“I Don’t Remember My Son Being Born” | Mark's Gambling Story

I interview Mark K about his gambling harm story and the work that he's doing to help others still struggling.

🤝 How I Quit Gambling: https://youtu.be/ZUx9qIm4sNY

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About Mark: my name is Mark Kempster and I am a recovering gambling addict and now passionate gambling reform advocate here in Australia. I went through a 10yr addiction throughout my 20's and early 30's and loss around 100k across that time. I now work with the Alliance for Gambling Reform here in Australia and am part of a national campaign to get gambling advertising banned here in Australia.

Link: https://www.agr.org.au/

Mark grew up as a fun-loving, sporty kid in Australia. By his early 30s, he felt like a broken shell of a person, lucky to still be alive. What happened in between was a decade-long gambling addiction fueled by sports betting, horse racing, and an Australian culture where having a beer and a bet after the game felt completely normal. In this episode, Mark shares how he started betting around 16 in local footy clubs, how sports betting apps exploded in Australia in the late 2000s, and how having “a bookie in his pocket” turned $10 pub bets into an addiction that cost him over $100,000. He talks about waking up and checking his bets before saying good morning, gambling all day at work on his phone, being bombarded with gambling ads and inducements, and becoming an angry, distant, dishonest version of himself. Mark also opens up about missing the first two years of his son’s life mentally, the Cox Plate and AFL grand final day where he lost $3,000 chasing losses, and the next morning when his partner discovered his betting history on their son’s second birthday. That intervention forced his secret into the light and became the catalyst for change. T

oday, Mark is five years clean from gambling. He’s working with the Alliance for Gambling Reform, speaking out about Australia’s predatory gambling advertising, VIP schemes, bonus bets, and why this should be treated like cigarettes and alcohol: as a serious public health issue. If you’re in the middle of a sports betting spiral—or you love someone who is—this conversation will show you you’re not alone, and that recovery is possible.

🙏🏻 Recovery Resources: https://odaatgamblingawareness.com/resources

👀 Do you have a gambling addiction? Watch this to find out: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLQirxbLdrgPmaejpuzCcnfWaFOaPt2mSu&si=_pg9d3S7ddsnX-xb

1️⃣ First day trying to stop gambling? Start here: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLQirxbLdrgPneNZshy-heKIhm9ftfqpwm&si=RgIHxiIJjC0Wi7yr

😅 Subscribe To Avoid Making The Same Mistakes I Did: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCH8s1lNHQbXzltQg_aXMAQA?sub_confirmation=1