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What: “The Money Sucker Machine: The Truth About Gambling and How it Destroy Lives”

Authors: Marc Isenberg and Arnie Wexler

Publisher: A-Game

Price: $6.50

The authors have put together a 24-page pamphlet that covers the pitfalls of gambling in such a succinct and simple manner that almost anyone can understand it.

After a foreword by Rick Rhoads, co-founder of A-Game, is a page of 10 questions. Any gambler not in denial should be able to recognize if they have a problem by answering yes to five or more of the questions.

The authors write about their experiences with gambling. Isenberg gambled while a student at Emory University, recognized his problem early and stopped gambling. For Wexler, gambling nearly ruined his life before he was able to stop.

There are other short stories as well. “Brad” started gambling innocently as a youth, “Gary” was a college basketball player who bet against his team. Jimmy Vaccaro, who formerly ran the sports book at the Mirage Hotel, claims he has won by betting sports, but says he is a rarity. “You must win 53% of the time to break even,” he writes. He also explains why exotic bets and parlays are rip-offs.

On the last page is a segment titled “The Bottom Line.” The last sentence offers this advice: “If you don’t know whether you’d get addicted or not, a great way not to find out is don’t start.”

If you or a friend could benefit from this pamphlet, it can be ordered by calling (800) 431-1579. Or it can be downloaded from A-Game.com for a voluntary fee of $5.