From the Gambling Spiral to a New Life: A Plovdiv Family’s Story of Pain, Addiction and the Road to Change

Between 4 and 7 per cent of people in Bulgaria suffer from gambling addiction. If no help is sought, the consequences are often devastating. In the following account, we share a story that begins in the downward spiral of gambling and ends with the freedom of becoming a new person. A woman from Plovdiv recounts the nightmare she lived through — and the path to salvation — alongside her husband.

Fifteen years ago, her husband became addicted to betting. It began with football matches, then moved to casinos, and later to online games.

“Money started going missing, he stopped coming home, and I became suspicious. He denied everything until the very end and didn’t realise he had a problem.”

The situation turned into a nightmare when he accumulated a large loan, and five bailiffs were already pursuing him for overdue debts. He then staged a robbery involving company money. He was fired and taken to court.

“The amount was around 7,000 leva, which grew significantly because of bailiffs and interest. He refused to pay anything, expecting me to cover it all, because that’s what I was used to doing.”

On the brink of divorce, even separation didn’t help. Despite advice to leave him, she turned to a support centre for people with addictions.

“One of the first things they teach us in group sessions is to stop paying any of their loans and let them face the consequences of the debts they’ve taken on.”

Dmitry Karpov works with addicts and their families under a programme created more than three decades ago. He explains that progress requires effort, time and behavioural change from everyone involved.

Dmitry Karpov: “She worked on herself, her change influenced him, and eventually the addict realises: I have a problem, and I need help. That’s when we begin working with the addict and helping him change.”

“From hatred, everything turned into love — from chasing him away, ignoring him, humiliating him… to saying that I am with him, that I support him, that I love him, that he is my person,” she says.

Her husband resisted temptations and invitations from gaming clubs to return and claim extra bonus bets. The National Revenue Agency’s register for gambling-vulnerable individuals also helped.

“He submitted an application. It really felt like a genuine ban in his life. And since then — for over two and a half years — he hasn’t set foot in a gambling venue.”

Dmitry Karpov: “In Bulgaria they say: difficult, but possible. People often ask whether it can happen faster. I say — if there were a quicker way, I’d be the first to offer it. But changing your way of life takes at least a year.”

More than 50,000 people have applied to be entered into the NRA’s register of vulnerable persons.