Advertise on podcast: 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 grew up in the Little Italy neighborhood of Chicago, where sports, competition, and betting were part of everyday life. As a kid, there were parlay cards, survival pools, and pitching quarters. By high school, I had a bookie. What seemed like fun became years of debt, broken trust, and an addiction I could not control. Gambling changed my character. It turned me into someone my parents didn’t raise me to be. I had a big ego. I became a master manipulator and a liar, and I hurt the people who cared about me most. In this first video episode of Gambling Recovery: Taking Back Your Life, I share my story—from asking my mother to cover a gambling loss, to going in and out of Gamblers Anonymous, to serving time in jail and gambling again after I got out. My last bet was February 9, 2012. Recovery began when I finally accepted that stopping for a while wasn’t enough. I had to change how I lived. I’m sharing this for the person who feels trapped by gambling and for the family trying to understand it. You are not alone, and change is possible. If you need guidance on where to start, email me at [email protected]. Follow Gambling Recovery:
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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. ❤️

Craig Dempsey joins the podcast from the United Kingdom to share his lived experience with gambling addiction, recovery, and rebuilding his life.

Craig is the founder and host of The Calm & Steady Show, where he uses his experience to raise awareness around gambling harm and mental health.

In this conversation, Craig opens up about addiction, family, fatherhood, and the people affected beyond the gambler.

An emotional and vulnerable conversation about gambling, recovery, and what matters most when rebuilding your life.

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.

Today I’m joined by Alex Effron, founder of Collectors MD. Alex has lived through the devastating effects of gambling addiction, compulsive collecting, and overspending, and has turned that experience into a mission to help others. Through Collectors MD, he’s bringing awareness to the hidden similarities between gambling and today’s collectibles industry while giving hope and support to those who are struggling.

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.

This week, I’m joined by Daniel Bullen, host of The Addicted Recovery Show, a podcast reaching people across the globe with honest conversations about gambling addiction, recovery, relapse, and rebuilding life after gambling. Daniel’s story is one of strength and perseverance. Along with overcoming gambling addiction, he survived a devastating car accident that could have easily claimed his life. Those experiences have fueled his passion for helping others and sharing the message that recovery is possible. Daniel and I have had the opportunity to appear on each other’s podcasts, and I’m grateful to continue that conversation here. In this episode, we discuss recovery, purpose, resilience, and why sharing our stories can inspire hope in someone who may still be struggling. Daniel is genuine, thoughtful, and clearly committed to making a difference in the gambling recovery community.

What happens when a man spends years chasing the next high, the next bet, the next escape, only to realize he’s really been running from himself? Today’s guest, Tom Jenkins, knows that story all too well. His journey has taken him from gambling and alcohol addiction to a relentless search for meaning, purpose, and recovery. Originally from the UK and now living in Colombia, Tom has spent years asking the hard questions: What drives addiction? Why do we keep self-destructing? And what does true recovery actually look like?   He’s also the author of a book that explores many of these themes, which we’ll dive into later in the episode. Let’s get started.

Today’s guest is someone who has become one of the leading voices in gambling addiction awareness and prevention, especially when it comes to young adults and sports betting culture. Saul Malek grew up in Houston, Texas, in a loving family. What started as a fun way to connect with friends eventually evolved into sports betting after being introduced to a local bookmaker during college. And like so many stories we hear in this space, the escalation happened fast. In less than two years, Saul lost sleep, money, relationships, peace of mind, and nearly his life. But today, more than five years removed from gambling, he’s turned his pain into purpose ,using his lived experience to educate others and expose the realities of modern gambling addiction. You may have seen him featured on Dr. Phil, PBS, or USA Today, but beyond the headlines, Saul is someone making a real impact through honesty, advocacy, and education. I’m honored to welcome Saul Malek to Gambling Recovery: Taking Back Your Life.

For a long time, gambling felt harmless to Mickie. It was exciting. Social. Fun. A way to escape reality for a little while. It started with casinos, scratch off tickets, laughter with friends, and moments that felt alive. But over time, the excitement slowly turned into secrecy, obsession, isolation, and emotional exhaustion. In this deeply vulnerable episode, Mickie shares how gambling gradually took control of her life, from hiding losses and lying to loved ones, to sitting alone in her car surrounded by scratch off tickets realizing she no longer recognized herself. But this conversation is about far more than gambling. It’s about grief, trauma, family addiction, shame, survival, and ultimately… recovery. Mickie opens up about growing up around alcoholism and addiction, losing family members, caring for a husband with MS, and the emotional weight she carried for years before gambling became her escape. She also shares the moment she finally asked for help and walked into her first Gamblers Anonymous meeting terrified, broken, and unsure if she belonged. What followed became the beginning of rebuilding her life one day at a time. This episode is raw, honest, emotional, and incredibly important. Whether you struggle with gambling yourself or love someone who does, Mickie’s story is a reminder that addiction can happen to anyone , and that recovery is possible.

Some addictions are easy for the world to recognize. Others hide behind success, routines, and a smile. From the outside, Mary D. looked like she had built a beautiful life, a thriving career, a family, stability, and everything many people spend years chasing. But behind closed doors, she was fighting a private war with gambling addiction that nearly took everything from her. Mary’s story did not begin in a casino. It began in childhood, growing up with an alcoholic father and leaving home at just nine years old. Like so many people, the pain started long before the addiction ever showed itself. Gambling would later become an escape, a place to numb, avoid, and survive wounds that had never fully healed. For years, Mary lived a double life. By day, she was a respected executive leading teams and meeting deadlines. By night, she was trapped in the grip of slot machines, secrecy, emotional exhaustion, and despair. Her addiction strained her marriage, impacted her relationship with her daughter, and pushed her to a place where hope felt far away. But this is not just a story about addiction. It is a story about survival. About the moment pain became greater than denial. About walking into a Gamblers Anonymous meeting on July 1, 2011, and beginning a new life one day at a time. This is an honest conversation about trauma, resilience, healing, and what it means to truly come back to life. Please welcome Mary D.