The Gambling Recovery Lounge

Eric F.
  • 5.0 (17)
  • Mental Health
  • Updated Weekly

Eric F. is a compulsive gambler in recovery. This podcast shares the stories of people who have been impacted by gambling addiction, both from the perspective of the compulsive gambler, as well as those affected by someone's gambling problem. Through our collective experience, strength, and hope, we address this public health crisis with honesty, compassion, and love.

  1. Jul 3

    Experience #24 — Quitting Gambling & Building the App to Beat It (w/ Caleb Silverman)

    🎁 A gift for Lounge listeners — Betttr, the app to quit gambling and take back control. The first 200 listeners get Betttr free for life. Download at betttr.net/get and enter code LOUNGE200. 👉 betttr.net/get · code LOUNGE200 📱 App Store: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/betttr-quit-gambling-recovery/id6756128282 In this special episode, Eric welcomes his friend Caleb, into the Lounge. Caleb is the nephew of a compulsive gambler in Recovery, and this connection led him to pursue what has become his passion- to build a company and online app that is geared towards individuals who are seeking help to overcome their addiction to gambling. This has led to the launching of Caleb's company and app called "betttr". Eric and Caleb have a thoughtful discussion about today's world of gambling, addiction, and Recovery opportunities, as well as some of the details of the "betttr" app and how anyone can immediately utilize the app as a Recovery tool. ⏱ Chapters 0:00 Betttr — a gift for Lounge listeners 0:47 The conversation begins 24:08 Daily fantasy: 1.3% of players win 25:08 U.S. sports betting handle: $5B → $167B 📊 Sources for the stats in this episode: - 24:08 — Daily fantasy "1.3% of players win, 98.7% lose": McKinsey & Company (2015); DraftKings' own 2013–14 data. - 25:08 — U.S. legal sports betting handle, $5B → $167B (2017–2025): American Gaming Association & state regulators (annual legal handle; 2017 = Nevada only, pre-PASPA repeal). We would love to hear from you. We welcome any questions and comments. Please e-mail Eric directly at: ericpaulf@sbcglobal.net BIG THANKS to Edgardo for his dedication in producing and editing this Podcast. This would not be possible without his support! ***The Gambling Recovery Lounge is sponsored by "betttr"- an online app designed to help anyone with a desire to stop gambling. Download "betttr" from your app store and support your own journey to a better life and gambling recovery process!*** GAMBLING RECOVERY MEETING RESOURCES: To find in person or virtual Gamblers Anonymous meetings, visit: gamblersanonymous.org To find Gambling Recovery zoom meetings, visit: gamblersinrecovery.com To find in person or virtual Gam-Anon Recovery Meetings, visit: gam-anon.org #gamblingrecovery #quitgambling #sportsbetting

  2. Apr 18

    Experience #23

    🎁 A gift for Lounge listeners — Betttr, the app to quit gambling and take back control. The first 200 listeners get Betttr free for life. Download at betttr.net/get and enter code LOUNGE200. 👉 betttr.net/get · code LOUNGE200 In this powerful episode, Eric welcomes into the Lounge, one of his A-List mentors in his Recovery journey- Frank S. With multiple decades of experience in the Gamblers Anonymous program, Frank talks eloquently and with raw honesty, about his journey, including going to his first GA meeting at the young age of 19. Frank's path included many family members who were also compulsive gamblers, and we visit about what that life experience was like. Frank shares his deep experiences, including the need to escape his life problems from a young age and that would lead to a long and devastating battle with a gambling addiction. His very successful career in banking was a part of that journey, which ultimately led to multiple arrests, probation, and time in prison. Frank and Eric also talk about their spiritual connection on multiple fronts, including a very important date on the calendar in both of their lives, January 11th. All of this led to COVID in 2020, which would bring about an extraordinary invention that Frank was a primary creator and collaborator of; the website: gamblersinrecovery.com. This website is a premier reference for Gambling Recovery meetings on the zoom platform, from all around the world, with hundreds of meeting listings, at all hours of the morning, day, and night. Frank has personally helped foster incredible amounts of opportunities for Gambling Recovery worldwide and continues to carry the message to those suffering, with a desire to get help. We would love to hear from you. We welcome any questions and comments. Please e-mail Eric directly at: ericpaulf@sbcglobal.net BIG THANKS to Edgardo for his dedication in producing and editing this Podcast. This would not be possible without his support! ***The Gambling Recovery Lounge is sponsored by "betttr"- an online app designed to help anyone with a desire to stop gambling. Download "betttr" from your app store and support your own journey to a better life and gambling recovery process!*** GAMBLING RECOVERY MEETING RESOURCES: To find in person or virtual Gamblers Anonymous meetings, visit: gamblersanonymous.org To find Gambling Recovery zoom meetings, visit: gamblersinrecovery.com To find in person or virtual Gam-Anon Recovery Meetings, visit: gam-anon.org

  3. Jan 29

    Experience #22

    🎁 A gift for Lounge listeners — Betttr, the app to quit gambling and take back control. The first 200 listeners get Betttr free for life. Download at betttr.net/get and enter code LOUNGE200. 👉 betttr.net/get · code LOUNGE200 We're back in 2026! In the new year's kick-off episode, Eric welcomes his close friend and brother in Recovery, Markus, to the Lounge. Markus shares, with incredible honesty and humility, his 8-year journey of a progressive gambling addiction, throughout his 20's. What started as an innocent experience of gambling to fit in with his peers, spiraled into a full-blown addiction to sports gambling and devastated every aspect of his life. Markus shares what it feels like to experience the ultimate highs in life, like his engagement, to quickly shifting into the pit of demise and complete destruction in a matter of hours. It all led to a rock bottom discovery by his life partner, that finally brought everything to light. With his entire life all the line, Markus describes his entry into Recovery via Gamblers Anonymous and how nearly 2 years later, his life has been completely transformed in his Recovery journey. Markus also shares important advice and insight into what his experience has been like to deal with sports in his Recovery process, which is a critical component of what so many young, sports fans and gamblers are facing in today's world, where sports and gambling go and hand and has been glorified into society as a normal and acceptable activity. This Podcast episode is life changing, and it's the rare person like Markus, whose bringing about the necessary truth to save and transform lives! We would love to hear from you. We welcome any questions and comments. Please e-mail Eric directly at: ericpaulf@sbcglobal.net BIG THANKS to Edgardo for his dedication in producing and editing this Podcast. This would not be possible without his support! ***The Gambling Recovery Lounge is sponsored by "betttr"- an online app designed to help anyone with a desire to stop gambling. Download "betttr" from your app store and support your own journey to a better life and gambling recovery process!*** GAMBLING RECOVERY MEETING RESOURCES: To find in person or virtual Gamblers Anonymous meetings, visit: gamblersanonymous.org To find Gambling Recovery zoom meetings, visit: gamblersinrecovery.com To find in person or virtual Gam-Anon Recovery Meetings, visit: gam-anon.org

  4. 10/31/2025

    Experience #21

    🎁 A gift for Lounge listeners — Betttr, the app to quit gambling and take back control. The first 200 listeners get Betttr free for life. Download at betttr.net/get and enter code LOUNGE200. 👉 betttr.net/get · code LOUNGE200 In Experience #21, Jason joins Eric in the Lounge. This is an intimate discussion between brothers and best friends, from Maine to California. Jason shares his deeply personal story of Gambling addiction, from early childhood with his dad and brother, into a dark isolation into adulthood. Jason was a sports gambler for over 20 years, and everything was crashing down around him, including his relationship with the most important person in his life, his wife. He describes his journey of addiction in pain staking detail, including how he and his younger brother were torn apart by suffering from their own gambling addictions until his brother's tragic death nearly a decade ago. Jason is the epitome example of the compulsive gambler, who has made horrific mistakes along his journey, and has come through it all with extraordinary bravery and most importantly, is helping thousands of people in his journey of Recovery, Jason and Eric reminisce on how they met in the rooms of Gamblers Anonymous on Eric's day 1 and Jason early in his journey, and they tell the ongoing tale of two guys who were nearly killed by their gambling addictions, now totally thriving in Recovery, committing their lives to bettering themselves and countless others whom they love. This is a story of redemption from near catastrophe to endless amounts of Hope and Happiness. We would love to hear from you. We welcome any questions and comments. Please e-mail Eric directly at: ericpaulf@sbcglobal.net BIG THANKS to Edgardo for his dedication in producing and editing this Podcast. This would not be possible without his support! ***The Gambling Recovery Lounge is sponsored by "betttr"- an online app designed to help anyone with a desire to stop gambling. Download "betttr" from your app store and support your own journey to a better life and gambling recovery process!*** GAMBLING RECOVERY MEETING RESOURCES: To find in person or virtual Gamblers Anonymous meetings, visit: gamblersanonymous.org To find Gambling Recovery zoom meetings, visit: gamblersinrecovery.com To find in person or virtual Gam-Anon Recovery Meetings, visit: gam-anon.org

  5. 07/28/2025

    Experience #20

    🎁 A gift for Lounge listeners — Betttr, the app to quit gambling and take back control. The first 200 listeners get Betttr free for life. Download at betttr.net/get and enter code LOUNGE200. 👉 betttr.net/get · code LOUNGE200 In this milestone episode, Eric welcomes his close friend and brother in Recovery, Joe, into the Lounge. Joe shares about his life journey, from what was a normal, happy life into his 20s, but ultimately spiraled into a chaotic gambling addiction in a span of just a few years. He describes how he had a successful job and great marriage, but how gambling would then take control of everything. Joe also shares how he went from being an imposter in the initial stages of abstinence into what has become his deep commitment to Recovery since his last bet on November 5, 2022. That was also the day Joe and Eric met, and they talk in detail about the miracle of what happened on that day and how it would change the course of history for both of them. We would love to hear from you. We welcome any questions and comments. Please e-mail Eric directly at: ericpaulf@sbcglobal.net BIG THANKS to Edgardo for his dedication in producing and editing this Podcast. This would not be possible without his support! ***The Gambling Recovery Lounge is sponsored by "betttr"- an online app designed to help anyone with a desire to stop gambling. Download "betttr" from your app store and support your own journey to a better life and gambling recovery process!*** GAMBLING RECOVERY MEETING RESOURCES: To find in person or virtual Gamblers Anonymous meetings, visit: gamblersanonymous.org To find Gambling Recovery zoom meetings, visit: gamblersinrecovery.com To find in person or virtual Gam-Anon Recovery Meetings, visit: gam-anon.org

  6. 06/24/2025

    Experience #19

    🎁 A gift for Lounge listeners — Betttr, the app to quit gambling and take back control. The first 200 listeners get Betttr free for life. Download at betttr.net/get and enter code LOUNGE200. 👉 betttr.net/get · code LOUNGE200 We're BACK! Season 4 debuts in Pride month, with Eric welcoming Thomas into the Lounge! What an amazing journey Thomas has taken from California to Nevada. They discuss Thomas' childhood; what it was like growing up in a family devoid of open communication, with a father, who had a gambling problem, and Thomas not being able to express his truth as a young man who was identifying differently. He shares the story of moving to the gambling heart of the country and what then escalated into a gambling addiction that nearly destroyed everything in his life in a short span of a few years. Thomas shares his story of Recovery and how much his life is now transformed because of his experience and commitment to being the best version of himself. We would love to hear from you. We welcome any questions and comments. Please e-mail Eric directly at: ericpaulf@sbcglobal.net BIG THANKS to Edgardo for his dedication in producing and editing this Podcast. This would not be possible without his support! ***The Gambling Recovery Lounge is sponsored by "betttr"- an online app designed to help anyone with a desire to stop gambling. Download "betttr" from your app store and support your own journey to a better life and gambling recovery process!*** GAMBLING RECOVERY MEETING RESOURCES: To find in person or virtual Gamblers Anonymous meetings, visit: gamblersanonymous.org To find Gambling Recovery zoom meetings, visit: gamblersinrecovery.com To find in person or virtual Gam-Anon Recovery Meetings, visit: gam-anon.org

  7. 04/15/2025

    Experience #18

    🎁 A gift for Lounge listeners — Betttr, the app to quit gambling and take back control. The first 200 listeners get Betttr free for life. Download at betttr.net/get and enter code LOUNGE200. 👉 betttr.net/get · code LOUNGE200 Eric is joined in the Lounge by his friend and Recovery sister, Lori. They have a wonderful conversation about Lori's life journey and how gambling entered her life at an early age and would progress significantly into her adult years. Lori depicts with tremendous honesty and humility where gambling took her in her life, including a suicide attempt. Lori eventually reached her rock bottom and now has 2+ years of amazing Recovery. Lori describes how Gamblers Anonymous has changed her life for the better and also what being a woman in the Program has meant in her journey; as well as her advice to someone who is on day 1 trying to face their gambling problem. We would love to hear from you. We welcome any questions and comments. Please e-mail Eric directly at: ericpaulf@sbcglobal.net BIG THANKS to Edgardo for his dedication in producing and editing this Podcast. This would not be possible without his support! ***The Gambling Recovery Lounge is sponsored by "betttr"- an online app designed to help anyone with a desire to stop gambling. Download "betttr" from your app store and support your own journey to a better life and gambling recovery process!*** GAMBLING RECOVERY MEETING RESOURCES: To find in person or virtual Gamblers Anonymous meetings, visit: gamblersanonymous.org To find Gambling Recovery zoom meetings, visit: gamblersinrecovery.com To find in person or virtual Gam-Anon Recovery Meetings, visit: gam-anon.org

  8. 03/13/2025

    Experience #17

    🎁 A gift for Lounge listeners — Betttr, the app to quit gambling and take back control. The first 200 listeners get Betttr free for life. Download at betttr.net/get and enter code LOUNGE200. 👉 betttr.net/get · code LOUNGE200 Eric welcomes into the Lounge, his friend and brother in Recovery, Stephen. They have a great discussion about Stephen's journey through life, ultimately leading to a gambling addiction that impacted all aspects of his life. Stephen articulates the details of what led to his rock bottom and his contemplation of committing suicide, until a phone call to 1-800-GAMBLER changed everything. Stephen describes the 8+ years of his Recovery journey, including an honest assessment of the first several years, where he felt he wasn't working towards an ultimate path of Recovery. They further discuss what has changed in the past 2+ years, where Stephen has committed much more of himself to the Recovery process and his life has gotten significantly better as a result, along with his wonderful advice to anyone on day 1 of dealing with this addiction. We would love to hear from you. We welcome any questions and comments. Please e-mail Eric directly at: ericpaulf@sbcglobal.net BIG THANKS to Edgardo for his dedication in producing and editing this Podcast. This would not be possible without his support! ***The Gambling Recovery Lounge is sponsored by "betttr"- an online app designed to help anyone with a desire to stop gambling. Download "betttr" from your app store and support your own journey to a better life and gambling recovery process!*** GAMBLING RECOVERY MEETING RESOURCES: To find in person or virtual Gamblers Anonymous meetings, visit: gamblersanonymous.org To find Gambling Recovery zoom meetings, visit: gamblersinrecovery.com To find in person or virtual Gam-Anon Recovery Meetings, visit: gam-anon.org

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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
17 Ratings

About

Eric F. is a compulsive gambler in recovery. This podcast shares the stories of people who have been impacted by gambling addiction, both from the perspective of the compulsive gambler, as well as those affected by someone's gambling problem. Through our collective experience, strength, and hope, we address this public health crisis with honesty, compassion, and love.

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