Interview with D. J. Rino
D.J. Rino has lived, worked and raised a family while at the same time suffering as a compulsive gambler in Las Vegas, Nevada. He hopes his book will serve as a warning to those who may be attracted to the big city lights of Las Vegas. “Beneath Rock Bottom: The Ugly Side of Las Vegas Revealed” is the true story of a man who after more than thirty years of working in the often lucrative construction industry has next to nothing due to a compulsive gambling problem. Tyler: Welcome, D.J. I’m excited to talk to you today about “Beneath Rock Bottom.” To begin, will you tell us about the title and what it signifies?
Tyler: Your book is about compulsive gambling and living and working in Las Vegas. Will you tell us first how you came to live in Las Vegas? D.J.: I was stationed there by Uncle Sam. I would have never moved there voluntarily. Tyler: What kind of work were you doing at the time? D.J.: Electrical specialist. Tyler: D.J., I understand you work in construction. Do you think people in certain lines of work or who have certain roles in society are more likely than others to have a gambling addiction? D.J.: No, I have met people from all walks of life since I have been in recovery. Tyler: When would you say that your gambling problem began? D.J.: After my discharge from the military when I started going to bars on Friday with the construction gang. Tyler: Will you tell us about the technical aspects of your gambling addiction? For example, did you gamble by playing the slot machines, poker, buying lottery tickets etc.? Do you think one type of gambling can be more addictive than another? D.J.: My gambling was with video poker machines. “Action Gamblers” like table games where they can interact with other humans. Tyler: Why did you find video poker machines especially addictive or attractive? D.J.: Because the action is quick and the result of the game is immediate whether you win or lose. Another attractive factor is that there is no human interaction; you are playing a machine. Tyler: D.J., considering the small odds of winning a large sum of money, or even winning any money, why do you think so many people still gamble? D.J.: Many people are actually able to have fun gambling and can stop after losing a pre-determined amount of money. A compulsive gambler is unable to stop and will continue to draw from the ATM machine or write checks or do whatever it takes to get money to continue to gamble. That is part of the mystery of the disease. Tyler: D.J., does it matter if you win, and if so, would a certain amount such as a thousand dollars, or a million dollars be enough for you to stop for the night or forever? D.J.: Does it matter to win? No. Compulsive gamblers in general are never happy with any amount, and even if they go home winners with money ahead, they will probably lose it all again in a short time. Tyler: Where is the fine line between gambling for fun and recreation and gambling at the point of being addicted? Is there a fine line, or do you think gambling in any form is detrimental? D.J.: Gambling for fun is when you can drop twenty bucks in a machine and walk away whether you win or lose. Addicts cannot walk away until all their money is gone. Tyler: Will you describe for us what happened when you were “beneath rock bottom”? D.J.: I was thinking of suicide on a daily basis and knew I needed serious help, or I was going to remove myself from the world. Tyler: Did you feel suicidal because of the addiction, or because you gambled yourself into debt? Was it the money lost, or concern over what other people thought? D.J.: I felt suicidal from the empty feeling of not being able to stop gambling, and from working everyday, only to throw my hard earned money away again and again. It was just a miserable existence that made me feel I would never get anywhere in my life and suicide seemed like the only way out. Tyler: Over time, how much money would you say that you won from gambling, and by comparison, how much money have you lost? D.J.: In recovery, we learn that it’s not about the numbers, but it’s more about other problems going on in our heads. If you want to hear numbers, I will tell you I have lost a couple hundred thousand. Tyler: D.J., are you willing to share with us what were some of those “problems” going on in your head that led to your gambling addiction? D.J.: Everyone has his own issues going on in his head and I can't say that those issues are what caused me to become a compulsive gambler or not. There are various studies and research being done around the world to try to locate the core reason for all compulsive addictions. Tyler: Do you feel gambling should be illegal, or is it all right in moderation? D.J.: Remember prohibition? They tried to take something from Americans who were determined to have alcohol come hell or high water. Tyler: What was the turning point in your addiction when you realized you had a problem, and how long after you realized you had the addiction did you seek help? D.J.: I knew for years I had a problem. The daily thoughts of suicide made me seek help. Tyler: D.J., do you still have a gambling addiction? Do you feel that having a gambling addiction is like being an alcoholic—you’re always liable to fall at any time and will always be a gambling addict? D.J.: I am a compulsive gambler and always will be. Gambler Anonymous has helped me to “arrest” my sickness, and yes, I could fall off at any time and return to gambling, but I hope not. Tyler: D.J., what made you decide to come forth and tell your story? D.J.: I hope to convince others that there is help available for the compulsive gambler, and they do not need to live in misery. Tyler: Do you still live in Las Vegas today, and if so, how do you deal with all the temptation to gambling that surrounds you? D.J.: I do still live and work in Vegas, and I stay off of gambling with the help of Gamblers Anonymous. If you can stay off gambling in a city like Vegas, then you know you’re having a pretty good recovery. Tyler: Do you think many people who live and work in Las Vegas have similar gambling addictions? What would you say is the percentage of people who live there with gambling addictions, and what percentage of the tourists have such an addiction? D.J.: Yes, there are many in Vegas with this gambling disease. We have more Gamblers Anonymous meetings in Vegas than anywhere else. I don’t know the percentages for sure, but I have heard that at least ten percent of Nevadans have a gambling problem. I think the percentage of tourists with a problem is low because they lose and leave. Tyler: D.J., what is the best advice you would give to someone who has a gambling addiction and needs help? D.J.: I would say they should seek help. Do not fight it. If gambling is causing a problem in your life, speak up and get help. Tyler: Thank you for joining me today, D.J. Before we go, will you tell us where our readers can go online to find out additional information or to purchase a copy of “Beneath Rock Bottom: The Ugly Side of Las Vegas Revealed”? D.J.: The book is available at www.authorhouse.com. This is an ugly disease that needs to come out of the closet. I think the general public would be shocked at how many suicides and ruined families can be attributed to gambling. There is a good life to be had in this world, and for a lot of us, it cannot include gambling. |
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