Gambling Recovery: Taking Back Your Life

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Host Jimmy M. sits down with gamblers in recovery, their families and spouses, as well as journalists and therapists, to share honest stories of struggle, hope, and resilience amid the rise of gambling addiction, and the journey to reclaiming their lives.

  1. May 26

    #29 Turning Pain Into Purpose | Saul Malek on Recovery and Prevention

    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.

    1h 2m

  2. May 12

    #28-The Person in the Mirror Was a Stranger: Mickie’s Story of Trauma, Grief, Gambling and Recovery

    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.

    48 min

  3. Apr 27

    #27- The Life No One Saw: Mary D’s Journey from Childhood Pain to Gambling Addiction and Recovery

    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.

    1 hr

  4. Apr 20

    #26- More Than a Mother: A Life of Loyalty, Laughter, and Love. My Mom

    Some people are remembered for what they had. Others are remembered for what they achieved. My mom is remembered for how she made people feel, loved, welcomed, laughed with, and never forgotten. In this episode, I share the story of Carmella, a woman raised in Chicago’s Little Italy neighborhood who became the kind of person people never forgot. She was strong, funny, stubborn, deeply caring, and the person who showed up when others needed her most. She carried loss, hardship, and pain with a strength that shaped everyone around her. 
I also speak openly about our relationship, the strain my gambling addiction caused, and the healing we were able to find before she passed. Some of the most meaningful moments of my life came in those final years. 
This episode is not about perfection. It’s about impact. It’s about the kind of woman who made people feel seen, made them laugh when they needed it most, and loved in a way that stayed with you. Her life reminded me that the greatest legacy we can leave is how we treat people while we’re here. It’s about showing up.  This is for my mom.

    11 min

  5. Apr 13

    #25- Everybody Needs Somebody: The Role of Family in Recovery — Renée Siegel, Gambling Addiction & Enneagram Specialist

    Renée Siegel has spent over 40 years helping people heal, grow, and better understand themselves. As a mental health counselor and Enneagram coach, she also works closely with individuals and families impacted by gambling addiction. In this episode, Renée shares how the Enneagram became a powerful tool in her practice, while also opening up about her personal experience with a gambling addict in her life. She speaks to the often-overlooked role of family in recovery, and how support, involvement, and understanding from loved ones can make all the difference. This is a powerful conversation about awareness, connection, and what it really takes to begin the journey of healing.

    1h 1m

  6. Mar 31

    #24 -Defeat and Surrender: Reeve L’s Journey Through Gambling Addiction

    In this episode, I sit down with Reeve L., whose story didn’t start with gambling, but with growing up in it. He watched it tear his family apart and swore he would never become that person. But years later, during a battle with cancer, gambling became his escape… and slowly turned into the very thing he once feared. What followed was years of silence, isolation, and losing himself completely, until September 15, 2024, when after losing everything, he finally surrendered. This is a conversation about what gambling really takes… and what it means to finally let go.

    51 min

  7. Mar 17

    #23- Xavier S :The Hidden Cost of the Next Hand — The Quiet Descent from Thrill to Addiction… and the Road to Recovery

    Every person who develops a gambling addiction has a beginning. For many of us, it doesn’t start in a casino.
It doesn’t start with massive losses or life falling apart. It often starts with something that looks harmless…
a card game with friends, a March Madness bracket, a trip to the race track, or watching poker on television and imagining what it would feel like to sit at that table. At first, it feels exciting.
It feels social.
It feels like entertainment. But for some people, something deeper is happening beneath the surface. What begins as fun slowly becomes something harder to control.
The thrill grows stronger.
The stakes grow higher.
And the line between recreation and addiction becomes harder and harder to see. Today’s story is about how something that once felt innocent and exhilarating slowly turned into something overwhelming and destructive. It’s a story about chasing the feeling…
about the lies addiction convinces us to tell…
about the moment someone realizes they are no longer in control. And ultimately, it’s a story about what happens when someone finally walks through the doors of recovery. This is Xavier’s story.

    44 min

  8. Mar 3

    #22 -A Greek Orthodox Priest’s Journey Through Gambling Addiction, Recovery, and Forgiving Himself

    Father George A. spent his life guiding others through faith, offering strength, hope, and spiritual direction to those in need. But behind the collar and the calling, he was quietly fighting a battle of his own. What began as a harmless escape slowly became something far more powerful, an addiction to gambling that pulled him into secrecy, shame, and a life that felt completely at odds with the man he believed he was meant to be. For years, Father George lived between two worlds: the one where he stood at the altar preaching faith, forgiveness, and discipline, and the one where he struggled privately with a compulsion he could no longer control. In this deeply personal conversation, Father George shares the truth about how gambling addiction took hold, the weight of living a double life, and the moment he realized something had to change. His story is not just about addiction, but about humility, redemption, and learning to forgive yourself. This is the story of a priest who discovered that faith alone doesn’t make someone immune to struggle, but honesty, recovery, and grace can lead the way back.

    1h 7m
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About

Host Jimmy M. sits down with gamblers in recovery, their families and spouses, as well as journalists and therapists, to share honest stories of struggle, hope, and resilience amid the rise of gambling addiction, and the journey to reclaiming their lives.

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