It is not uncommon for a celebrity to open up about their struggles with drug and alcohol abuse. But rarely do we see a public figure admit to a gambling addiction. Well famed Good Morning America host Spencer Christian has decided to break the mold, going on-air to discuss the very real problems that happen when you get consumed by professional betting.
Appearing on GMA this week, Christian detailed the depths his addiction actually caused. From brushes with the FBI, to financial hardships, to the loss of close friends, this is certainly a dependency that can cause tremendous damage.
Like most gamblers, Christian certainly had his share of highs. During certain up streaks, he would bring home hundreds of thousands of dollars. So much, in fact, that federal agents began to suspect he was engaged in criminal activities.
“Before every gambling trip I’d go to three or four banks where I had accounts and take cash out,” Spencer recalled when discussing his habit. “And then I’d go off and when I’d come back, I’d have all this cash to redeposit, and that fit the pattern of someone covering up drug money or whatever. [Eventually I was told that] they found no criminal activity and I didn’t break any laws. But the agent told me, ‘You obviously have a real gambling problem, and for your own good you need to seek some help.’ That was a scary moment and it was a huge wake-up call.”
And let it be known that during those instances, Christian returned from his casino visits with a surplus. BUT many more times that not he wound wind up empty handed, tearing apart his lucrative earnings from Good Morning America.
Interestingly, Spencer claimed that the FBI visit was actually not the turning point of his addiction. Instead, it was his family that pushed him to get help and enter a recovery program.
“My daugter said, ‘Dad, you know I admire you and I love you, and I think the world of you, but you’ve got this problem and I’m going to bring grandchildren into your life,'” he recalled. “‘Do you want your grandchildren to know their grandfather as a gambler? Is this the legacy you want to leave, is this the way you want to be defined?’ And it just hit me like a ton of bricks.'”
Since that moment, Spencer’s been seeking continuous treatment and has now become a staunch gambling recovery advocate. In our opinion, that’s the biggest win of all.
You can watch Spencer’s full interview about the subject below…
