A HUSBAND gambled away a staggering $1 million over the space of nine to ten years, which left him and his wife desperate for a solution.
Debra, 69, from Sacramento, California, called into The Ramsey Show for help, but the host was left scratching his head as he asked how Debra went so long without doing something.
The husband said he could cut his gambling bill down to $700 to $800 a month[/caption]
It turned out that Debra’s husband, 79, was heavily involved in sports betting.
The caller noticed that her husband was moving a lot of money around in the lead-up to her realization.
When confronted, he promised to get the gambling under control and that he could stop whenever he wanted to.
But Debra knew the problem wasn’t going away when the husband said he cut down to $700 to $800 a month on gambling instead.
Dave cut to the chase in the clip and said the husband had a “white hot” gambling addiction.
The expert suggested that Debra and her husband need to speak to a marriage counsellor as soon as possible.
Dave said that if they don’t sort this issue out soon, the couple could end up homeless.
The financial guru said that Debra needed to give her husband an ultimatum to stop his gambling habit.
He suggested that a marriage therapist could give the pair a framework to move towards this.
But Dave also took Debra to task, calling her avoidance of the problem for a whole decade “absurd”.
RISE IN GAMBLING
In the clip from his show, Dave Ramsey said that gambling is the second fastest rising addiction in America, behind online pornography.
Dave said that the accessibility of gambling tools has made matters worse.
He urged Debra to confront her husband head-on and get a reaction out of him.
INCOME HIDING
In another recent episode of the Dave Ramsey Show, another caller named Beth from Texas revealed that her husband had been keeping his income a secret from her.
Remember to gamble responsibly
A responsible gambler is someone who:
- Establishes time and monetary limits before playing
- Only gambles with money they can afford to lose
- Never chase their losses
- Doesn’t gamble if they’re upset, angry, or depressed
If you or someone you know is struggling with gambling addiction, call the National Gambling Helpline at 1-800-522-4700 or visit the National Council on Problem Gambling online.
He had been keeping $2,600 a month from her that she didn’t know he was making.
Beth became fully disabled a few years ago and now solely relies on Social Security checks.
When confronted, the husband refused to put any of this extra income towards bills and did not want to discuss it any further.
The husband claimed that if he did tell Beth about the money, she would have taken all of it from him.
Beth found out about this after she worked with the IRS to pay off a tax debt.
To do this, she needed a copy of her husband’s most recent pay stub, which showed the extra cash.
To see the full conversation, click the link here.
