NEW ORLEANS — Gambling in Louisiana is easier than ever now that mobile sports betting is legal. For some though, it can lead to addiction. That's why Governor John Bel Edwards proclaimed this month as Problem Gambling Awareness Month.
This weekend, former NBA player and current Newman High Boys Basketball Coach, Randy Livingston, coached his team to the top, winning the state championship. Basketball has been a lifelong passion, but his life mission is something rooted in decades of struggles.
"I thought I was the strongest man in the world and could deal with it by myself, but that is never the case," Livingston said.
He is open about his battles with gambling addiction.
"I had struggled with this addiction for 20 plus years and it's done the opposite of what my brain was telling me, you know, keep it in silent, don’t tell anybody," Livingston explained how he once kept his addiction quiet. "To come out to be able to help someone know they are not alone."
Livingston sat down next to Senator Karen Carter Peterson Sunday. The two leaders and public figures fight very similar monsters.
"I've been suffering with this disease for over 25 years and there have been peaks and valleys in the recovery phase," Carter Peterson said. "There is a lot of guilt and shame and embarrassment associated with it, that’s what causes a lot of people not to take the step to get the treatment."
The Louisiana Department of Health warned of the following signs of a gambling problem: - The need to be secretive about your gambling - Spending more time gambling than intended - Gambling when you don’t have the money - Withdrawing from family and friends, because of gambling
"This is the addiction that has the highest rate of suicide," Carter Peterson said. "It's because of the secretiveness of it. People are reluctant to put themselves out there and it's hard to get that courage. Even for me, it was hard to, in a position that I hold."
LDH said about 2.9 percent of Louisiana adults are pathological gamblers.
"We are seeing middle school kids gambling because it's accessible. Got a cell phone, you can do whatever," Livingston said.
Through LDH, treatment is free, offering inpatient or outpatient programs. Both Livingston and Carter Peterson made that call for help and have been in recovery for several years.
"In about two weeks, I'll be on my fifth year in recovery, of being sober, it has definitely been challenging but I feel incredibly grateful," Livingston said.
"You're present. You’re present for your family, your work, and the serenity that comes along with recovery is phenomenal," Carter Peterson said. "It's come with a lot of pain. I’m smiling now, looking bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, but there have been a lot of dark days. Particularly for my family, I hurt a lot of people. It's not just you impacted with the addiction."
They shared their stories so other addicts know they are not alone and can recover.
The first step is making a call to the Louisiana Problem Gambling Helpline: 1-877-770-STOP (7867).
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