Billie Goetz, an intelligent 57-year-old is sharing her gambling story in order to prevent another woman from experiencing the pain she suffered. Billie Goetz started out as a small time gambler occasionally playing bingo and making an odd trip to Las Vegas. But as her family grew up and even though she worked outside the home, she found herself with more time on her hands with gambling filling the void very nicely.

Bingo was where a "respectable" woman could go alone and when the casino came to town she found it a place she could go on her own, without being stigmatized. Billie's downfall began with a $10 bet that turned into $1,000, and an investment of six quarters, which won her $10,000.

Billie arranged to meet with a counsellor at Problem Gambling Services and describes that first session as though the weight of the world was lifted from her shoulders. After twelve weeks of individual and group treatment, she vowed she would never again want to experience the horror of feeling like “the lowest of the low, a betrayer.” One year later Billie returned to PGS requesting the 12 week aftercare group for additional support and says she’s never looked back.

"I don't have that gut-wrenching dread in the pit of my stomach. I was at the end of my rope but I couldn't even cry because I was afraid of losing it.” Even simple things are important now, like not being afraid to let my husband check the mail," said Billie. "I want to warn other people to realize that when you can't drive by a bingo hall or casino or some other gambling place without yearning to be in there, you've got a problem, and you need help. Get it before it goes too far."