To Escape His Debts One Man Nearly Took His Own Life

Mark Erickson all the time wanted a part of the action — so the accountant from Phoenix began gambling on sports by means of the Internet.
But soon, his pastime begins to spiral out of control.
He is reported as signing that he had heard of people who compare online gambling to a cocaine addiction.  He says that the high you get from it and the euphoria you feel turned it into an all-consuming activity. The things that seemed to attract him the most were lining up the money, then handicapping of the game, and especially betting on the game, followed by the watching of the game.  It didn’t even some to matter if he won or lost, he was still ready to go on betting on the next game.
It was only three and a half years ago, that Erickson had acquired a gambling debt of $400,000.  Because he was desperate, he started stealing from his clients. When his clients finally realized what was happening, he left his family and ran away.
He describes himself as becoming someone who he didn't even recognize.  He thought that running away was the thing he had to do. He figured he was the one who would have to get himself out of what he had gotten himself into.
Things got so bad that he even thought of killing himself.  Erickson considered going to Mexico where he might even pay someone to do it.
'A Really Bad Illness'
What Erickson is a compulsive gambler?   He suffers from a condition that is just as hazardous and incapacitating as drug or alcohol addiction. The estimated number of cases look this is 6 million people in the United States alone. It is expected that as gambling on the Internet becomes more fashionable and more sites appear, those numbers are expected to enlarge.
Ed Looney, executive director of Council on Compulsive Gambling of New Jersey says that he thinks of it as being a devastating illness, an illness that if not treated, will end up affecting an individual’s entire lifestyle.
Younger people are being affected by this problem as well. Half of all men in college, having been drawn in by the attractiveness of poker, are betting on a monthly basis — even though gambling on sports is against the law everywhere in the U.S. except Nevada.
Nonetheless, the business rakes in unbelievable amounts of cash. Some have estimated that $7 billion is wagered in casinos, online and with bookies, on the Super Bowl alone.
For sports betting, it is now high season. After the college bowl games of this weekend it will be the NFL playoffs followed by the Super Bowl. Then, it's what is referred to as March Madness, with numerous participates in office betting pools.
Looney say that sports betting is like the rock of Gibraltar.  It's as American as apple pie, he says.  It will always be here. People love to bet on their football games according to Looney.
Erickson turned himself in after 23 days on the run.  This led to his serving a year in prison and he now works for a habitual gambling helpline. He gives credit to a 12-step program for helping him surmount his problem, and he has not gambled in about four years.
Erickson says that his life is great. He talks of the miracles he’s experienced. He speaks of the sharing of experiences with friends, and family. Today he says that he cherishes these things.

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