Former gambler bringing awareness to problem gambling month

TOLEDO, Ohio — Problem gambling is what is called a slow, hidden addiction.

“You don’t smell it. People don’t stumble around, like, gambling. They don’t slur their words. They don’t nod out, burn holes in their clothes because of gambling, and yet I’ve had people in my office who’d lost $60,000 in an afternoon," said Steven Kapela, the manager of gambling treatment and prevention at the Zepf Center.

Though, problem gambling is an addiction that Kapela experienced in his own life. After hitting rock bottom, he went to college in his 50s and became a manager of gambling treatment and prevention at the Zepf Center.

“I had created so much destruction in my life. I had hurt so many people, and my family, and they had lost houses because of me. I had to find a way to make up for it, to redeem myself. I had to find a way that I could sleep at night," Kapela said.

Now, with it being Problem Gambling Awareness Month, Kapela explains gambling isn’t just heading to the casino. It’s gaming on our phones, it’s the lottery and it’s even your March Madness bracket.

“When I was a kid you had to go to Las Vegas, or Atlantic City - and I did - or even to Atlantis when they built it, or Canada. Then, they built the casinos and you still had to drive across town. But now you’re sitting on your couch at night gambling on your phone, you go to bed, you take it with you. It never leaves you.”

That’s why this March - with problem gambling awareness and March Madness - Kapela wants to raise awareness saying March Madness can be the straw that breaks the camel's back for some problem gamblers, but awareness and recovery go beyond just one month.

“If you think you’re a problem gambler and somebody watching this will, what you want is possible. It may be the hardest thing you’ve ever done in your life but gambling recovery comes with rewards you cannot imagine," Kapela said.

If you or someone you love is struggling with problem gambling, you can call the National Problem Gambling Hotline at 1-800-522-4700 or head to the Zepf Center website. All gambling treatment is provided for free in Ohio.