Gambling can be a notorious destroyer, not just of bank accounts and lives but also of careers as Jack, (not his real name) 47, discovered too late. Jack was a dedicated RCMP officer who worked in various cities in the country. His card playing, which seemed to be fairly benign while in places like Toronto, got "totally out of control" when he was posted to the North West Territories. Combined with the card playing two to three times per week, he played the stocks - those that were most risky. Because of the extra pay he received for a Northern posting, Jack could win or lose $5,000 in a game and played the stocks with $10,000 at a time. He also used the detachment's petty cash.

After a seven year stint, Jack's career began an upward turn, and his life began a path to ruin. Posted to Ontario in the Organized Crime Unit responsible for casinos, he was in charge of 10 to 15 people and a slush fund for expenses of $10,000 which he increased to $15,000 to supplement his gambling money. Between the horse races and treks to the casino in Niagara Falls, Jack's gambling was becoming an uncontrolled addiction. He was depleting his line of credit, his RRSP's and any remaining stocks, and the slush fund was gone. A second promotion to Windsor, with easier access to a casino became his final undoing. After exhausting all the money he owned he took $1,500 from the local petty cash safe in the Windsor detachment. "I was totally and absolutely out of control by that time. Just thinking about it now makes me sweat", said Jack. "I was out chasing losses. Every day was going to be a winning day. I'd become completely paranoid and do counter-surveillance to make sure no one was watching me. I was a wreck and my family was falling apart."

They were losing everything, had no money, Jack owed money everywhere, had maxed out his credit cards and had been lying to his wife for several years. In the end Jack was relieved to get caught. After an audit on the petty cash, Internal Affairs confronted him. "I guess it was a relief and I couldn't wait to tell someone. I told them everything. I tried to justify it but it was stealing," Jack said. "I borrowed money from my brother to pay off the debts and saw a psychologist who referred me to Windsor's Problem Gambling Service".

Jack says that visit saved his life. He dropped by to see a counsellor every day and learned he was a compulsive gambler. Because he was in treatment, had restored the money and pled guilty, the court gave him a conditional discharge, for which he was grateful.

The attitude of his superiors and the lack of understanding they showed towards his serious illness, left Jack with an "empty feeling and sense of bitterness." Throughout his ordeal, no one called to ask how he was doing. He feels it would have been different if he'd been an alcoholic or in drug rehabilitation. "I don't think the consequences would have been the same if it had been drugs or alcohol and looking back, because of the lack of understanding they had about my problem and how low I was in my life, I would not have approached it the way I did," said Jack. "Telling the truth, having my rights read and being told what to do when all I wanted to do was get fixed."

Instead of being stripped of his badge and his gun, he would have preferred being able to reveal what was happening without having it used against him. Still, he understands the seriousness of what he did and is "more mad at myself." He cherishes the 23 years he spent with the force and is hoping to be able to give lectures to groups of officers to alert them to the dangers, and promote education about the illness.

"I can give something back to the RCMP so I hope they'll accept my offer," he said.

Today, with much help from Problem Gambling Services, Jack is a happy man, grateful to be a normal, hard working family man again with a cherished wife who forgave him, and children he dearly loves. A smart, understanding owner of an auto related company gave Jack a job starting at the bottom. Proving his worth, Jack moved along, up into a management position and now oversees the facility. He has visited the casino with his wife, but would never attempt one chance at gambling. He's a risky gambler, at the end of the road who gets a buzz whether he wins or loses. He begs people to understand that gambling can take everything from you, even convince you it's OK to steal.

"I'm where I want to be," said Jack, a kindly bear of a guy. "You never know where life takes you. I'm lucky to be where I am now, with great people.