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Bad obsession: Online gambling addicts share stories of lost and pain
While gambling is considered a fun hobby, for some people addiction can affect their health and well-being, and interfere with daily life.
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Betting market: A man poses for a photograph with the logo for online gambling website Bet365 displayed on a smartphone, in London on Dec. 18, 2019. (AFP/Paul Ellis) (AFP/Paul Ellis)
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em>While gambling is considered a fun hobby, for some people addiction can affect their health and well-being, and interfere with daily life.
Tomos still remembers how he became hooked on online betting. It all began with sports gambling.
“I started out betting on soccer and basketball games as a university student. At that time, I only did it for fun,” the 29-year old who chose not to use his real name for fear of embarrassment, said.
Two years ago, he became immersed in a blackjack game hosted at a local online casino and things quickly took a downward spiral.
“I began with a Rp 500,000 [US$ 34] deposit. At first, I experienced a winning streak,” said Tomos, who works as a finance officer at a private company.
“Then, in the third and fourth week, I alternated between wins and losses. Since then, I increased my bets to around Rp 1-2 million.”
Occasionally, Tomos made a profit many times more than the amount he spent at the gaming house.
