Arnie Wexler is a recovering compulsive gambler
and a Certified Compulsive Gambling Counselor. He was the Executive
Director of the Council on Compulsive Gambling of New Jersey for
eight years and the past Senior Vice-President of National Council
on Problem Gambling. He runs a national hotline for compulsive
gamblers and is a nationally known authority, consultant, and
lecturer on compulsive gambling. He has appeared on numerous radio
and television programs, including Nightline, the Today Show, Good
Morning America, Hard Copy, This Week with David Brinkley, Inside
Edition, 48 Hours, and Crossfire among others. He has been profiled
and quoted in many newspapers and magazines including Psychology
Today, Sports Illustrated, the New York Times, the Wall Street
Journal, USA Today, LA Times, Glamour, and Newsweek. He lives with
his wife in Bradley Beach, New Jersey.
Steve Jacobson was a sports reporter and columnist
for Newsday for more than forty years with a great interest in the
aspects of sports. He co-authored a number of books with notable
sports personalities. He was named by Associated Press among the
top sports columnists and twice was nominated by Newsday for the
Pulitzer Prize. He lives in Long Beach, New York.
All Bets Are Off exposes the raw reality of friends, relatives,
colleagues, associates, fellow classmates, and just ordinary
neighbors who get caught in the trap of addiction . . . gambling
addiction. Denial, deception, depression, and delivery from
thoughts of suicide stare you in the face when you read Arnie's
story. This is not for the weak of heart. It is real. --Stan
Morrison, Former Director of Intercollegiate Athletics, University
of California, Riverside 1999-2011 . . . All Bets Are Off offers an
honest, open, frank--and at times opinionated--personal reflection
on the devastation and deception of the disease as it manifests in
gamblers and as it impacts those who love them. As a friend of
Arnie's and a career Employee Assistance Professional, I relished
the role that Jerry--his new boss at Jonathan Logan Dresses--played
in 1968 when he confronted Arnie about his gambling, pointed him in
the direction of a twelve-step program, and ultimately set the
wheels in motion for Arnie's walk into the sunshine of recovery and
his life of the past forty-six years free of the stranglehold of
his gambling addiction--all the while with his beloved Sheila at
his side. My hope is that All Bets Are Off may be the catalyst and
way forward for many similar journeys. --Bernard E. Beidel, M.Ed.,
CEAP, Director, Office of Employee Assistance, US House of
Representatives Steve Jacobson is what's known in baseball and
journalism as a seasoned pro, a man of credibility, conscience, and
caring. Arnie Wexler? There's a reason why, for the last
thirty-five years, he has been the news media's go-to guy on issues
of addicted gambling: He has saved at least as many souls,
including his own, as Mother Teresa. --Phil Mushnick, Sports
Columnist, NY Post Arnie Wexler was the single most important
leader in fighting the disease of compulsive gambling as the
epidemic spread in New Jersey. His inspirational story of addiction
and recovery should be read by all who gamble or have loved ones
who do. --Chuck Hardwick, Former Speaker; New Jersey Assembly
(1987-1991)
Arnie and Sheila Wexler had the courage to share their story to
bring awareness of how problem gambling affects families. Decades
have passed, but their story still rings true with many of the same
familiar themes in the present-day lives of those afflicted by
gambling. We learn and understand the effects of gambling and from
this we can bring awareness and prevention; but most of all it
gives a sense of hope that we can help, make positive strides, and
be nonjudgmental. --Judge Cheryl Moss, Las Vegas, Nevada I have
known Arnie Wexler for over twenty years. He is a kind and giving
man whose story touches a nerve for anyone with an addictive
personality. We all know someone who has reached his or her limit;
Arnie fought his way back and lived to tell about what it takes to
recover and reclaim your life. --Ian Eagle, CBS Sports/YES
Network/Westwood One Radio Here, at last, is a testament that gives
life to the idea that gambling is not a true addiction. Largely
state-sanctioned gambling allows us to engage in high-risk behavior
that we have come to see as an acceptable activity. It continues to
grow. It has become an American industry to the point that we now
believe in 'family gambling' as a good thing. In this intensely
personal story, Sheila and Arnie bring home the reality of the
dangers inherent in gambling when it becomes an addiction.
Gambling, by any and all measures, qualifies as a real medical
problem. The more we encourage it the more addicts there will be.
More importantly, Sheila and Arnie clearly offer a way out of the
hopelessness that strikes at the heart of all addicts. Read this
book. See if there is anyone you know and can lead on the way to
recovery. This is an important treatise that finally brings this
hidden problem to the public's eye. --Allan Lans, DO, FASAM,
Assistant Professor in Psychiatry, Columbia College of Physicians
and Surgeons Just because something is legal, it is not necessarily
good or safe. Alcohol is legal, and the misuse of alcohol is
responsible for much human misery and humongous losses both in life
and money. This is equally true of gambling. Many people are
vulnerable to compulsive, addictive gambling, which has resulted in
incalculable misery. The compulsion to gamble is one of the
strongest drives, ruining families and leading to criminal acts to
support the gambling habit. Gambling is not only tolerated
socially, but is actually promoted politically. Children are very
vulnerable to becoming addictive gamblers, and our culture is
paving the way for them. No one knows the ins-and-outs of
compulsive gambling better than Arnie Wexler, who has helped
literally thousands of people to break loose from this deadly
addiction. This book is a must read for everyone. The epidemic of
compulsive gambling feeds on ignorance. The more we know about
compulsive gambling, the more we can protect ourselves and our
loved ones from this malignant condition. --Abraham J. Twerski, MD,
Medical Director Emeritus and Founder, Gateway Rehabilitation
Center . . . I first met Arnie in Nevada in 2006 at a presentation
I gave about sports books; he was my validation of my training! I
was then fortunate to be a student of both Arnie and Sheila at
another conference. I have the deepest respect and admiration for
both of them, not only for the help they provide to people, but for
allowing me to be both instructor and student. --Deneen L
Hernandez, FBI Forensic Examiner
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