In Michigan, a woman lost about $ 2 million (equivalent to $ 10 million) in 6 months in a virtual casino.
In an interview with News 5 Cleveland, affiliate of CNNthe woman asked not to have her name revealed, but said she started playing Blackjack on her phone as she went through financial challenges.
“I had a very large builder and our wood costs fired because of the Covid-19,” she said. “I had ten houses under construction and I thought, ‘Wow, I will try and maybe help.'”
The betting sequence began with an investment of US $ 1,000 (equivalent to $ 5,450), complemented by a casino registration bonus, and became $ 25,000 (equivalent to $ 136,000) on the same day. However, the first bid quickly took the first financial losses.
“You can do this driving on the street, you can do it in the bathroom,” she said. “We went to a casino [físico] From time to time and there was no problem. But after that started, it was extremely difficult to stop. “
The woman reported that she also lost her home, company, cars and retirement because of online bets. The habit only ended when she was confronted by her husband about accounts and late payments.
Four years after financial losses, the woman is trying to alert others about the risks of gambling.
“I really don’t want this to happen to anyone else,” she said. “I don’t think it should have been possible to lose so much in such a short time. It makes no sense for the state to make money that way at the expense of the people themselves. It makes me sad.”
In Ohio, sports bets were legalized. In the last two years, the state has recorded more than $ 20 billion in.
So far, neighboring states like Michigan, Pennsylvania and Western Virginia have also legalized the games.
According to Tamera Hunter of Townhall, an American health organization, more and more people are addicted to betting.
“Game addiction has increased dramatically,” she said.
