SINGAPORE: A 19-year-old local Reddit user took to the platform for help, saying that their family has lost all their money due to their mother’s severe gambling addiction.
According to the teen, the situation is quite dire. In their July 13 post, the only child said that their family had to sell their home because of their mum’s gambling, loanshark debts, and pyramid scams.
They have also been evicted from two rental places over the past year after their mum gambled their rent money. However, she continues to spend like there is no tomorrow, taking the family on a holiday that costs thousands, and having costly meals so they can pretend to be rich.
She has also not stopped gambling. According to the post author, she’s been at the casino for over a week, seeking to recoup the money she lost so she can pay her debts. To make matters worse, she demands that the post author’s father send her hundreds of dollars at a time, threatening to commit suicide if he refuses.
At the moment, their rental rate is higher than her father’s take-home pay, making their situation even worse.
The teen is now also in debt, having borrowed money from their friends to give to their father so he can travel for work.
“This constant stress ruined my grades and forced me to pause my studies,” they wrote, adding, “I am completely exhausted, and I need to step in before everything collapses.”
They also wrote that while they’ve repeatedly asked their father to apply for a Family Exclusion Order so that their mother would legally be banned from casinos, their father has refused.
“Because he is trapped in this fear loop, he keeps sending her cash, which just goes straight into the casino and drains our final survival funds,” the post author wrote, asking for advice as to what they can do to stop the cash drain, as well as for local Singaporean resources, advice, or guidance.
A helpful Redditor gave the link to the National Council on Problem Gambling, as well as its hotline (1800-6-668-668), so that the post author can get help as soon as possible.
“They have way more collective experience with stuff like this than any random Redditor,” the commenter added.
“A gambler will never give up if there is someone constantly bailing them out from debt. You gotta cut off this cancer. Seek professional help,” another wrote.
Others added that trying to help a person with a gambling addiction is pretty much impossible until they admit that they need help, and told the post author to consider going no contact with their mother, cutting her off completely.
Some expressed concern, seeing that the post author’s father is part of the problem.
“At some point, you gotta realise people have to make their own choices. They are not your responsibility. Even your dad. If after multiple conversations with him and he still chooses to send her money, I would say cut him off too,” one wrote.
One advised the post author to protect themself in the meantime: “Protect your own money and identity. Change your banking passwords and PINs. Secure your SingPass, phone, identity documents and bank statements. Check that no loans, credit cards or accounts have been opened using your details. Do not sign anything as a borrower or guarantor. Your father should do the same and move his salary and essential bill money into an account your mother cannot access.” /TISG
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