The daylight from a rainy day spreads into the small apartment on Mørkved outside the center of Bodø. – One light bulb doesn’t work, but you can turn on the lights in the ceiling. Little reminder of luxury or abundance at Anders Karlsen’s home. He flops down on the couch. Next to it is a deflated football. – I graduated in football. Always been on the betting teams. I remember skipping school for several days straight to train. Trial for Rosenborg. Stay in Stabæk. Collapse in Bodø/Glimt. Anders never became a football professional. He became addicted to gambling. 20 years later, he owes creditors and private individuals NOK 2 million. What happened? – I couldn’t play football anymore, but I didn’t dare say why. I just said I was sorry. Photo: Sondre Skjelvik / news Dødsangsten We rewind time. Like many young boys, football was everything to Anders. Suddenly he says stop. Family and friends are stunned. Why does he give up when this is what he lives for? – I discovered a “cool” in my head. And ever since I was little, I have had respect for death. Been afraid of that, says Anders. Anders kept his thoughts to himself. Slowly but surely he isolated himself too. Photo: Sondre Skjelvik / news The bullet takes all the attention. Anders is convinced that he has cancer in his head. – I couldn’t play football anymore. I explained that I was bored. He still lives at home with his parents, who think he works in a nursery school. Every morning he cycles to “work”. In reality, he cycles around the house and sneaks into the back. – I kept doing that until I didn’t dare to be outdoors anymore, says Anders Karlsen. Illustration: Egil Ursin Despite the fear of death, Anders moves into an apartment in the center of Bodø. He stays there. For the first nine months, he does not go outside. Completely convinced that he is going to die, he calls his mother. Everything unravels. The story explodes. The following day he is checked at the hospital. Anders does not have cancer in his head. He has anxiety. – Anxiety? I? No that does not work. I have cancer in my head and I’m going to die. Photo: Sondre Skjelvik / news Fairytale world where no one will die In all the fear of death, Anders has stopped thinking about money. The fear of dying has been more important for the 21-year-old. New flat screen. A grand per inch; NOK 32,000. New fridge that matches the rest of the interior. And gambling. Lots of gambling. And what began as a childhood fascination, when he let himself be lured by the light and sound of the local kiosk, quickly becomes a sanctuary. – It’s like disappearing into another world. It’s all about one thing, versus all the other bad things in life. – It is definitely a sanctuary. Unfortunately. Illustration: Egil Ursin – How quickly did it get out of hand? – Right away, Anders replies matter-of-factly. – When did you realize there was a problem? – The day I learned that I’m not going to die. The idea that this was a problem didn’t hit me until I learned that I didn’t have a brain tumor. Anders Karlsen was a great football talent. Fear of dying put an end to a promising career. Photo: Sondre Skjelvik NOK 8 20 years have passed since Anders first let the wheels spin at an online casino. – I live day by day. As of today, I have NOK 8 in my account and am running on the car’s spare tank. I have no idea what I’m going to eat for dinner and I don’t know if it will be for dinner today, says Anders and adds: – In my adult life, I have not lived a day without debt. Now I have come to a point where this is the only way out of this. – People may well say that this is an easy way out. But debt consolidation is designed for those who owe money to the public. If I owe half a million to a private person, do you think they will give up? Photo: Sondre Skjelvik / news Now he has asked friends, acquaintances and strangers for financial help through a penny roll via Spleis. – There are no other ways out. I don’t want to be the one who never asked for help, and I’m doing this because I think it’s my last chance. – What made you come here? – Little sleep. Heavy thoughts about yourself. Guilty. And very tired of people waiting for something that is theirs. Anders takes a short break. – There are too many such stories. Photo: Sondre Skjelvik / news – It must be allowed to say that you are tired, without people thinking that I will suddenly not be around tomorrow. I’ve been in the shit for 20 years. If it takes another 20 years, I’ll still be here the next day. – That’s enough now. I will do my best to see if I can rectify this. news asks why he hasn’t given up. Then the feelings come: An impossible choice – Can we take a short break, stretch our legs a bit? Anders has summarized the last 20 years in 45 minutes. Just like the casino. A little break. Now with a football in the fresh air. It fits nicely. In the meantime, we can ask Magnus Pedersen, political advisor at Gambling Addiction Norway, how big is this problem? He says that reports point to 23,000 gambling addicts in Norway. Around 93,000 are at risk, which means they show signs that they may develop addiction. For many, it begins with excitement. – When you first tackle the problem, it is quickly the case that they are left with a large debt burden, says Magnus Pedersen. Photo: Privat And as Anders says, it feels to many like another world. – Many addicts call it a gambling bubble. The rest of the world means nothing. Stress and all problems can be thought about later, says Pedersen and adds: – It’s scary, because then the rational voice is not there. Finally it says stop. Then, unfortunately, for many, it has gone too far. – Often it is when there is absolutely no money and there is no other choice. Many describe that they are torn between seeking help, or considering taking their own life. Need someone to talk to? If you need someone to talk to, you can use one of these low-threshold services: Mental Health Helpline: Call 116 123 or write to sidetmedord.no. Press 2 for parent support and press 3 for the student telephone on the same number. Mental Health Youth: Chat service at www.mhu.no on Monday to Thursday 18-21. The service is aimed at young adults (18-35 years). Kirkens SOS: Call 22 40 00 40 or write to soschat.no or meldinger.kirkens-sos.no. Cross on the neck: Call 800 333 21 or write to korspaahalsen.rodekors.no. The service is offered by the Red Cross and is for you under 18 years of age. Advice on eating disorders: See the website nettros.no. They have both a chat service and a telephone line. Acute suicide risk? Call 113 when it is urgent and your life is at stake. Call the emergency room on tel. 116117 for immediate assistance. You can also talk to your GP. Had it not been for the money According to Pedersen, gambling addicts have a higher risk of suicide compared to the general population. Anders says he will not become part of the scary statistics. – I do this for me. Had it not been for my financial problems, I would have had a good chance to have a good life, he says and adds: – It is unbelievably unfair to become addicted to gambling. It’s the only addiction I can think of where you can fix the problem but not the consequence. – I have found that it is incredibly liberating to wash cups by hand. Maybe it’s a good thing I can’t afford a dishwasher? Photo: Sondre Skjelvik / news – But we can’t have someone who just pays out for everyone who is addicted to gambling, can we? – I also understand that we cannot have a place where you go and say: “Hey, I’ve been good.” Can you pay off my debt?” – There should be better information at an early age about the consequences. So that young people are more aware of what they are walking into. In the same way that there is good information about drugs, for example. Anders Karlsen believes young people must learn more about the consequences of gambling. Photo: Private Magnus Pedersen gives Anders support. – There is probably far too little work on it. The industry is cunning. Among other things, they have been in the gaming industry for a long time. They know about the effect of foretastes, especially through “Loot boxes”. – This is a source of recruitment. Gives control to his friend For Anders himself, it’s too late with child training. He has 2 million in debt. – I don’t go around thinking that I will get 2 million through Spleis. But if that happens, I won’t have an extra penny. It will go to Mental Health Youth. His friend Petter Mentzoni helps Anders with the money that comes in – to create security for everyone. – For the past 15 years, I have not played because it is fun, but to get rid of the debt, says Anders Karlsen. Photo: Sondre Skjelvik / news – What is the reason you want to help Anders? – We started as colleagues and talked a lot at work. I have gained respect for him and think he is an incredibly nice guy, Mentzoni replies and adds: – He gives me control over the account so that I have a good overview. It is a security for others that someone else ensures that the money goes exclusively to the debt. Anders is also happy that his friend is helping him. – What does he think about the future? – The future is a scary word. Or it has been a scary word. I feel this is my last chance, he says before ending: – I’m not looking for a life of luxury. If I can live without a fixed debit on the account then I would be happy for the rest of my life. That’s my dream.
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Treatment for the problems – no solution for the consequences – news Nordland
