Translated by Patrick Tse

Gambling is not a game. Don't believe that minor gambling can modify your life.

Gambling is a battlefield and the banker is the only winner. The player is always the loser. For the minor one, he only loses money but for the major one, he may lose family, career or even life. May be you say that I have come across many players who win a lot of money. Okay, have you heard any gambling boss who loses so as to close down the business? On the contrary, it is very common to see the players who lose to nothing only after do they just win a few times.

It is absolutely right to say that winning is the major cause for your losing afterwards. Once you win and leave the battlefield forever, then you are the real winner. I rarely come across this kind of gambler. If such intelligent gambler exists, he would not be involved in gambling. I am the typical example and would like to share my experience with them so as to remind them not to make the same mistakes.

I am 46 years old and started horse-racing gambling at the age of 18. I deeply believed that minor gambling does no harm. However, a nightmare happened 10 years ago. In order to apply for housing allowance, I mortgaged my house to the bank and got cash of a few hundred thousand. I raised my stakes because of such sudden cash. I felt uneasy once I lost at the beginning. By and by, I became indifferent to the losing and increased my stakes. I lost a few hundred thousand within 2 years. In order to get back what I lose, I started to borrow. Of course, as you know, I never got back the losing but the debts increased by leaps and bounds. I kept these troubles in mind because of self-esteem. The deteriorated situation led me to dog's life. Most gamblers should have this synesthesia.

At last, I sold my house and paid part of the gambling debts. This lessened my financial pressures and I have abstained gambling only for three months. Unfortunately, my crisis alert became insignificant and I relapsed to gambling again. My gambling debts amounted over a million within a year but I still kept it secret.

While I was still at sea, I watched a news report and found that a doctor lost twenty million because of gambling and it showed that a professional would have the gambling problem too. There was a case of solving the gambling debts and Gambling Hotline. I thought it over throughout the night and telephoned the Hotline next day and began to receive gambling counseling.

From now on, I was pardoned by my family and began my financial rearrangement. Though it was a long way (it needs six years to clear the debts), I could breathe a sigh of relief. I knew my way forward and unlike the previous situation that I was agitated because of endless gambling debts troubles.

For all friends who are in the same boats, please take your first step to ask for professional assistance. After having this experience, I find that gambling is just like stepping on quicksand. The more you struggle, you deeper you sink into the quicksand. You will be sunk if you do not have external assistance. Now what you need most is external assistance. Put down your so-called self-esteem and ask for professional help and leave the plight as soon as possible.

Post script: Today's news report......A fireman patrol leader left the family because of 800 thousand gambling debt and committed murder because of money. I tell myself l am rather lucky because of early awakening. I can save myself as well as my family but I feel sorry for that gambler!