A 50-year-old housewife wiped away tears yesterday as she told how she had lost more than $1 million gambling in the past 15 years - and how her daughter refused to lend her money to repay loansharks because 'she wanted to keep enough to buy me a coffin'.
Ms Wong, who lives in Tsz Wan Shan, said she had been lured into gambling by playing mahjong with neighbours.
Feeling forsaken by her husband and family, she had once started to burn charcoal in a suicide attempt but was saved when her son came home.
She is one of the 534 people who visit the Caritas Addicted Gamblers Counselling Centre, which yesterday released the results of a survey revealing the impact of pathological gambling.
Some 352 problem gamblers who use the centre were interviewed between October last year and September this year.
The results follow a series of gambling-related tragedies and family violence this year.