PETALING JAYA: James was only looking to make RM100 a day after discovering an online betting platform.
Instead, the then 21-year-old university student lost RM100,000 over three years in an online gambling addiction that pushed him into debt and nearly tore his relationships apart.
“I began with just RM100. My first target was to have RM3,000 a month if I could win RM100 daily.
“At first, I kept raking in the winnings and felt nothing could go wrong since I won every bet placed,” said James (not his real name), now 25.
Among the bets he placed were for baccarat and sports games betting.
Soon after, the urge to bet became irresistible, and he felt like doing so whenever he had free time.
James even won RM30,000 in a single night, but did not withdraw the money.
“It was actually just some returns from what I pumped in. I just wanted to keep getting more money,” he said,
He added that he even borrowed money from his parents and friends.
“A large sum of my salary was also used to support this addiction,” he said.
James said he lost about RM100,000 during the ordeal, which began around 2022 and only ended earlier this year.
“The turning point was when I finally came clean to my parents.
“I just didn’t have any more money. My credit card was fully utilised, and I also took a bank loan of about RM15,000.
“I even used the cash withdrawal feature on several mobile applications and also asked my friends to help with this,” he said.
James then sought help from the Gambler Rehab Centre to kick the habit.
“I knew I had to stop. I didn’t want to let my family and partner down,” he said, adding that the support system greatly aided the recovery process.
Ever since he stopped gambling, James said he can now go about and focus on other things.
“It’s no longer about how to earn my money back. Even if you win while gambling, you ultimately lose,” he said.
According to Gambler Rehab Centre chief operating officer Bryant Leong, the centre expects a 40% spike in cases in light of the upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The pinnacle football tournament is set to begin on June 11 and will last until July 19.
“We expect numbers to rise during big sporting events.
“Based on previous data, we receive at least eight calls seeking help daily during such events, as compared to only one call a day outside of these periods,” he said.
Leong said the rise of online gambling, too, has made the situation even more dire.
“Gambling habits have vastly changed over the past decade.
“Now, they can just do it over the phone with various websites available.
“Even more serious is how advertisements for these sites can be seen over social media,” he said.
Younger people also made up 70% of those seeking help, especially those aged 18 to 23, he said.
“We have recorded losses going up to hundreds of thousands, for this age group as well,” he said, adding that the losses are subject to the financial backgrounds of the victim’s families.
Gambling, Leong said, was akin to addiction, with victims urged to seek professional help to stop.
He added that their centre also provides counselling and gambling rehab sessions for those in need.
“There are also stay-in programmes for severe cases, with the programmes lasting for six months as victims here have the urge to bet and gamble every other minute,” he said.
