“No one would have ever found out unless I brought it to their attention. I was so good at hiding everything.”
In episode 5 of The Comeback, Craig Carton talks with Jordan Spencer, a professional European basketball player whose problem with gambling started with online roulette and quickly grew into an addiction he could not stop. Even though Jordan was gambling non-stop, he was able to hide his addiction from closest friends and family.
Jordan’s life hit a low when he was caught gambling on his own basketball games, a story that made the news and put his basketball career in jeopardy. Jordan realized in order to stop, he needed to self-exclude himself from every platform.
Jordan is now a presenter for EPIC Global Solutions, a trusted partner for gambling harm prevention, and shares his lived experience with people across the globe.
Key Lessons -
Struggling with a Silent Addiction: Craig and Jordan talk about how common it is for individuals struggling with a gambling problem to hide their struggles. Jordan noted how he would hide his phone and banking transactions, and that no one would ever know unless he brought it to their attention.
Building Up a Support System: When asked what advice he would give to someone at “step 1” of their recovery journey, Jordan stressed the importance of talking about it with those around you - friends, family, or any support system.
Recovery Through Other Outlets: With the freedom and mental clarity that comes with abstaining from gambling, it’s often important to find another outlet to dedicate time and focus. Jordan talks about playing basketball and rekindling relationships with family and friends as major positives in recovery.
New episodes of The Comeback With Craig Carton air monthly on Mondays at 10:00 am ET on FanDuel’s FAST channel FanDuel TV Extra and stream on FanDuel’s YouTube channel. Stay updated on The Comeback With Craig Carton by subscribing to its Substack for its latest interviews, episodes and resources.
Gambling is intended to be a form of entertainment, not a source of stress or an emotional outlet. That’s why responsible gaming tools exist—to help you stay in control and make informed choices.
Here at The Comeback, we want everyone to be aware of the tools and resources available to help you play smart. These tools empower players to set boundaries, track their activity, and take breaks when needed. Today, I want to take a minute to talk about one of FanDuel’s most popular RG tools – Deposit Limits.
Deposit limits are designed to help set a budget, manage your spending, and keep your play fun. This tool allows you to set a specific dollar amount that serves as a limit for how much you can deposit. With Deposit Limits, you can control how much you deposit per day, week, or month. These limits can be set individually or together, allowing you to manage your spend across multiple timeframes.
To set up a Deposit Limit, navigate to FanDuel’s RG center by clicking the RG logo at the top left of the mobile app screen. From there, scroll down to “User Tools” and expand the “User Limits” list to show Deposit Limits. From here, you can end your desired dollar amounts for any of the options – daily, weekly or monthly. Once you’re happy with your limit amounts, click apply limits and then confirm. You can then scroll down to view your active deposit limits.
If you decide you want to adjust the your limits to fit with your budget, you’ll be subject to a 3 day cool down period from the time that you initially set them before they can be increased.
Make sure you’re keeping your gambling a fun and positive experience. Visit FanDuel.com/RG, or navigate to the Responsible Gaming section of the FanDuel app today to learn more about Deposit Limits.