Hello all, In January last year my dad admitted to me and my brother he is a gambling addict and has lost over £100k in just 6 years. I knew he gambled but not to that extent and i was shocked.
Since 2010 he has been asking me to lend him money every now and then and it got to point where he owed me £5,000. My parents divorced in 2009 and he just said it was expensive divorce and he needed help.
I am 25 and didnt think about the possibility of him gambling at first, the first big payment i gave him of £2,500 back in 2011 he said was to help him and a friend start up a business. This was the first of many lies.
Im on here anyway as since the beginning of this year he said he would pay me back £250 a month , he currently still owes me £2,500. He paid on time until this month, two weeks ago i asked why i had not received any money and he said he got caught up in bills and whatever, immediately i thought he was lying. A few days later he rang saying sorry and that he had gave in and blown half his wages on gambling.
I thought he had stopped, he was paying me back every month and i was just thinking to myself he has lost £100,000 in 6 years he will never win anything close to that back so whats point of gambling but hes back at it again.
Just wondering if anyone has any thoughts or advice, i feel he has really slowed me down in my own life, i feel i have been the parent the last 6 years looking out for him and ive had no help at all from him just hassle and set backs. Im trying to save to move out with my girlfriend and it feels my dad just doesnt care.
Hi CM, as I'm sure you have heard before there is not a lot you can do for him until he's willing to get help himself. You can mention GA, handing over finances and self exclusion to him and then it's up to him to take action. The one thing you can do for now is stop lending him anymore money. Like not even a tenner for petrol or anything like that. I had a similar experience with my Dad and money he owed me, although it was only a fraction of the amount above and had nothing to do with gambling it still took 6 years to get it back!
All the best
It's unfortunate that your father's gambling is affecting you but don't lose sight of what you need to do to address your own issues with gambling. You can't make your father do anything but you can help yourself.
CW
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