From utilizing a poker machine on an evening out at 18, to being allowed right into a VIP room as a “tall” 15-year-old, two former poker machine addicts have shared their tales of playing hurt and restoration.
For 28-year-old Central Coast tradie Jay Bateman, an evening out with associates shortly after he turned 18 sparked a near-decade-long battle with playing habit.
He describes going right into a Pub TAB room again then as a “right of passage” however whereas his associates stopped, he couldn’t.
“(Using the poker machines) probably one of the first things you’d be keen to do,” he advised NCA NewsWire.
“I thought it was just the thing to do because everyone is talking about it. (It was like) you’d just have to see for yourself and have a go.”
Mr Bateman shared his story amid playing reform rising as a dominant difficulty within the lead as much as the March 25 NSW state election. To date, each main events have launched insurance policies to cut back cash laundering by way of playing machines and reduce playing hurt.
NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet has dedicated to make all poker machines cashless by 2025, with gamblers in a position to set a each day restrict which might solely be elevated each seven days, in addition to bans on automated and bank card top-ups.
Opposition chief Chris Minns has proposed a 500-machine cashless trial, plus money feed-in limits of $500 – diminished from $5000.
By the time Mr Bateman was 19, the majority of his pay was going in direction of playing. A small loss for the tradie-turned-social employee was about $50 in an evening, nevertheless that quantity may attain as much as $2000 if he was attempting to “chase the win”.
He estimates he would have misplaced round $50,000 to poker machines throughout his wrestle.
“I was getting paid roughly $1200 a week and I’d go gambling about half an hour after it went in,” Mr Bateman stated.
“I’d probably lose $200 that night, then you’d feel bad and then the next day you’d feel like going again because you’d lost it. It’s a vicious cycle.”
To today, Mr Bateman doesn’t perceive what led to his “full-time addiction”. During its top, he says he was utilizing poker machines on most days of the week.
“Pretty much any spare time I had, I’d see myself going down the road to play and use them,” he stated.
“To be honest, I don’t even know how I got myself in there. They sort of just trap you.
“The whole day, they’re bringing in free pies and sausage rolls. They have all these things and it’s like they’re setting up the environment for you not to leave.”
Roughly six months in the past, Mr Bateman misplaced his remaining greenback down a poker machine. Paralysed by monetary stress, he discovered himself borrowing cash from relations, regardless of involved family and friends members reaching out.
“I couldn’t save for anything and I wasn’t leaving myself anything,” he stated.
Mr Bateman stated the method of quitting was “quite easy” as soon as he made up his thoughts, and in addition attended counselling periods at Wesley Mission which helped him “open up” about his habit.
“My grandmother forwarded me onto the Wesley Mission. I got a pamphlet from her two months ago; that was a good phone call,” he added.
“I’ve come to the realisation and found out that the actual win is if you don’t put any money in the machine themselves.”
‘I went into my first pokies room at 15’: Tim Gray, 42
Sydney tour information, native musician and Gumbayngirr/Wiradjuri/Bidjigal man Tim Gray, 42, says he went to his first pokies room on the age of 15.
“I’ve done that since I was 15. I was allowed in pubs then because I was so tall and they just wanted the money,” he advised NCA NewsWire.
“It was just always the money. Wanting more and more. Especially being an addict, even if you win, it’s not enough.”
While Mr Gray has been sober from medicine and alcohol since 2008, he famous he continued playing by way of poker machines “on-and-off” by way of his sobriety.
“When an addict gives up drinking, they want to give it up but I didn’t want to give up gambling; I just wanted to have something,” he stated.
“I also always struggled with money and I just wanted some easy money to get me my tiny home. Now I’ve realised that’s not going to work.
“I’m now treating the gambling like I did with alcohol and drink. GA, counselling and a financial counsellor,” he added.
Mr Gray stated the height of his wrestle got here in October 2023, when he hit a “rock bottom, is it going to kill me?” second.
Staying at a motel for work, he spent the price of the motel and his hire cash on playing.
“I would have got arrested but someone paid it for me,” he stated.
It was the considered his rescue cat, Crystal, whereas he was at his lowest that brought about him to pause and mirror.
“Even all this time while I’ve been broke, I’ve made sure this cat has had food and litter, even if I don’t,” he stated.
Now approaching his ninetieth day of sobriety, Mr Gray needs to share his struggles within the hopes of serving to others.
“Just ask for help. It’s definitely not easy, but just reach out to talk to someone you trust and don’t feel ashamed,” he stated.
“That’s why it can be good to talk to counsellors and people on the phone, like Lifeline.”
He hopes the present conversations round playing reform will in the end scale back the quantity of poker machines in pubs and golf equipment, and hopes venues will be capable of substitute misplaced earnings by way of meals or reside music.
“I hardly went to the casino even in my worst gambling period, I’d head to a pub or club,” he stated.
“We don’t need things that are going to take all our money away. Communities need things that help us.
“What is more important? Revenue or lives?”
Source: www.perthnow.com.au
