[ APPLAUSE ]
>>> SO, THIS MORNING WE ARE
KICKING OFF A SERIES, "ADDICTED
TO."
WITH A WOMAN WHO IS OPENING UP
ABOUT HER PROBLEMS WITH GAMBLING
AND MORE.
SANDRA O'DELL BECAME A MOTHER AS
A TEENAGER, LATER WORKING HER
WAY OFF OF WELFARE TO BECOME A
PROMINENT PROFESSOR AT THE
UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN.
BUT IN 2005, SHE ALMOST LOST IT
ALL, WHEN ONE FATEFUL TRIP TO A
WISCONSIN CASINO NEARLY DERAILED
HER LIFE.
WATCH.
SANDRA'S FIRST TASTE OF GAMBLING
CAME IN 2005, WHEN HER FRIEND
INVITED HER TO A CASINO.
>> IT WAS DISTURBING.
THE MOMENT I WALKED INTO THE
CASINO, I WAS IMMEDIATELY
BOTHERED BY THE ENVIRONMENT.
FIRST OF ALL, IT STANK.
WHEN I WAS WALKING AROUND IN
THIS PLACE AND LOOKING AND
THINKING, HOW CAN THIS BE FUN?
>> Reporter: A FEW SPINS OF THE
SLOT MACHINE AND SHE WON.
AN $1,100 JACKPOT.
>> CRISP $100 BILLS INTO MY
HAND.
I WANTED TO GO BACK.
I HAD TO HAVE A REASON TO GO
BACK.
I DECIDED, I'M GOING TO DO SOME
INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALISM AND
SEEING WHAT'S INSIDE, WHAT CAN I
WRITE ABOUT?
>> Reporter: BUT SANDRA'S
SO-CALLED RESEARCH VISITS WERE
JUST AN EXCUSE TO KEEP GAMBLING,
MORE AND MORE AND MORE.
>> I WOULD OFTEN LEAVE AND I
FEEL SICK.
NOW, I'M STARTING TO DRINK MORE.
I'M GETTING A DOUBLE-DOSE OF ALL
OF THIS, OVERSTIMULATION.
I'M GETTING DRUNKER AND DRUNKER
BECAUSE I HATE MYSELF FOR BEING
THERE.
I HATED MYSELF FOR BEING IN THE
CASINOS.
IN MY JOURNAL, SO MANY ENTRIES
SAY, THIS IS UNHEALTHY.
THIS IS DANGEROUS.
WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS?
I STARTED TAKING OUT ADVANCES ON
MY CREDIT CARD.
AND THEN, I STARTED TO GO INTO
MY SALARY, USING MY EARNINGS TO
GAMBLE.
IT WAS VERY RABID.
THIS WAS A VERY RAPID DECLINE.
ALONG THE WAY, I'M TELLING
MYSELF, I NEED TO STOP BECAUSE
I'M GOING TO DESTROY EVERYTHING.
I'M GOING TO DESTROY MY LIFE.
>> Reporter: HER FIRST MAJOR
SCARE CAME AFTER LEAVING A
CASINO AFTER A NIGHT OF GAMBLING
AND DRINKING.
>> I WENT OUTSIDE TO GO TO MY
CAR.
JUST AS I WENT TO MY CAR, I SAW
SOMETHING GLITTERING ON THE
GROUND BY MY CAR.
AND I BENT DOWN TO PICK IT UP.
IT WAS A WOMAN'S WATCH.
AND THE NEXT THING I KNOW, I WAS
BEING LIFTED OFF OF THE GROUND.
THEY SAID, GIVE US YOUR CAR
KEYS, YOU'RE TOO DRUNK TO DRIVE.
I DID.
>> Reporter: AFTER THAT, SANDRA
SAID SHE STOPPED GAMBLING.
BUT THE DRINKING CONTINUED.
AND ONE NIGHT WHILE DRUNK, SHE
HAD THE URGE FOR THOSE SLOT
MACHINES AGAIN AND GOT BEHIND
THE WHEEL.
>> I GOT STOPPED BECAUSE I WAS
APPARENTLY WAVERING, LIKE THIS.
AND THE NEXT THING I KNOW,
THERE'S SOME LIGHTS BEHIND ME,
IT'S THE POLICE.
AND I'M THINKING, THEY CAN'T BE
PULLING ME OVER.
AND THE NEXT THING I KNOW, THIS
GUY SCREAMED AT ME AND SAID,
YOU'RE DRUNK, TURN AROUND AND I
WAS HANDCUFFED AND PUT IN THE
BACK OF THE CAR.
>> JOINING ME NOW, SANDRA ADEL,
WHO DETAILED HER ADDICTION IN A
MEMOIR CALLED "CONFESSIONS OF A
SLOT MACHINE QUEEN."
GOOD MORNING.
IT'S A GREAT BOOK TITLE.
I KNOW IT WAS LESS THAN GREAT TO
LIVE IT.
BEFORE WE GET TO THAT MOMENT IN
THE BACK OF THE POLICE CAR,
LET'S GO BACK TO THE FIRST TIME
YOU WENT IN THE CASINO.
YOU WEREN'T A GAMBLER.
YOU WEREN'T SOME SORT OF
GAMBLING LOVER.
>> NOT AT ALL.
IN FACT, NOBODY IN MY FAMILY
GAMBLES.
>> A BUT YOUR FRIEND SORT OF
HOOKED YOU INTO IT.
>> WELL, SHE JUST TOOK ME TO THE
CASINO.
I WON.
BUT IT WAS ALSO VERY, VERY
NERVOUS ABOUT THE SPACE ITSELF
BECAUSE IT WASN'T HEALTHY.
IT DIDN'T FEEL GOOD.
>> YOU KNEW THAT.
>> I KNEW THAT FROM THE
BEGINNING, YES.
>> DO YOU THINK IF YOU HADN'T
WON THAT FIRST TIME, THIS
WOULDN'T HAVE HAPPENED?
>> IT WOULDN'T HAVE HAPPENED.
THAT'S THE HOOK.
AND THE OTHER PART WAS, AFTER I
WON THE MONEY, I PUT MONEY BACK
INTO THE MACHINE.
AND I THINK I LOST ABOUT $180.
AND I STARTED WORRYING ABOUT
THAT.
WHY WOULD I SIT THERE AND LOSE
THIS MONEY?
>> YEP.
>> $1,000 IS A LOT OF MONEY.
SO, THAT'S THE BEGINNING.
I BEGAN TO WORRY ABOUT IT.
I WANTED TO GO BACK.
I THOUGHT, THERE'S SOMETHING
INTERESTING TO WRITE ABOUT HER.
>> YOU CONVINCED YOURSELF AS AN
ACADEMIC, THIS WOULD BE AN
ACADEMIC PROJECT FOR YOU.
YOU COULD BLOW THE LID OFF
CASINOS, RIGHT?
AND SO, WHAT WAS IT -- WHAT WAS
THE FIRST SIGN THAT THIS HAS
SPUN OUT OF CONTROL?
IT WASN'T BANKRUPTCY?
>> NO.
IT WAS THE EMOTIONAL -- THE
EMOTIONAL, THE INTERNAL STRUGGLE
THAT I HAD GOING ON.
ESPECIALLY AS I BEGAN TO LOSE
MONEY AND STARTED DIPPING INTO
MY EARNINGS.
YOU KNOW, MONEY CHANGES VALUE.
I LIKE TO TELL PEOPLE THAT.
YOU HAVE THE CASINO'S WON THAT
YOU WON OUT OF THE MACHINES AND
THEN YOU HAVE YOUR OWN MONEY.
SO, MY DEAL WAS LIKE, OKAY, IF
I'M GOING TO GO AND DO THIS
RESEARCH AND I HAVE TO RESEARCH
THIS AND PLAY THE SLOTS AND SEE
WHAT IT FEELS LIKE AND WRITE
ABOUT IT, I WILL ONLY USE THE
MONEY THAT I GOT OUT OF THE
MACHINES.
>> THEIR MONEY.
>> THEIR MONEY, RIGHT.
AND NOT MY MONEY.
WELL, THAT CHANGED AFTER A
WHILE.
THEN, I'M USING MY MONEY.
AND THEN, I WAS BECOMING
INCREASINGLY SICK.
I MEAN, FEELING PHYSICALLY SICK.
INSIDE OF ME, EVERY TIME I WENT
INTO THE CASINO, I WOULD SAY,
YOU WORK TOO HARD.
THIS IS RISKY BECAUSE YOU'RE
GOING TO LOSE.
YOU KNOW, IT'S THE CASINO.
THE HOUSE ALWAYS WINS.
YOU'RE GOING TO LOSE.
>> ESPECIALLY ON THE SLOTS.
>> ON THE SLOTS, YOU'RE GOING TO
LOSE, YEAH.
IT WAS AN ONGOING STRUGGLE
THERE.
AND THE MORE I CONTINUED TO GO,
THERE WAS THIS PULL.
SOMETIMES I WOULD BE DOING JUST
MY NORMAL THINGS.
I'M A VERY ACTIVE WOMAN.
AND I WOULD STOP AND GO TO THE
CASINO.
I WAS LIKE, THIS IS NOT MAKING
SENSE.
WHAT'S HAPPENING TO ME?
>> BUT THE WHOLE SYSTEM, SANDRA
SAYS, IS DESIGNED TO REEL YOU IN
AND KEEP YOU IN AND KEEP YOU
COMING BACK.
THE ACADEMIC WAS DOING SOME
RESEARCH AND WAS TAKING NOTES
FOR ALL OF THAT.
>> I HAVE NOTES ON EVERYTHING.
>> WE'RE GOING TO HAVE MORE ON