The Comeback with Craig Carton S1 E4: You Can Comeback From Gambling Addiction

In Episode 4 of The Comeback, Craig Carton talks with Greg, a firefighter from New Jersey who is five years since his last wager.

Greg started gambling as a teenager when he saw Chris Moneymaker win millions of dollars at the World Series of Poker in 2003. He was immediately hooked with a dream of becoming a professional poker player.

Greg’s poker career had many highs, but hit rock bottom when he was no longer able to borrow anymore money to support his addiction. Greg opens up about how difficult it was for him to go to Gamblers Anonymous at first, but how his life has changed for the better.

Greg is now a consultant for EPIC Global Solutions, a trusted partner for gambling harm prevention, and shares his lived experience with people across the country.

They chat about:

• Sharing the Wins, Hiding the Losses: Greg talks about how his friends at the firehouse knew he was a poker player but never knew how serious his gambling had become. An important reminder that you’ll often hear about people’s gambling wins, but rarely ever hear about the losses and the toll it takes.
• Dangers of Youth Exposure: Often times, the story of a problem gambler starts with exposure to the of gambling at a young age through family or peers. Craig and Greg discuss proxy betting, and while it may seem like a harmless bonding opportunity, parents and other adults should never share an account or open up an account for their kids.
• The Joys of Recovery: Greg celebrates his completely different life now that he’s over five years out from his last bet. He notes both the mental clarity and headspace he now has, along with his wife, two year old, and another child on the way as major victories and examples of the benefits of recovery.

New episodes of The Comeback With Craig Carton air on FanDuel’s FAST channel FanDuel TV Extra and stream on FanDuel’s YouTube channel.