Eloise Horsfield
TWO hundred former gambling addicts have met at a conference in Rincon de la Victoria to share experiences.
The gathering, hosted by Malaga’s gambling rehabilitation association (Amalajer), brought together people whose lives have been affected by different types of addiction including slot machines, bingo and casinos – but also shopping, video games and online gambling.
“In one night I managed to win €60,000 playing roulette but later left the casino without a cent,” said 46-year-old Marcos Gomez from Malaga, who only realised he had a problem when he stopped at a petrol station and had nothing to buy cigarettes with.
He later spent two years in rehabilitation.
Amalajer president Francisco Abad said more and more people are affected by addiction to video games, while internet gambling has seen a sharp rise recently because of ‘aggressive advertising campaigns’ featuring celebrities such as Rafael Nadal.
I have written a blog on gambling addiction that readers of this article might find interesting. It features interviews with compulsive gamblers: “http://bit.ly/12toL80”