The Compulsive Gambler

Gambling Fever could have been subtitled The Man Who Must. That is an apt description of the compulsive gambler whose very existence demands that he must wager in excess . To the compulsive gambler the act of wagering takes priority over eating, drinking, personal relationships, sexual activity , earning a living, supporting a family or looking after his own health problems. Compulsive gambling is the obsession of all obsessions. A person (man or woman) will lie, cheat, steal and embezzle in order to feed his habit. Nothing will deter him. As more and more states expand legalization of all forms of gambling to raise much- needed revenue and create hard-to-find jobs the problem is increasing by leaps and bounds. The book concludes that few resources are devoted to dealing with this issue and raises the question of whether any treatment can cure the obsession. Gambling Fever traces the history of gambling, quotes numerous references throughout history by famous writers such as Shakespeare and Dostoevsky, psychologists such as Sigmund Freud, statesmen, conquerors, clergymen, entertainers and others who have either struggled with gambling or analyzed the gambler. Finally, the book also serves as an insight into Eli Schleifer, the man who struggled his entire life with his demonsthose of the compulsive gambler.