NEED TO KNOW
- A woman says she spent her wedding night playing casino games on her phone, gambling away all the money she and her wife were gifted at their celebration
- When her wife found out, she accused her of living “a double life”
- The woman said her gambling “addiction” ultimately “cost me everything” before she sought help
On what was meant to be a joyful day, new bride Elissa Hubbard was grappling with a painful secret.
Hubbard, 39, had just tied the knot with her wife in Cyprus, but instead of spending their wedding night celebrating as a couple, she sat alone in their hotel lobby, playing casino games on her phone. She told U.K. outlet Wales Online that she ended up gambling away all of the money she and her wife were gifted at their reception.
Hubbard said she can trace her gambling “addiction” back to her childhood, when she would visit local pubs with her family and play the slot machines. In adulthood, she developed an interest in online casino games. She would work her day job as a plasterer and then come home and use her earnings to gamble.
“Most days, I would skip my basic needs like lunch. I was constantly thinking about getting home to gamble online,” she told Wales Online. “I got sacked by several jobs because I would take cash-in-hand for jobs and would use the money for my addiction.”
Hubbard revealed that at the height of her gambling addiction, she was losing £40,000 (around $53,000) a year and taking out payday loans, all while keeping her gambling a secret from loved ones, including her partner.
When her now-ex-wife discovered that the wedding cash was gone, she confronted Hubbard. “My wife had absolutely no idea what had been going on. She said I had basically lived a double life,” Hubbard recalled, adding, “It cost me everything: my marriage, my step kids, my home and job.”
A family member then pointed Hubbard to Adferiad, an organization that provides help and support for people with mental health and addiction struggles. Following an assessment, she was referred to Adferiad’s Parkland Place rehabilitation facility in North Wales.
“It was the best feeling I’d had in a long, long time — getting the dates to go into treatment and knowing I was finally getting help,” Hubbard said.
During her time at Parkland Place, Hubbard received counseling and learned more about the science behind addiction. She was also directed to North Wales Recovery Communities, a recovery support group that connects people facing similar experiences.
“I found out a lot about myself,” she said. “I don’t hate everyone — I just hated myself. People lift you up from similar experiences.”
Now, Hubbard helps others by working as a Welsh Women’s gambling coordinator for Adferiad, providing support to individuals struggling with addiction issues.
“I don’t carry that shame anymore,” Hubbard said of her personal recovery. “The past is the past, and I’m doing something about it today. I feel like I’m turning all the negative stuff into positive to help others.”
PEOPLE reached out to Adferiad’s for comment on Hubbard’s story, but did not receive an immediate response.
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According to Wales Online, Hubbard also actively campaigns for tighter restrictions around gambling, including the removal of gambling-related machines in public spaces such as pubs and family entertainment centers.
“Children are often exposed to these environments at a young age, and I don’t think people appreciate that they can have a knock-on effect on their later lives,” she noted.
If you or someone you know is struggling with a gambling problem, please contact the National Problem Gambling Helpline Network at 1-800-522-4700 or go to gamtalk.org.
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