Former gambler hopes to inspire recovery

Key points

• A Geelong woman has shared her three decades of gambling on poker machines during Gambling Harm Awareness Week, which runs from 24 to 31 October. Punters lost more than $152 million in the City of Greater Geelong and Borough of Queenscliffe in 2025-26, the highest amount recorded locally.
• Jan, a recovering gambler, said she hopes her story will show others that recovery is possible.
• After reaching out to Meli's Gambler's Help, she said she regained control of her life.