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 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
"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 "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 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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