As the title says, this is about my father. A 73 years old man who recently lost his wife, my mother just 3 months ago.

Gambling has always been his interest even before I was born. Growing up, I’ve been to many casinos with him whether it’s a casino building or inside a cruise ship. Once I saw him blew $5,000 on one game and smiled about it when he lose.

He would bet on anything. But mainly, he loves bacarrat, football (so many leagues and so many cups to bet on), basketball (mainly NBA).

I’ve amwjas despised gambling and although I’d watch football with him as a mean to bond with him, his only concern is always to win some money. The problem is, he always lost.

His gambling problem has resulted his own siblings to short change his fair share of his inheritance because he’d gamble it away.

When my mother was around, at the very least my mother would berate and nag him and his gambling would be less reckless. Unfortunately, my mum is no longer here to stop him from wherever he is doing with money.

He has sold our family villa, he has spent all my mum’s assets, and just now he asked my brother to give him 10,000 dollars and when my brother tried to reason with him, my father got mad and insisted he knew what he was doing as he is the elderly and the elder is always right.

Recently, we’ve sold the last asset of ours. Our familial property. My father is in heavy debt now and watching his behaviours when negotiating with potential buyer and solicitor made me sick to my stomach. He behaved desperately and tried to rush the sale of the property to pay off his debt and to gamble some more.

I am extremely worried that he will sell everything that we own just to pay off his debt. And I don’t know how to reason with him and talk to him.

I’m trying to think of what I can do to make him just stop gambling and use the fund for another viable options of investments and for the continuation for the family.

Going to counsellor won’t work as this country I’m in right now doesn’t have a sophisticated health system let alone a therapy for any addiction. Hell, gambling is illegal here and I’ve seen my father got arrested by cops in front of me over his gambling habit (he got out 4 hours later after bribing the cops).

I really don’t know what to do with him. I have my own dreams that I want to pursue and right now I’m so distracted to hold the front and make sure my father is fine after the passing of my mother.

My father is a kind hearted man. Well, I think “spineless”, “spoiled”, and “harmless” might describe him better. Yet I couldn’t believe it how selfish he is right now squandering family’s assets and putting strain on me and my brother.

Although, I shouldn’t talk bad about my father but it has to be said as how I perceive my experience. I do love my father because he is my father although I often imagined that if we weren’t family, I wouldn’t be his friend. But still, in this life I’m his son and I have a duty to protect him and he just doesn’t understand what he is doing is harming a lot of people.

Anyway, Thanks for reading. I really hope that I can get some inspiration on how to help him. At the very least, I get to say what’s been bothering me.

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