The Real Loss Behind The Bets

In the precarious world of gambling, you win some and you lose some. The only problem is that these losses do
not just come in the form of 100-dollar bills, but rather something more precious; your loved ones, and they
could disappear with just one bet.
By Kelley DCruz

YOU BET YOU LOSE: John Tan (not his real name) recalls having more losses than wins while engaging
mostly in soccer betting; an illegal online gambling site (Photo: Lyon)

our Average Joe

John Tan (not his real name) wanted to

know what all the hype was about. His father was always talking about going to the Singapore
Turf Club at Kranji, his friends going online to one of
those illegal gambling websites. It seemed exhilarating to John, and it looked like an easy way to make
money.

nately, he gave in to the pressure surrounding him

and started his gambling ways when he was just 15.
A rather young age to start gambling, one might
think, but this behaviour is no stranger to many
students in Singapore. Sitting down with 3 of Johns
friends, all confess to this addiction that each of them
had acquired at least once before.

Its not that I needed the money, I just liked the idea
of having extra, John confesses as he looks down to
stare at his lap, as though re-living the stupidity of his
actions.

It was like something the guys did when we got together. We bet on soccer mostly, doing our research
and playing smart, muttered Vicknesh Sena (not his
real name), a fellow student-problem-gambler.

A student from Temasek Polytechnic (TP) and a

member of one of Singapores National soccer teams,
John felt the pressure of being at the top. Unfortu-

Strategic as the game may seem, the entire game was

just a clever way to drain you of your money, and
rather quickly as well. In a span of just a week, John

saw himself losing $1000, and this routine of losing carried on for months. Paying back this amount
meant John borrowing money from his friends, and
sometimes even his family.
It definitely put a strain on many of my relationships. I borrowed money from my friends so much
that they started to avoid me, and it was clear to me
why.

house. Experiences like these stay with you forever,

as One Hope Centre sets to remind you. A faithbased organization for problem-gamblers, One Hope
Centre stays true to its name, giving hope to those
who suffer from this serious addiction.

Finding Hope Among The Hopeless

I never went for a session because I am not very religious, but my mother always nagged about finding
help for my gambling problem, scoffing as though
refusing to accept being called a problem-gambler.
He continues, I looked at stories on their website
and it gave me hope, as cheesy as it sounds, to change
my life.

A Husbands Loss

Johns sister exudes pride for how far her brother has
come with this burden he has been bearing.

Adults alike suffer the consequences of gambling. Mr

Gary Tan, an ex-gambler, lived through the losses not
just in monetary terms, but his relationship between
his daughter, son and wife as well at the time of his
addiction.
My wife especially did not want to talk to me when
I was gambling. I knew my wife was disappointed
in me and it was hard to mend my relationship with
her.
The problem with this deadly addiction is that it rids
you of
your
money,
for one,
but
most
importantly, your relationship with your friends and
family as proven by many gamblers in Singapore,
both young and old.

The amount to pay off can be a large sum, and the

desire to gamble can be tempting, but one thing to
remember is that your family is affected by this as
well. It is important to think about them and never
put them in a dangerous situation.
Mr Tan vividly recalls how his flat was set on fire by
irksome loan sharks while his family was still in the

By Lyon Lee

Im very happy he stopped. Better dont start again,

she says playfully, staring at John, with a tint of solemnity in her tone.

Road Block

John was mostly an active gambler on an illegal gambling website, which cannot be revealed. The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has announced that as of
February 2, gamblers will be blocked to enter these
unlicensed online gambling sites here in Singapore.
I wish
they
banned
it a long
time
ago, John said sheepishly. I know of many people
who gamble online and this would definitely be a
hindrance for them, which is a good thing.

But the reality is that when you total up everything,

you realise that you actually lost more than you won.

Now serving as a volunteer at One Hope Centre,

Mr Tan encourages people who are in debt to think
about their loved ones.

Having clearing a debt of $1,000,000 due to gambling, Mr Philip Lee looks to help gamblers curb
their addiction through support groups at One Hope Centre

John Tan, who is now a proud ex-gambler, remembers how he too found some hope in the centre.

The Small Red (Gambling) Dot

This amount of loss is probably what contributes to

Singapores title as the second largest gambler city
in the world according to a report by TODAY. It is
reported that the losses incurred by every gamblingSingaporean-adult amounts to a staggering $1,189 on
average.

From Zero to Hero

The Real Gold

Money will come and go, but the relationship between your loved ones is something to be cherished.
Gambling may seem like a fun past-time at first, but
then it gets serious. You lose some and you win some,
but the losses could be dreary.
John puts it simply, I think one thing to remember is
that when you gamble, you think you will win more
than you lose. But the reality is that when you total
up everything, you realise that you actually lost more
than you won.

RECOVERY CIRCLE: Volunteers sitting in a circle around new attendees, giving them advice on their issues during the Thursday session at St Andrews Cathedral (Photo by: Lyon Lee)

hilst preparing for the support session

to come, Mr PhilipLee, 63 pulls out
his phone and flashed an article headline, Casino Earns Seven Billion Dollars In Four
Months. Looking worried about the situation, he
says gambling is a societal problem that must be
dealt with.
Mr Philip Lee is not your average volunteer you see
at One Hope Center. Unknown to the naked eye, Mr
Lee is a man with a threshold of experience. Based on
the kindness and positivity he exuberates, you would
never expect him to be an ex-gambler owing debts of
up to a million dollars.
Amidst the hustle and bustle of the urban city of
Singapore lays St Andrews Cathedral, a Christian
church, home to One Hope Centre, an organization
providing help and assistance for problem gamblers.
To anyone walking by that building, it may seem like
an ordinary church, a plain white building outside
City Hall MRT, decorated with crucifixes from one

end to another, a place of worship. But to gambling

addicts, that place is a place of hope, a place of
change.
As the rays of the setting sun fell upon the windows
of the church, the sound of the shuffling of feet gets
louder as more people streamed into the hall. They
began taking their seats, which were placed in a circular formation.
Do not be afraid to share what you are going
through, you are home now, we are here to help you
He says hopefully as Mr Lee smiles and invites people to their seats. As everyone settled down, a man
and a woman walk in.
Everyone began introducing themselves, telling of
their situation and what they went through. Some
shed tears while others seemed more hopeful of their
situation. Amongst all the chit chat, stood the duo
who still remain silent.

With his blue checkered shirt untucked and a lottery ticket hanging loose from the front pocket, he
seemed like the definition of every stereotypical
appearance of a gambler. Alan (not his real name)
surprised everyone as he began his introduction. It
matters not
who I am,
I am here
because I
am looking
for change.
He says as
he looked at his daughter, with a teardrop forming at
the corner of his eyes.

daughter is willing to help and support me and for

that I am very thankful. He said, while reaching out
and grabbing his daughters hand.
As the evening panned out with more inputs from
the gamblers
and advices
given from the
volunteers,
the two hour
session ended
with a solemn
prayer for recovery and restoration. It was half past
nine, as everyone looked up, the look of sadness and
regret was substituted with that of radiant smiles.
They left the church, one by one, as if walking towards and embracing a better future.

Do not be afraid to share what you are

going through, you are home now, we are
here to help you

Mr Lee assures Alan while at the same time, providing more information, urging him to cater more time
to join future sessions. It started from soccer betting, and then it cascaded to gambling and borrowing money to repay a never ending row of debts. He
says, Im ready to change, my family needs me, my

A home for the homeless, a place for all, One Hope

Center will be and is the pivot of change in a gamblers life.

Helpless to Helper

From a heavily indebted gambling individual to a debt-free counselor. Gary Tan, 50, who once encountered a season of helplessness, now volunteers as a counselor at One Hope Centre to help those facing money-lending issues.

By Kristie Loke

t was beyond recognition. Like festive decorations,

his front door was donned with black soot. Gary
Tan was out in the wee hours of the morning delivering vegetables. Amidst the raging fire, his family of
4 slept soundly through the danger. It struck him; his
actions directly affected his family and their lives.
Less than 5 years ago, he was a helpless individual on
the brink of giving up his life with debts amounting
to $80,000. Today, Gary Tan counsels voluntarily to
help those with the issue of gambling and money lending.

The Road to Money Lending

Having a father that owns a video games firm, he was

employed at the age of 25 as the companys accountant. It
was his job to keep track of the companys daily earnings
and overall finances. That was when everything started.
On an average, the companys earnings range from
$1500 to $2500 daily, with monthly earnings hitting up
to $60,000. Things took for a turn when Gary started to
account for only 50% of the earnings, keeping the other
$30,000. With the money embezzled, he had picked up
gambling, growing on the reliance of winning big money.
In a span of a week, he would spend approximately
$10,000 to bet on horses and buy 4D.The fifth year in, he
had embezzled close to $2,000,000, ultimately causing the
company to declare bankrupt and close its shutters.
Unemployment was when his gambling addictions
and bad habits manifested, and his lack of finances
could not keep up with his lifestyle. From family to
friends, nobody spared him the money he needed.
That was when Gary turned to loan sharks, and has
been turned to them for the next 20 years.

Stuck in a Vicious Cycle

He would bet on his luck, waiting for the day he

would strike a fortune to pay off his debts. Borrow
first, return later was what he strongly believed in.
Each time he got hold of money, he would spend it
away without a second thought. It was a vicious cycle
of borrowing and returning money.

HELPING HIMSELF TO STABILITY: With sheer determination, Gary Tan is now a reformed man that no
longer struggles with problem gambling and money lending. (Photo: Bau Ken Kenn)

The more he borrowed, the greater the amount he

had to repay each week. Each passing week required
him to repay the loan sharks $12,000. It was more
than a struggle for Gary and the loan sharks would
often harass him. From throwing paint on the front
of his house to chaining his main gate, there was
nothing they would not do to get their money back.
With all these problems, I really had no hope already. My relationship with my family was bad because of the many empty promises and lies. I wanted
to commit suicide, there wasnt anyone that could
help me anymore, he said.

One Light, One Hope

The situation worsened when the loan sharks not

only threatened his safety, but that of his family. In
the wee hours of one Wednesday morning, the loan
sharks had set fire to his house. At the point of the incident, his wife and 2 children were at home sleeping.
It was about 4.40am and I was coming home from
delivering vegetables. I saw that my door was completely black. It was then I knew that the loan sharks
attempted to burn my house, he says.
This was the turning point for him. He realized that
his selfish act of greediness not only affected him, but
the people that he loves. It was then when he had the
intentions of starting anew and finally taking action
to protect the ones he treasures dearly.
Having heard of One Hope Centre from the Members of Parliaments Meet the People session, he had
decided to give it a shot at fixing his life. He had
started to attend counseling sessions held by the
center religiously.
One Hope Centre came in as a light in his darkest
hour. Ties with his family were strained and were not
on talking terms. At his lowest point, he had no one
else but himself. It was when the centre came in and
gave him a purpose to continue living on.

Besides being in debt of $80,000, I had extra problems, he said.

Every week, I looked forward to Thursdays and

Saturdays. Those were the days for my counseling
sessions. Nobody would listen to me and going to the
centre means that people would listen to me.

These problems included owing Housing Development Board (HDB) $30,000, the Town Council $3000
and his personal car loans of $3700 every month for
the next 5 years. From loan sharks to government
agencies, he was caught up in his debts.

After countless of empty promises, his family had no

reaction when Gary finally promised to fix his money
lending issues. The situation took a turn for the better when he invited his children to sit in during his

counseling session. His desire to get his life back on

track could be seen from his family, and they decided
to help him together.

would first and foremost make a trip down to the bank

and repay important parties. Whatever remaining
money he had after repaying, he would save them.

Despite the strained family ties, his family was willing

to sit down to work out his finances and sort out the
important parties to first pay. Though not on talking
terms, his wife lent her support through monetary
means. She would set aside an amount each month
to pay of his debts. To start the repayment rolling, he
took on two jobs to double the income.

3 years of repaying and saving the money he earned, he

finally cleared all his debts. No longer did he owe any
money to loan sharks or government agencies. From
changing his lifestyle to one that draws income for the
family, to one that saves, he is now a man that is debt-free.

In the wee hours of the morning, he would set off at

2am to deliver vegetables from a wholesale factory. In
the later part of the day from 10am to 6pm, he would
work as a personal driver for a Casino Cruise.
He worked diligently on his jobs to pay off his debts
and build his savings. Each time his pay comes in, he

You Win Some, You Lose

Some

19-year-old teenage boy, Tony, won $20,000 through gambling and somehow found himself left with a only
couple of Nike Air Jordon shoes

By Kulvin Kaur

Today, 2015

Everyone goes through a bitter period. Face the situation bravely without running away. You wont have
to go through this forever, he says.
Completely debt-free, he still holds two jobs. Seeing
the importance of building his savings and providing for his family comfortably, he works as a personal
driver by day and a taxi driver by night.

KEYBOARD WARRIOR: Tony, (not his real name), 19 would spend his days behind his laptop, gambling
excessively on soccer and poker. (Photo: Kristie Loke)

o you remember what you were worried

about when you were 19? Tony (not his
real name) was worried about the missing
$20,000 he had lost over gambling.

BATTLE SCARS: Strained finances to strained family ties. Gary Tan, 50, have battled the issue of money
lending and gambling for over 20 years. (Photo: Bau Ken Kenn)

His determination to get back on track and become

a better husband and father touched the hearts of his
family. He started to be responsible in his spending
and made sure that he does not spend unnecessarily.
The man that was once unfamiliar with house chores
now washes the dishes and clothes.
They are very proud of me for overcoming that
period. It took 2 years for me to rebuild the bad relationship. We now have a good relationship, he says.
As a man that went through money lending and

gambling issues, he now wishes to use his experience to help those struggling with the same problem.
He counsels voluntarily at One Hope Centre every
Thursday and Saturday.
For over 20 years, Ive been in debt. After coming to
One Hope Centre for 4 years, I have managed to gain
back what Ive lost the past 20 years. It is really worth
it, he says.

19-year-old Tony began his addiction during the

2014 World Cup where he placed soccer bets and
won by the thousands. These winnings spiralled into
something horrendous after he lost it all the same
way he won them gambling.

How It All Began

It all started during World Cup in 2010 where Tony

had his first taste of the gambling scene through his
friend who guided him through till he was 18 and
legal to gamble on his own. His addiction hit its peak
during the 2014 World Cup, 4 years later as he says:
Because I lost a lot during the previous World Cup, I
told myself I must redeem myself this year (2014). So
I went all out and I won a lot, a lot, he emphasised.

Winning Streak

With soccer bets alone, Tony managed to gather a

total of $10,000. He then used that money to finance
his gambling at casino, Leisure World and won another $10,000 there, making that a sum of $20,000. I
felt like this streak of luck was never going to stop, so
I kept going on. It became a routine to me already,
said Tony.

$20,000 Richer

Having won $20,000 at such a young age was new

to Tony and he never imagined he would lose it so
quickly. There were huge stacks of $50 notes in
my cupboard, so it looked tempting to take some
because even if I take out a bunch it still looks like
theres a big stack there. So I would just take out a
bunch and go out and gamble. If I lost it, it didnt
matter to me, I thought I still had a big stack at
home, said Tony.

A Home for the Hopeless

The Downfall

Things took a turn for the worst when Tony starting

gambling his winnings on online poker. He started
losing a couple of thousands and felt the need to win
it back: The money just kept depleting. The thought
of stopping wasnt there at all. It was a routine. I
thought if I lose today, Ill fight back my loss tomorrow.

A centre providing hope to the hopeless, One Hope Centre is a place that invites gambling addicts to shake the
habit. Built upon a hopeless mans actions, the community became inspired to set up a home for those in suffering.
By: Bau Ken Kenn

Tony realised he had a gambling problem when he

said he knew online casinos were rigged for their
own benefit but still didnt stop: They make you feel
like youre winning a bit, but a bit was not enough for
me. So I kept playing until I won a lot. Even though I
knew it was programmed for them to win, I just kept
playing.
Tony went back to soccer betting, thinking that it was
a safe way of earning back his losses. This time, the
betting was more excessive. You feel like everything
is like a series of misfortunate events, like everything
is falling; like dominos. Everything is failing for you,
said Tony dolefully.

Suicidal Thoughts

Tony experienced what seemed like something he

would only read about in fiction novels: The feeling
was horrible, I literally felt like I wanted to jump off
the building. This was the first time, I felt like what
those compulsive gamblers
feel.

WITHDRAWALS: Tony reached a point where he

could not stop withdrawing money from his bank to
feed his addiction (Photo: Tony)

The feeling was horrible, I literally felt

like I wanted to jump off the building.
This was the first time, I felt like what
those compulsive gamblers feel.

I felt this way

for 1 month.
Every day, I
wake up and
Im like aaah,
how did I lose
$20, 000, sighing in disappointment, unveiling the
obvious regret he bore.

The Remains

When I looked at my bank amount and the money

wasnt there. Thats when it hit me. But I still had a
spare account for my savings and allowance, which I
never touched for gambling. I have discipline. I wont
go to loan sharks to borrow money, I know the consequences. Once I lost all of the 20 thousand dollars.
I knew I had to stop, said Tony seriously.
A close friend of Tony, Darren is glad Tony made
the decision to curb his gambling habbit: He kept

spendnig large
amounts of money on betting. It
lwas getting out of
hand and its good
that he has learnt
his lesson the hard
way.

Tony did not lose of all of the $20,000 to solely gambling. He donated $1000 to a Swami Home in Sembawang, gave his favourite busker $500 and bought
himself a few pairs of pricey Nike shoes. Today he
proudly wears whats left from that ordeal a sleek
pair of Air Jordon shoes.

Advice For Young Gamblers

When asked what he would advise young gamblers

like himself: Dont look at the long run. If youre
winning even a hundred dollars, just keep it and walk
away. Dont chase after your loses. If its gone, its
gone.

POKER GAMES : The game of gambling has made Singapore the second-largest gambling city in the world,
according to TODAY (Photo: Beppegrillos Website )

he pressure was all too much for Simon Lee.

He was convinced he would never get out of
the pressure from the loan sharks. This led
to his suicide, jumping to his death from the 12th
storey. Proving that the stress struck him immensely,
Mr Lee left this world not before horrifically murdering his family.
Mr Lee, 38, who has had a history of gambling addiction, lost $100,000 in total in his early years. Even
though help was sought, it was to no avail in curbing
his addiction. Soon, he began pressing his friends for
more money while borrowing from loan sharks at
the same time, after losing US$2500 at a Malaysian
Casino.
Word of the misfortune of Lees family began to
spread quickly among the public. During this heartrending time, the citizens were on the fence about
plans of the Singapore Government to open its first

Casino, and this caused a rare open policy debate

about the dangers involved in building a casino.
After the news came in about Simon committing suicide as a result of gambling, it awoke the people who
had founded One Hope Centre in 2004, and they
decided to do something about it. Over the years,
One Hope Centre has handled hundreds of gambling
cases and tackled upstream problems of gambling by
conducting support groups, counselling sessions for
families and individuals, as well as hosting recovery
programs.
Now known as a Christian-based voluntary welfare
organization, they aim to tackle the issues of compulsive gambling. One Hope Centre helps people
overcome their gambling addictions and any forms of
addiction that is the source of an unhealthy lifestyle.
Mr Dick Lum, Executive Director of One Hope Centre who counsels gambling addicts said, Well try to

stabilize them and be their support group to get the

opportunity to hear from like-minded people who
have been there for a while. So, as frequent as they
come to our centre, it will automatically sync it to
their mind that these like-minded people could help
to reflect what theyve been through, motivativating
them along this journey.

One Hope Centre prides itself on being a great

source of help to problem-gamblers. If you are a one
yourself, the Centres hotline can be found at the bottom of this article.
Its time for the change that One Hope Centre is willing to make for you.
One Hope Centres Hotline: 64571011
RECURRING EVENTS:
Support Group Sessions for New Seekers and Regulars
Day: Every Thursday
Place: St Andrews Cathedral, 11 St Andrews Rd, S
178959
Time: 7.30-9.30 pm
Day: Every Saturday
Place: Metropolitan YMCA, 10/10A Lorong 37 Geylang, S387907
Time: 7.30-10.00 pm

TALKING THE TALK: Dick Lum at a Press Conference in Republic Polytechnic, briefing students about
the history of One Hope Centre (Photo: Bau Ken
Kenn)