Quitting gambling is hard. Finding people who understand shouldn’t be.

In this episode of The Last Bet, host Ryan Stewart shares his experience searching for gambling addiction support after placing his last bet on May 20, 2023. Gamblers Anonymous phone meetings offered an initial connection, but Ryan wanted to see the people he was talking to and build relationships with others who understood.

That search led him to create Betting on Recovery, a weekly online gambling recovery support meeting.

Ryan opens up about the work that continues after the betting stops: facing financial consequences, rebuilding trust, managing stress, and working through guilt and shame. He also discusses why having different support options matters, whether that means phone meetings, in-person groups, online communities, or counseling.

If you’ve stopped gambling but still feel overwhelmed, or you’re ready to ask for help and don’t know where to start, this conversation is for you.

Join Betting on Recovery every Wednesday at 8 p.m. Eastern for a 30-minute online meeting. You don’t have to have everything figured out or share your entire story. Just show up. Find meeting details at SAFPODCAST.COM.

Have a gambling addiction or recovery story you’d like to share? Apply to be a guest at SAFPODCAST.COM.

Subscribe to The Last Bet, follow the show, and leave a rating and review wherever you listen. Watching on YouTube? Like, subscribe, and share this episode with someone who needs to hear it.

You can’t change the bets you’ve already made, but you can decide what happens next.

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When holiday pressure builds, gambling can start to look like a way to pay for gifts, help family, or make up for money already lost. But what happens when every loss becomes another reason to bet?

In this episode of The Last Bet, Ryan Stewart shares how that cycle affected his family. There were Christmases when his children hardly had gifts because he had gambled away the money. As his income grew, he convinced himself gambling could help him give more. Instead, he kept losing and hiding the financial stress.

Through that honest reflection, Ryan helps listeners recognize the holiday gambling triggers and justifications that kept him stuck: chasing losses, keeping secrets, and believing another bet could fix the damage caused by the last one.

Whether you’re trying to stop gambling, navigating recovery, or recognizing these thoughts in yourself, this conversation offers a reason to pause before risking more. Ryan shares his experience to help others interrupt that cycle before it takes more from them and the people they love.

Your family doesn’t need a winning bet. They need you to protect what they depend on.

New episode available November 3.

🎧 LISTEN & WATCH ON OUR WEBSITE - SAFPODCAST.COM

🔗 Linktree: linktr.ee/Soberasfck
📸 Instagram: @safpodcast_jess.ryan
🎵 TikTok: @soberaftok
🎥 YouTube: Sober as F*ck Podcast

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How do you rebuild your finances after gambling addiction? Quitting gambling stops the bets, but the debt, credit card balances, and bills are still there.

In this episode of The Last Bet, Ryan Stewart shares how he started facing his gambling debt: calling creditors, stepping away from credit cards, prioritizing his mortgage, and learning to spend only what he actually had.

We cover:

• Facing your finances and getting the real numbers in front of you.
• Asking creditors about hardship programs and affordable payment arrangements.
• Protecting essential expenses while cutting unnecessary bills.
• Breaking the cycle of paying off debt while borrowing more.
• Recognizing when financial counseling and gambling recovery support are needed.

You don’t have to fix your entire financial life in one day. But you can start making different decisions today.

What’s one money habit you’re rebuilding in recovery? Share in the comments. No dollar amounts needed.

CHAPTERS
00:00 Introduction
00:12 Welcome to The Last Bet and community resources
01:00 Facing the debt after quitting gambling
02:35 Calling creditors and discussing payment options
04:58 Debt verification and stepping away from credit cards
07:27 Prioritizing essentials and cutting expenses
09:47 Five steps toward financial stability
12:09 Resources and recovery support

BETTING ON RECOVERY
Join our online community meeting every Wednesday at 8 PM Eastern. Find meeting information at https://safpodcast.com.

SHARE YOUR STORY
Want to be a guest on The Last Bet? Apply at https://safpodcast.com.

RESOURCES MENTIONED
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau: https://www.consumerfinance.gov
Federal Trade Commission: https://consumer.ftc.gov

Subscribe for more honest conversations about gambling addiction and recovery. Like this video, share it, and rate and review the podcast wherever you listen.

🎧 LISTEN & WATCH ON OUR WEBSITE - SAFPODCAST.COM

🔗 Linktree: https://linktr.ee/Soberasfck
📸 Instagram: @safpodcast_jess.ryan
🎵 TikTok: @soberaftok
🎥 YouTube: Sober as F*ck Podcast

Follow. Share. Send it to someone who’s ready to level up.