Originally Posted by
NYCDoglvr 
It's called "trading up addictions". When I got sober in 1991 I turned to obsessive shopping, later food. He's hiding his actions from you so he knows he's doing something wrong, that gambling has brought conflict into your relationship. There's no difference in hiding bottles or hiding evidence of gambling. Whatever he does, you have no power over his actions. So perhaps it's time to take stock and ask yourself if this is what you want in a relationship?
Is it normal for this to just pop up out of nowhere? We've dated for 2.5 years and NOW he decides he's going to start gambling? It's football betting. I know this because he texts about it, or takes phone calls, or gets on the computer, or leaves his odds book out where I will see it...see he's not being very successful at "secrecy." This is the part I don't understand about addictive behavior...