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A Lesson For The New Year

In my previous post, I wrote about some of the resolutions that I have for 2009 with regard to gambling. As I was browsing the Net earlier, I read about a person who learned – the hard way – that gambling can be destructive. Here is a snippet of the story, courtesy of Casino Gambling Web:

Michael Rumore pleaded guilty on Friday to stealing over $4 million to fuel his gambling habit. His game of choice was slots, but after a while the losses turned into much more than a game.

“This defendant betrayed the oath he took as an attorney, exploiting his position as fiduciary by stealing approximately $4 million entrusted to him for various real estate closings,” said attorney General Anne Milgram, in a statement.

Rumore’s law practices mostly involved real estate. When the market dried up several years ago, he ran o0ut of his own money to gamble with. It was at that point that Rumore decided the only way he could continue gambling would be to use money from the trust.

This person was an “upstanding” member of his community. He was a lawyer, someone who had regular income coming in. Yet he lost control of his habit and brought ruin upon himself.

I do not want to come across as pessimistic but when I read the story, I realized that it is so easy to fall into this trap. No matter how much you know that compulsive gambling is “bad,” you just might find yourself in that boat if you do not remain vigilant about your gambling habits.

Here’s to a prosperous New Year and to healthy gambling!