Bright Lights: what one woman's 25-year gambling addiction really cost

‘Sharon’ has been addicted to poker machines 'pokies' since they first arrived in Australia in 1992.

Through this animated documentary, she reveals the devastating impact gambling has had on her life. Her story culminates with an incident that pushes her over the edge: an encounter with her seven-year-old daughter and her precious piggy bank.

The Guardian YouTube network:

#BrightLights #Gambling #Pokies #PokerMachines #Australia

[qhmjzqe]

The thing about gambling addiction is that it doesn't matter how much you win; you're not playing to win. You're playing to keep playing.

[dagmarramgad]

One of my best friends squandered his entire inheritance at the casino. He literally lost EVERYTHING. His marriage, his home, his car, his business. He’s deeply in debt without a dime to his name. I hope he can find a way to eventually turn his life around, but what a brutal awful addiction. It’s no joke

[mrsesteya]

when i was 18, i went to the casino with my boyfriend for the first time.

i looked around and saw the desperation in a woman's face next to me, aggressively hitting the screen, but still spinning. It was terrifying.

[zaxLU]

One my friends has a gambling problem. He was starting to get over his addiction by getting control of his finances, cancelling his Spotify premium ect. One day we were listening to music together and a gambling ad came up in his Spotify. It caused him to relapse and lost all the money had saved up till then.

Gambling ads should be banned.

[stevensbrugnera]

”there’s not a jackpot big enough to win back what you’ve lost and you’re still there"

That hit hard

[parksoo-kim]

I don't gamble, but this may be the most depressing video I've ever seen. The animation and music are incredible.

[Petrayaps]

Keep in mind, this is the case for many of the homeless in Las Vegas. People come from all around to party or celebrate, gamble everything away, and have no way to get home and nowhere to go. Its terrifying.

[caylarayla]

As a mother, the scene where she took her daughters piggy bank money made me tear up. I can’t imagine going through an addiction like this.

[thebpulse]

The absolute worst feeling in the world is when you get back into your car after a really bad loss and look off into the distance completely stunned trying to comprehend the massive error you’ve made

[Nobe]

Unfortunately this kind of addiction I feel like it's not taken seriously enough

[TheMusicGirlsWorld]

Claudia is an amazing voice actress. I didn't even realize at first she was voicing an amalgamation of stories - I thought it was her story. You can see in the comments how many people this resonated with for so many reasons and her putting a voice to the shame and obsession is a big reason. Great work to all on this!!

[Maros]

My friend told me a story about his dad's ex colleague, who lost 300 000 euros from a company's account in one night betting on some random football matches. Dude lost his entire life in one night.

[marcel]

This is genuinely more horrifying than any horror movie I've ever seen

[BryantEnglishTV]

I worked in pubs in Sydney and watched people week after week come in and feed their whole wage or pension into those machines... sometimes in just a few hours... and they'd all rise with the same glazed look of horror as they stumbled back out onto the street. Tradies, single Mums, middle-class shiny shoe types, poor people, old diggers... all the same in the Pokie room... It's pure evil.

[freeopinion]

"When the fun stops, STOP" Doesn't work because the fun only stops when it's too late.

[zibane]

What most people who aren't gambling addicts don't understand about gambling addiction is that it robs you of more than your money, it robs you of any other joy that you may have in your life. A gambling addict doesn't enjoy anything else outside of gambling. If he doesn't have a pair of dice in his hands or his hand on a slot machine, he doesn't feel anything that approximates joy. And, after a while, even the joys of gambling fade until he becomes a husk who is merely acting on habit.

[mathildesm]

I think it's a similar problem to the micro-transactions you see in gaming. When you don't "see" the money leave your pocket, that's when it's dangerous.

[ktrashlyf]

This is pure art. The pain of it was incredibly palpable. The visual and audio design kept me arrested the whole way through. Bravo to the artists behind this very important piece. We need more art that speaks to the soul of our society.

[kenodave]

The worst thing for a gambler is to win.

[jungersrules]

Just interesting side note: "The incidence of pathological gambling in Parkinson's patients is significantly greater than in the general population. A correlation has been observed between dopamine agonist medication and the development of pathological gambling." I heard a story on NPR of a woman who was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease and was prescribed a medication to help with the tremors. However, she started gambling. It was only after she had gotten into deep that she found out her medication specifically stated that one of the side effects is compulsive gambling. Once she stopped using that med, the addiction went away.