets, I can double your money,&#8217; and on and on. There isn&#8217;t a real compulsive gambler who has reached bottom (after using all there $) who hasn&#8217;t committed some kind of criminal act to support the habit.&#8221;</p>
<p></span></div>
<div><span style="font-size: medium;">Compulsive gambling is a progressive disease, much like an addiction to alcohol or drugs. In many cases, the gambling addiction is hidden until the gambler becomes unable to function without gambling, and he or she begins to exclude all other activities from their lives. Inability to stop gambling often results in financial devastation, broken homes, employment problems, criminal acts.    Most even at that point will keep gambling some will end up in jail some will attempt suicide some will die from their addiction as they will not take care of their health or the stress will kill them.<br />
</span></div>
<div><span style="font-size: medium;">All three diseases are recognized by the American Psychiatric Association&#8217;s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual. Yet, we treat compulsive gambling differently from the other two.</p>
<p>Society and professional sports treat people with chemical dependency and alcoholism as sick people, send them to treatment, and get them back to work. Yet society looks at compulsive gamblers as bad people, and they get barred from playing professional sports. Something is wrong with that.</p>
<p></span></div>
<p><strong><span style="font-size: medium;">The following is the diagnostic criteria from the</span></strong></p>
</div>
<p></strong><strong> </strong><strong> </strong></p>
</div>
<p></strong><strong> </strong><strong><a title="http://www.psych.org/clin_res/index.html" href="http://www.psych.org/clin_res/index.html" target="_blank"><strong><span style="font-size: medium;">DSM-IV</span></strong></a></strong></p>
</div>
<p><strong><span style="font-size: medium;">for 312.31 (Pathological Gambling):</span></strong></p>
<p></span></span></div>
</div>
<p></strong></p>
<p><strong> </strong></p>
<p><strong> </strong></p>
]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://recoveringgambler.com/2011/05/09/art-schlichter-was-indicted-i-understand-i-did-it-for-years-in-my-own-gambling-addiction/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>DO COMPULSIVE GAMBLERS EVER MAKE MONEY GAMBLING?</title>
		<link>http://recoveringgambler.com/2011/04/04/do-compulsive-gamblers-ever-make-money-gambling/</link>
		<comments>http://recoveringgambler.com/2011/04/04/do-compulsive-gamblers-ever-make-money-gambling/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 04 Apr 2011 16:00:41 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Gambling]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Recovery]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://recoveringgambler.com/?p=101</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Compulsive gamblers sometimes show a profit from a single session but in the end they cannot keep it. They will lose it all and more because of their addiction. A win is never big enough so they keep playing and dream that this time they will get the &#8220;Big Win&#8221; they crave. When it does [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Compulsive gamblers sometimes show a profit from a single session but in the end they cannot keep it. They will lose it all and more because of their addiction.</p>
<p>A win is never big enough so they keep playing and dream that this time they will get the &#8220;Big Win&#8221; they crave. When it does ( sometimes it does ) it is still not enough so they keep gambling and lose more.</p>
<p>Just like &#8220;normal people&#8221; who win and buy something with the money, the compulsive gambler will only see a win as a sign that they are now on a winning streak so they risk more. They cannot stop the chase to win more and more. The human drama continues when they lose and chase the losses with even more money. The cycle continues.</p>
<p>Compulsive gambling is a progressive disease, much like an addiction to alcohol or drugs. In many cases, the gambling addiction is hidden until the gambler becomes unable to function without gambling. He or she begins to exclude all other activities from their lives. Their ability to stop gambling often results in financial devastation, broken homes, employment problems, criminal acts and suicide attempts.</p>
<p>The gambler will eventually remove themselves from reality to the point of being totally obsessed with gambling. They will do anything to get money with which to stay in “action”. They will spend all their time and energy developing schemes in order to get more cash to continue gambling. Lying becomes a way of life for the gambler. They will try to convince family, friends and even themselves that their lies are actually truths and they will believe there own lies.</p>
<p>Compulsive gamblers will hit a real bottom and it is then that some will try to do something to recover but most gamblers only want to stop but can&#8217;t. They are simply unable to beat the addiction. Most even at that point will keep gambling. Some will end up in jail, some will attempt suicide, others will die from their addiction as they will not take care of their health. Perhaps the stress will kill them.</p>
<p>A small group of addicted gamblers will finally seek and find real help but the real trick is to get in to real recovery. Not just  abstinence. By the time the gambler comes for help they have broken brains. They are mentally ill. To get real recovery, the gambler needs to work on themselves one day at a time.</p>
<p>Compulsive gamblers who want to recover and get a stress free life must find a &#8220;sponsor&#8221; someone who will do their thinking for them. A &#8220;sponsor&#8221; should be someone who has been in recovery for some time and has a real knowledge of how compulsive gamblers feel. After some time in recovery their brain will start to function normally and they will see their problem for what it is: a health and wealth issue. They will become productive on their job and become a good father or husband.   Recovery is a process and does not happen without a lot of work. The gambler must choose to make a moral and financial inventory. People can and do recover.</p>
<p>- ARNIE WEXLER CCGC</p>
]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://recoveringgambler.com/2011/04/04/do-compulsive-gamblers-ever-make-money-gambling/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>What is Compulsive Gambling?</title>
		<link>http://recoveringgambler.com/2011/04/02/what-is-compulsive-gambling-2/</link>
		<comments>http://recoveringgambler.com/2011/04/02/what-is-compulsive-gambling-2/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 02 Apr 2011 16:00:52 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Gambling]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Recovery]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://recoveringgambler.com/?p=99</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Compulsive gambling is a progressive disease, much like an addiction to alcohol or drugs. In many cases, the gambling addiction is hidden until the gambler becomes unable to function without gambling, and he or she begins to exclude all other activities from their lives. Inability to stop gambling often results in financial devastation, broken homes, [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Compulsive gambling is a progressive disease, much like an addiction to alcohol or drugs. In many cases, the gambling addiction is hidden until the gambler becomes unable to function without gambling, and he or she begins to exclude all other activities from their lives. Inability to stop gambling often results in financial devastation, broken homes, employment problems, criminal acts and suicide attempts.</p>
<p>The gambler is eventually able to remove themselves from reality to the point of being totally obsessed with gambling. Eventually, they will do anything to get the money with which to stay in “action”. They will spend all their time and energy developing schemes in order to get the money to continue gambling. Lying becomes a way of life for the gambler.</p>
<p>They will try to convince others and themselves that their lies are actually truths and they will believe there own lies.</p>
<p>After they hit a real bottom they will have to do something if they want to try to recover.  Most gamblers at that point will want to stop but can’t (they wont be able to).</p>
<p>Most even at that point  will keep gambling  some will end up in jail  some will attempt suicide  some will die from their addiction as they will not take care of their health or the stress will kill them.</p>
<p>And a small group of addicted gamblers will seek and find real help  but the real trick is to get in to real recovery.  Not just abstinence.  By the time the  gambler comes for help they have broken brains (Meaning their brains don’t work like they used to when they were not in there addiction).</p>
<p>To get real recovery the gambler needs to work on them self’s  one day at a time and get someone to do there thinking for them who has been in recovery some time and has there brains  are working right   (a sponsor)  After some time in recovery there brains will start to work again.  They  will become productive on there job and become a good father  and husband.   Recover is a process and does not happen with out a lot of work on your self . and making a moral and financial inventory. But people can recover and do.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://recoveringgambler.com/2011/04/02/what-is-compulsive-gambling-2/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Former Buckeye Schlichter suspect in probe Money for tickets went to gambling, sources say</title>
		<link>http://recoveringgambler.com/2011/03/30/former-buckeye-schlichter-suspect-in-probe-money-for-tickets-went-to-gambling-sources-say/</link>
		<comments>http://recoveringgambler.com/2011/03/30/former-buckeye-schlichter-suspect-in-probe-money-for-tickets-went-to-gambling-sources-say/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 30 Mar 2011 16:00:05 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Gambling News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Recovery]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://recoveringgambler.com/?p=97</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Saturday, February 5, 2011  02:51 AM By Mike Wagner Art Schlichter led Ohio State to an undefeated regular season in 1979 before losing in the Rose Bowl. Former Ohio State quarterback Art Schlichter, already known as one of the nation&#8217;s most-notorious compulsive gamblers, is the target of an investigation by local and federal authorities centering [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Saturday, February 5, 2011  02:51 AM<br />
By Mike Wagner</p>
<p>Art Schlichter led Ohio State to an undefeated regular season in 1979 before losing in the Rose Bowl.</p>
<p>Former Ohio State quarterback Art Schlichter, already known as one of the nation&#8217;s most-notorious compulsive gamblers, is the target of an investigation by local and federal authorities centering on a sports-ticket scheme that has swindled numerous people out of several million dollars, according to sources familiar with the matter.</p>
<p>Sources said Schlichter began soliciting people for money as part of an &#8220;investment opportunity&#8221; involving brokering and selling tickets for Ohio State football games and other prominent sporting events to various people about two years ago.</p>
<p>The money collected by Schlichter was being used to gamble and make large bets that two sources close to the investigation say exceeded six figures in some cases.</p>
<p>Franklin County Prosecutor Ron O&#8217;Brien sent an e-mail to The Dispatch saying he was unable to confirm, deny or discuss anything involving Schlichter.</p>
<p>Schlichter would confirm only that he plans to speak with authorities in the near future.</p>
<p>&#8220;It will help a lot of people,&#8221; Schlichter said in a text message about talking with authorities. &#8220;This addiction is a (expletive).&#8221;</p>
<p>Since 1994, Schlichter has served time in 44 prisons or jails, mainly for fraud and forgery for having swindled people out of money or writing bad checks to feed his addiction to gambling on sports and horse races. Those close to him estimate that Schlichter has flushed away millions while gambling.</p>
<p>Schlichter, now 50, was an All-America quarterback at Ohio State more than 30 years ago.</p>
<p>At the heart of the scheme is a friendship Schlichter forged with Anita Barney, the 68-year-old widow of former Wendy&#8217;s CEO and chairman Robert Barney, who died in 2007 at age 70.</p>
<p>It is unknown how Schlichter met Barney since his release from prison and rehab in 2006, but the two made a connection when Schlichter was still starring for the Buckeyes at quarterback.</p>
<p>In August 1980, her son Alan Valko was the lone survivor of a Michigan plane crash that killed four men, including her former husband Dr. Albert Valko. The 10-year-old boy was injured when the twin-engine plane crashed in a wooded area near Tawas City, Mich. The boy sustained a fractured leg and other injuries. He was transported back to Columbus, where he spent several weeks in a hospital. It was there that Schlichter visited and befriended the boy, a huge Buckeyes fan.</p>
<p>Anita Barney, still grateful for the encouragement Schlichter provided her son, was befriended by Schlichter in the recent past.</p>
<p>Schlichter persuaded Barney to invest money in his ticket operation, the sources said. She continued to provide Schlichter with money, believing that the business was legitimate and that the ex-con would somehow come through on his promises of making a profit from ticket sales. As Barney&#8217;s personal assets were being drained, she turned to friends and associates for help, the sources said.</p>
<p>Several lawsuits filed in Franklin County Common Pleas Court in the past two months indicate that Barney solicited money from others. The borrowed amounts ranged from $29,000 to more than $200,000, according to lawsuits. It&#8217;s unknown whether Barney mentioned Schlichter&#8217;s involvement when she was asking others for money.</p>
<p>When contacted by The Dispatch, Barney, who lives in Dublin, said she wanted to tell her story, but she is being advised by her Columbus attorney, Bill Loveland, not to comment at this time.</p>
<p>&#8220;There is much to tell, but it&#8217;s just not the right time,&#8221; said Barney, whose voice was trembling.</p>
<p>The big payoff in the ticket-selling operation supposedly was to come around the Super Bowl, when Schlichter was going to sell dozens of the prized tickets for hundreds of thousands of dollars. But Schlichter wasn&#8217;t able to deliver the Super Bowl tickets, sources said, and some people who were promised tickets have been left in the Dallas area without any way into the game.</p>
<p>In recent years, Schlichter had started to repair some parts of his life and was paying back creditors and others to whom he owed money because of his checkered past. About two years ago, he received free help from local attorney Brett Adams, who has represented several high-profile athletes and coaches.</p>
<p>&#8220;I didn&#8217;t want to lose my credibility by helping him, but I was trying to help him reclaim a clean life,&#8221; Adams said. &#8220;I told him if he lied to me or deceived me in any way, I wasn&#8217;t going to help him anymore.&#8221;</p>
<p>Adams discovered that Schlichter did just that, and he formally resigned as his attorney about six weeks ago. He encouraged Schlichter to come forward and speak to the authorities.</p>
<p>&#8220;Once I suspected he was engaged in this activity, I could no longer help him,&#8221; he said. &#8220;There is no justification for his behavior if any of these allegations have merit. But I have represented many athletes with addiction, and I am convinced this disease is incurable. It can be lessened, but it is certainly incurable.&#8221;</p>
<p>Schlichter was released early from an Indiana prison in June 2006, then spent four months at a gambling treatment center in Baltimore. He moved back to near Washington Court House, about 40 miles southwest of Columbus, to live with his mother in a house close to what once was their family farm. In the past four years, he has spent considerable time in his hometown and in Indiana, where his two daughters have lived.</p>
<p>Schlichter was able to establish an anti-gambling foundation and re-establish some credibility within the community. He spoke at schools and in corporate boardrooms, preaching the dangers of gambling to anyone who would listen. He also served as a WTVN (610AM) radio analyst during some of its OSU football coverage.</p>
<p>Last year, Schlichter published a book, Busted, in which he described a life filled with the highs of being a gifted athlete and the lows of being a gambling addict. The addiction had damaged nearly all of his relationships. It divided his family, tested his closest friendships, tainted his legacy at Ohio State, ruined his marriage and separated him from his daughters most of their lives.</p>
<p>In an interview with The Dispatch after his 2006 release from prison, Schlichter was remorseful for his past and vowed to try to stay clean.</p>
<p>&#8220;I&#8217;ve hurt a lot of people since I&#8217;ve been here,&#8221; he said. &#8220;I&#8217;m more sorry than people will ever know.&#8221;</p>
<p>mwagner@dispatch.com</p>
]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://recoveringgambler.com/2011/03/30/former-buckeye-schlichter-suspect-in-probe-money-for-tickets-went-to-gambling-sources-say/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>COMPULSIVE GAMBLING &#8211; JAIL, INSANITY, DEATH OR RECOVERY</title>
		<link>http://recoveringgambler.com/2011/03/28/compulsive-gambling-jail-insanity-death-or-recovery/</link>
		<comments>http://recoveringgambler.com/2011/03/28/compulsive-gambling-jail-insanity-death-or-recovery/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 28 Mar 2011 15:15:50 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Gambling]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Recovery]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://recoveringgambler.com/?p=95</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[It was a rainy  Friday afternoon in 1983. The late Dr. Robert L. Custer , whom was the “father” of treatment for compulsive gambling, asked me to drive him to Long Island, N. Y , to visit one of his patients. This patient had entered an in-patient treatment center for compulsive gambling. As we drove [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>It was a rainy  Friday afternoon in 1983. The late Dr. Robert L. Custer , whom was the “father” of treatment for compulsive gambling, asked me to drive him to Long Island, N. Y , to visit one of his patients. This patient had entered an in-patient treatment center for compulsive gambling. As we drove along the bumpy Long Island Expressway, I  had no idea  whom we were going to visit. It didn’t matter to me, as I would have done anything for Dr. Custer, since  by now we had become personal friends.  As a compulsive gambler , in recovery for about 15 years, I had learned the only way I could keep my recovery was to reach out to another  suffering compulsive gambler. Even though it was a long time ago, I  could still remember  the pain that gambling caused me and my family and friends. I always loved the time I spent with Dr. Custer , but this particular time was really special, since most of the discussion focused on recovery  from compulsive gambling.</p>
<p>We arrived at the treatment center and went to see Dr. Bob’s patient. We talked for about an hour. He was a young man, about 21 years old and very handsome. He had the body of an athlete, seemed very intelligent and appeared to have quite a lot of potential. Yet, there was no doubt that he was a compulsive gambler and already had many losses including his career being in jeopardy. He was very likable and we hit it off immediately. For the next couple of weeks many of the conversations I had with Dr. Custer were about this patient. About three months later, in Bethesda Maryland, in the home of Dr. Custer,we met again. In the following year we met and spoke on the phone frequently. It seemed to me that we were becoming good friends. Even though he relapsed a few times over the next few years, we still kept in touch, often. During that time he still had the ability to perform  in his career but his employers were afraid that the gambling addiction might interfere. Unlike alcoholics and drug addict, who get second chances, it is more difficult for compulsive gamblers to get second chances . In the meantime, the young man got married and got a job in another field. He had his own radio show, and as most compulsive gamblers , he was able to succeed at this new endeavor. However, recovery continued to elude him. His pain was getting greater and greater. He wanted to stop, but couldn’t. The need to gamble was stronger than his power to stop by himself.  No compulsive gambler can stop on his or her own. He needed the help of other recovering people, but he was still struggling with this concept. The addiction had him by the throat and was destroying him little by little .</p>
<p>The death of Dr. Custer (in the mid 80’s) was a terrible loss to me and I know it had to be a tremendous loss for this patient. A few years later,  his wife gave birth to their first daughter. Now they had become a family. Over the next few years we were still having contact over the phone.  Often he would talk about his wife and his daughter  and how much he loved them.</p>
<p>Last year, before the Super Bowl, I was a guest on his radio show. The discussion was about compulsive gambling.  Even though he  hadn’t stopped gambling  himself, he was still eager to carry the message about the devastation of compulsive  gambling to his audience. Shortly thereafter he took a “geographical cure” and moved to Las Vegas,  the Mecca of gambling in America. For most gamblers this town is Heaven, but for compulsive gamblers it’s Hell. Again he was a host of a successful radio show.</p>
<p>With all the phone calls over the years, we had not seen each other for about five years. Last week was the first time I saw him, again. I was on one side of a glass partition, he was on the other. The visit took place in the North Las Vegas Correctional Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. As with all compulsive gamblers they will pursue their gambling into the gates of prison, insanity or death. As we talked over the prison phone, my life, prior to recovery, flashed before my eyes. Thank God I had stopped when I did or I could have been on the other side of the partition. At this time I am fortunate enough to have had recovery for  twenty-six years, one day at a time. My friend  told me that he had eight nine days without a bet. He said that now he believes he can stop and he wants to. That’s how recovery can begin. You admit you are a compulsive gambler and you have the desire to stop.</p>
<p>The next day I saw him in Court for sentencing on the charge of bank fraud. I had the privilege to be asked by him and his attorney to explain the issue of compulsive gambling to the court. Not in my wildest dreams could I have believed  that in my recovery I, or anyone else would ever be asked to speak in a Federal court about compulsive gambling.</p>
<p>With a room full of reporters, a family member, friends and some recovering compulsive gamblers, the Judge sentenced him to twenty-four months in jail. When I heard the sentence I got a pain in my stomach, my hands started to sweat and I could feel his pain. When the defendant stood in front of the Judge, his only request was to serve his sentence  in a federal prison in Terre Haute, Indiana, so he could be closer to his wife and his two children.</p>
<p>Although we have come a long way in the area of compulsive gambling awareness, there is still virtually no help in the Federal correctional system. It seems to me that it would be very difficult for a compulsive gambler to find recovery or stay in recovery in this type of setting. I believe the federal correctional system should provide some of the following services: counseling services, Gamblers Anonymous meetings within the facility,and education and  reading materials on compulsive gambling and it’s recovery. I believe strongly, that  incarceration time should be reduced in lieu of alternatives like halfway houses or in-patient treatment facilities. In addition I think that sentencing should include making full restitution(within a realistic budget), community service, continued attendance at Gamblers  Anonymous and on-going counseling services</p>
<p>It is ironic that he was sentenced two days before the Super Bowl because if not for the fact that he is a compulsive gambler  ART SCHLICHTER  might have been the starting Quarterback in the game.</p>
<p>- Arnie Wexler</p>
]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://recoveringgambler.com/2011/03/28/compulsive-gambling-jail-insanity-death-or-recovery/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>OLD &#8211; The Truth about Gambling in the Jewish Community</title>
		<link>http://recoveringgambler.com/2011/02/09/old-the-truth-about-gambling-in-the-jewish-community/</link>
		<comments>http://recoveringgambler.com/2011/02/09/old-the-truth-about-gambling-in-the-jewish-community/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 09 Feb 2011 15:45:41 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Gambling]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Gambling News]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://recoveringgambler.com/?p=92</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=3173067897447785344&amp;q=twerski"><img class="size-full wp-image-93 alignnone" title="Screen shot 2011-02-09 at 10.43.01 AM" src="http://recoveringgambler.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/Screen-shot-2011-02-09-at-10.43.01-AM.png" alt="" width="442" height="331" /></a></p>
]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://recoveringgambler.com/2011/02/09/old-the-truth-about-gambling-in-the-jewish-community/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Super Bowl Gambling: CBS Interview</title>
		<link>http://recoveringgambler.com/2011/02/07/super-bowl-gambling-cbs-interview/</link>
		<comments>http://recoveringgambler.com/2011/02/07/super-bowl-gambling-cbs-interview/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 07 Feb 2011 19:30:12 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Gambling]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Gambling News]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://recoveringgambler.com/?p=86</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<script type='text/javascript'>_wpaudio.enc['wpaudio-4f2f0b1780e7e'] = '\u0068\u0074\u0074\u0070\u003a\u002f\u002f\u0072\u0065\u0063\u006f\u0076\u0065\u0072\u0069\u006e\u0067\u0067\u0061\u006d\u0062\u006c\u0065\u0072\u002e\u0063\u006f\u006d\u002f\u0077\u0070\u002d\u0063\u006f\u006e\u0074\u0065\u006e\u0074\u002f\u0075\u0070\u006c\u006f\u0061\u0064\u0073\u002f\u0032\u0030\u0031\u0031\u002f\u0030\u0032\u002f\u0030\u0034\u004b\u0069\u006e\u0067\u0053\u0075\u0070\u0065\u0072\u0042\u006f\u0077\u006c\u0047\u0061\u006d\u0062\u006c\u0069\u006e\u0067\u002d\u0043\u0042\u0053\u004e\u0065\u0077\u0073\u0049\u006e\u0074\u0065\u0072\u0076\u0069\u0065\u0077\u0073\u002e\u006d\u0070\u0033';</script><a id='wpaudio-4f2f0b1780e7e' class='wpaudio wpaudio-nodl wpaudio-enc' href='#'>Super Bowl Gambling: CBS Interview</a>
]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://recoveringgambler.com/2011/02/07/super-bowl-gambling-cbs-interview/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
<enclosure url="http://recoveringgambler.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/04KingSuperBowlGambling-CBSNewsInterviews.mp3" length="3562266" type="audio/mpeg" />
		</item>
	</channel>
</rss>

