The Pokies Were My Killer

Ariana, 42, Auckland. (Themes drawn from actual experiences, adapted for privacy)

Playing the pokies almost killed my relationships.

Each week after netball practice some of the girls and I would go down to the local and enjoy a few drinks. One night a couple of the girls gave the pokies a go and one of them won a couple of hundred bucks! Even though I hadn’t really been interested before, I decided to give it a go. I enjoyed it - the lights, the sounds and music kept me entertained and I had fun.

I was hooked. I started playing most days and began making excuses and lying about where I was to my whanau and friends. Everyone wondered where I was; my phone was off and I was emotionally distant.

Not only was I putting gambling ahead of my family, the guilt was becoming unbearable, all I could think about was playing the pokies. The final straw was when I drained the bank account and my partner’s bank card declined. He’d had enough. He couldn’t ignore it anymore. He explained how my gambling had affected him and our young daughter, and the resentment he felt toward me when he had to lie to our daughter about where I was.

I knew that I had to do something about it, otherwise I’d lose everything. I reached out for help; I called The Salvation Army Oasis. They listened, didn’t judge, and helped me take the first step in regaining control of my life.

For more information on Oasis and the services available click here or call 0800 50 00 00.