Meaningful People

His Secret Gambling Addiction Nearly Destroyed His Family

14 hours ago

In this deeply personal episode of the Meaningful People Podcast, Sruli Stern shares the hidden double life he lived for years as a compulsive gambler. From a childhood scratch-off card to high-stakes nights in Atlantic City, Sruli walks listeners through the slow escalation of an addiction that hijacked his logic, strained his marriage, buried him in debt, and nearly cost him everything. With raw honesty, he describes the lies, the rationalizations, the spiritual confusion, and the crushing moment when he lost his family’s rent money and considered crashing his car rather than face the truth.

What follows is a powerful story of rock bottom, confession, and recovery. Sruli opens up about coming clean to his wife, walking into his first Gamblers Anonymous meeting, rebuilding trust one step at a time, and confronting the deeper pain that fueled his addiction in the first place. This episode is not just about gambling, it is about accountability, faith, marriage, and the courage to change. Whether you have struggled personally or love someone who has, this conversation sheds light on a silent battle affecting more people than we realize and offers real hope that recovery is possible.

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