Wednesday afternoon at a gambling agency located ten steps from Rehabilitation Unit 18 Ano in Ampelokipi rain rates. It’s Champions League day and it’s increasing the number of customers in a small shop with big billboards outside, for all kinds of games.

OUR Christ (not his real name) has been driving every Wednesday for the last year and a half. He smiles through the glass that reflects the light of the televisions, and immediately turns the corner to get to the rehab ward.

“The first time I played in a gambling agency I was 15 years old and I went with my dad,” he tells K. “I remember there was an agency across from the English tutoring school I used to go to, just like there’s one outside of the division now. I joined Top 18 in September 2021 and my goal was to become independent from this disease that is constantly in front of me. Gamble“.

Now Christos is 25 years old, and in a month he will complete treatment for gambling addiction. He is one of several the youth who turned to the One for help to win the bet of life, not addiction.

Growth at a young age

According to the psychiatrist and director of the 18 Ano rehabilitation unit, Stella Christidis requests for participation in the program are growing. “From 166 requests we had in 2021, a year later we reached 287. At the same time last year, we had 52 applications, almost the same as now,” notes Ms Christidis, emphasizing that while traditionally a gambling addict seeks help after 40 years (since since they usually experience financial consequences that they cannot answer), the last three to four years there has been increase at a young age 18 to 26 years old. “Since the beginning of the year, we 53 persons who applied to 18 Ano. 17 of them are under 30 years old,” he explains, adding that this created the need to create one group for beginners.

OUR Anthony (name changed) is only 20 years old and joined the therapy group for the second time a week ago after he relapsed. “I started playing systematically at the age of 18, that is, at a time when pandemic. When I, as a student, moved to another city, the situation got out of control, ”he tells K.

Online gambling in quarantine

And if gambling in physical stores during the quarantine was limited, then this did not happen with online gambling, which also explains the phenomenon of increasing addiction at a young age. “When physical stores closed, those who were not familiar with online gambling did not play. However, most young people know it and prefer it,” says Ms Christidis.

First contact 25 year old Christ with online gambling, he was 19 years old. “My friends and I opened an account, but closed it after a while because it went to hell. Then I decided to open my own account. Then the adventures of addiction began, as I constantly opened and closed accounts. One resisted, one envied“.

In the case of a 20 year old Anthony everything got out of control very quickly. “I had accounts opened at two bookmakers. I played poker which I liked with my friends. Then I wanted to play alone and at home. Opened an account and closed it. Then I opened another account with my father’s details, because I was not yet 21 years old. I stole his card details and started playing. However, one morning he received a notice about the loss of a rather large amount, which aroused his suspicions. I finally closed my account for good. However, along the way, I got “stuck” with other games at a gambling agency.

According to Ms. Christidis, a young gambler can play everywhere: in an agency with his company, alone at home, or in a casino with strangers he knows. He doesn’t care about the environment, he cares about winning and financial satisfaction. But when control is lost and gambling becomes an almost 24-hour activity, the consequences are detrimental even at a young age.

Shame, financial ruin and suicidal tendencies

OUR Christ he personally experienced the devastating effects of addiction when he himself took a job in a gambling agency. There, as he says, he saw how people put money on the hospital, while their wife was going to give birth the next day. At the same time, he was sinking deeper and deeper into addiction. “At the beginning, I was earning 300 euros and, of course, I immediately lost them. I remember once I “closed” the agency and was left to play alone. Without realizing it, I lost about 3,500 euros, which I took from the cash register. That night I didn’t sleep. The next day I went to the boss and told him that I was quitting and I would bring him money. It was my greatest shame. I went to my father, cried and asked him for money, which I clearly did not have.

Antonis also describes in “K” the extreme situations he went through until he realized he had to ask for help. “One night I went to a club and left a very large sum. That’s when I realized I had a problem. I played with any money my parents sent me, even renting a house.. Then everything started to fall apart like dominoes. To make ends meet, I sold my cell phone. The money I won, I played again. I was left without contact with my family and without money. Then I decided to return to my hometown. I could no longer make excuses and lie so as not to bother them.”

As Mrs. Christidis tells us, there are gamers who come to 18 Ano’s house in a much worse psychological state than these two young people. “Very often we see people come to the department after a big mess, depressive episodes. Some of them, even young ones, have tried or are seriously thinking about attempting suicide. The suicidal tendency occurs in people who are mostly afraid of the consequences of wasting a large amount of money that could have belonged to their family or someone else. That is, reach financial impasse which leads them to these thoughts.

This is evidenced by the data of the Commission for the Supervision and Control of the Gambling Business (CMC), published in February by the K edition.total was spent in 2022 €29.2 billion in online gambling, OPAP agencies, land-based casinos, lotteries and racetracks.. This amount, which corresponds to approx. 15% of GDPincreased by 28.8% compared to 2021. The increase is even greater and is 83% compared to 2019so that the total turnover of gambling was about 16 billion euros.

Ms Christidis tells us that most young people start playing with financial incentives. “Easy money was the reason for the rise in gambling during the crisis, especially among children without financial protection.. Those who gamble online have entered into a process of immediate profits and immediate rewards. In the narcological department, we are very interested in the causes that lead to gambling addiction. There we find a lot of problems from childhood, family and work.”

Exit

Seeking help and rehabilitation has been a one-way street for both young men who spoke to “K”. But the start was difficult. On the one hand, the gambling agency “turned a blind eye” to them, on the other hand, the narcological department opened its arms, which at that moment seemed like strangers.

“My father, when I told him that I needed help, he told me that I could do it myself. However, I knew I couldn’t, as I had just graduated from the army, and although I made an effort, I failed again. In August 2021, I was fired, and in October I started individual psychotherapy here. I joined the group in February and am now completing the program in a month,” says Mr. Christ.

In his case Anthony his parents are unaware that he has joined the 18 Over program. He is still embarrassed to talk to them. Only his partner knows. “Initially, I went to another group, Gamblers Anonymous, to break free. But it did not suit me, and in July I came here, where I rejoined the team. But I had a relapse. I felt that I could not depend on the group. It’s been a month since I’ve been back and although I’ve been in the group again for the last week, I feel better because everyone is close to my age and we have a shared experience.”

“I was one step away from them, just smaller»

OUR Christ he remembers that during the first sessions of psychotherapy he had mixed feelings. “When I started the sessions and heard people older than me who were addicts, I thought, ‘Okay, I’m younger and I didn’t go through all this.’ I told myselfI didn’t commit a crime“But along the way, I felt uneasy because I knew I was one step away from being like them, I was just smaller.”

OUR Anthony, on the other hand, in order to begin treatment in the department, he had to say goodbye to his company. “Now my friends and I do not talk and do not walk. I had to break away from them to come here. I didn’t have to play to get into the program, and my company wasn’t a good influence. At first I tried to go outside with them and stay away, but I realized that this was impossible.”

“The state needs to be more aware so that we can prevent addiction and not reach the stage of need for rehabilitation.”

As the ward director tells us, more often than not, sacrifice and hardship lead to addiction. “Children who come of their own accord and have a stable presence complete the program. However, we must not forget that the point is not to complete the program, but to avoid becoming addicted in the first place. I think that it all starts with prevention at school and in the family. That is why there should be more awareness on the part of the state so that we prevent addiction and do not reach the stage of the need for rehabilitation.”

“Gambling is now a disease for me»

One month before the end of the program o Christ he tells us that he now considers gambling a disease. “This group basically helped me to be more open and talk about what I was going through. Now I feel good and I like my team. It’s kind of a routine for me. The truth is that I don’t want the program to end and I feel weird when that happens. In fact, I would like to continue here if I could. The ward psychologist, however, suggested that the support group be a little off after the program ended, which is what I’m going to do.”

With only a week left, Antonis is determined to fight a big fight on this side of the road. “When I think about playing again, I am strongly repulsed by my father. When he found out that I was addicted, he was very upset and tense. I also think it’s easier to get help from Unit 18 above than it sounds. There is no complex in this structure. Although at first it seems very difficult, then it starts up. You feel sober and self-satisfied in a way that no other player has had in their life.“.