By Matthew Anderson
At about 10am on November 19, 2023, I awoke in the Riverside County (CA) Sheriff’s Department jail with no idea how I had gotten there. The last clear memory I had of the night before was playing blackjack at Pechanga Casino, one of more than a dozen Native American tribal casinos within an hour’s drive of my home in the San Diego area. I was released and took an Uber back to Pechanga. My vehicle was still in valet and my belongings still in my hotel room. I had been arrested by Pechanga Tribal Police and transported to jail at about 3AM. My head was pounding and I had thrown up several times while in jail.
On the ride back in the Uber, I noticed that I had received several texts and emails from my bank about a $50,000 cash withdrawal. This has to be a mistake. There is no way that I could have withdrawn $50,000 on a Sunday night in a casino. My ATM card has a $1,500 daily limit. I returned to Pechanga and after gathering my vehicle and belongings, I was given a lifetime ban notice from Pechanga. I asked about the $50,000 transaction and was told that I needed to leave the property immediately.
Extreme depression and suicidal ideation set in over the next few days. I had been battling a gambling addiction for over 30 years but nothing like this had ever happened. When I processed what had happened, the first thought that came to mind was “that was predatory” so I Googled “predatory gambling” and Stop Predatory Gambling was the first link that appeared. I reached out to Les Bernal and he was gracious enough to respond to my email, listen and share info about Stop Predatory Gambling. Without knowing, Les had talked me off the ledge,
I have a law enforcement and criminal justice background and I needed to find out exactly what had happened that night. I enlisted the assistance of the California Department of Alcohol and Beverage Control and the California Department of Justice. My investigation revealed that Pechanga had served me between 18-22 bourbons in the 4 hours that I was gambling $1,000-$5,000 hands of blackjack, stakes that I had never gambling before. I was also able to determine that Pechanga had circumvented my banking safeguards in order to access the $50,000. No wondering that I couldn’t recall what had happened and felt so deathly ill in the following days. My blood alcohol content was a potentially lethal .36-.44%.
I have made every national Zoom meeting since Les’s initial invitation. I feel honored and privileged to be a part of an organization with such a noble cause. Stop Predatory Gambling has become an integral part of my recovery. Because of the wisdom and passion that you share, along with therapy and a deeper connection with my faith, 2024 has been a gamble- and alcohol-free year. I have filed a civil lawsuit against Pechanga that is making its way through the tribal court. I will be forever grateful to Les for responding to my email and taking my calls. Being a part of Stop Predatory Gambling has truly changed my life.
The author lives in San Diego, CA