Concerned about a Friend-What to Do

I have a friend who has a gambling problem. He is a pretty good player but has no concept of money management. He is in school and is supporting himself with student loans. However, he uses his loan money to keep playing. He has lost a lot of money in the last nine months and is also in some serious debt. I have told him numerous times to get a job but he refuses to do so. He has a low work ethic. I am very worried about him, because of all this debt and the fact that he doesn't realize how screwed he is. What should I do? I told him he should quit or at the least get a debt counselor but he sees gambling as the only solution to his problem. I don't think his parents know the full situation and would obviously be concerned.

Overall, I am concerned for him and I want him to set things straight. Does he need to hit complete bottom for this to set in? What should I do here? Please help. Thank you.

[tdarko]

psychology forum

[Boris]

The CEO of Harrah's should be able to help you out.

I will cross-post and I have pointed out the obvious to him (Harrah's) but he doesn't care. His answer is always that it is his only option.

[Freakin]

[ QUOTE ]
I will cross-post and I have pointed out the obvious to him (Harrah's) but he doesn't care. His answer is always that it is his only option.

[/ QUOTE ]

Tell him he's a gambling addict. He's not a good player if he loses everything he tries to play with. Don't encourage him to gamble ever, if you're gambling, don't even tell him about it. Whether or not he thinks he can support his life with gambling is irrelevant; he's tried for 9 months and failed.

I have a similar friend who like blackjack. He'd go to the casinos once a week or so, against my advice... he's going through bankruptcy right now, so he's [censored] for 7 years. This is where your friend is going to wind up, assuming his only debt is from legitimate sources like credit cards or school loans...

If he refuses to listen to you, tell him to find another friend.