Steve Bastoni has participated in a responsible gambling event hosted by the Seawinds Community Hub. The actor has previously struggled with gambling addiction, and used the performance as an opportunity to share his story with other individuals who may be dealing with similar demons. Bastoni is working with Gambler's Help to encourage local residents to gamble responsibly.
As gambling becomes an increasingly accessible activity, thanks to smart phones and social gaming applications, it is important for players to understand how to game responsibly so that they do not develop addictive and compulsive gambling behaviour.
"A colleague was recently talking about his five year old playing a Simpsons game and when you got to a certain level you could go to the dog track and have a bet,” said Christine Cooper of Gambler’s Help in an interview with Peninsula Weekl. “These games can seem innocent but it gets children into the habit ofbetting, and in these games they are geared for the gamer never to lose so it gives them an unrealistic picture of gambling”.
Bastoni is helping this particular cause because he is a recovering gambling addict. He states that his addiction was not about chasing wins but about escaping everyday life. He became addicted to the thrill of gambling, and ended up spending millions on the activity. Now that he is no longer plagued by these demons, he wants to share his struggle with others.
Bastoni believes that sharing his story will prevent other individuals from going down the same difficult road. Awareness is important in the fight against gambling addiction. Many pokie players are unaware that they can become addictive, so it is crucial that they develop safe and responsible gambling habits early on. Bastoni and Gambler’s Help are working to ensure that this is the case.
About the Author
