CAPE CORAL, Fla. — Diamond Munoz first walked into an Arcade off Pine Island Road in 2016.
She found herself returning the next night and almost every night thereafter for several years.
"You lose so much money it's not about the wins anymore. It's about the adrenaline that you get. This becomes your life," Munoz said.
A life Munoz is glad she escaped from three years ago. After mounting losses, she began taking cash advances and using rent money to gamble.
"There was a point in time where I didn't care about the money. I didn't care about being a mother. I didn't care about being a wife. I don't care about my mental health. I just wanted to be there and play. It sucks you in," Munoz said.
Munoz is sharing her story of gambling addiction recovery, hoping to help others after Cape Coral police raided six arcades accused of targeting vulnerable elderly residents.
Munoz contacted FOX 4 after seeing coverage of the raids that occurred late last month, when officers targeted six gaming operations and one private residence for allegedly calibrating machines to ensure consistent losses for players.
Cape Coral Police raid 7 illegal arcades targeting elderly with gambling issues
Cape Coral police said the gaming operations were illegally calibrating machines to ensure consistent losses for players and more money for the house. The investigation marked the first of its kind in Southwest Florida, with officers targeting arcades that allegedly preyed on elderly residents with gambling addictions.
"They're called arcades for a reason. Not casinos. They're trying to reel people in," Munoz said.
"I won 10,000 dollars in one night and gave it back. It's the honest truth," she said.
Munoz said she hit rock bottom during the COVID-19 pandemic when her husband gave her an ultimatum.
"Me and my husband were on the brink of divorce. He was like 'you're taking rent money. We got all these loans out. We're in debt now,'" Munoz said.
That's when she found Gambler's Anonymous, started regularly attending meetings and connected with a sponsor. Munoz said she has been clean for three years.
"I would see people and they would say 'hey, we haven't seen you at the casino lately.' And that's when I say, 'have you heard of gambler's anonymous,'" Munoz said.
Munoz said she's thankful law enforcement is targeting the arcades she believes targeted her and other vulnerable people. She hopes her message can inspire others to seek help.
"If you really want to stop you can stop. Don't let it suck you further than it already has," Munoz said.
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