My BFF just broke up with her BF who has a gambling addiction. (trading options and stock market stuff.)
He, too, recently asked her permission to start trading again after he had already told her that he was going to stop doing it.
Why? Because he wanted to try to make some money to pay her back for her money he already lost doing risky trading stuff behind her back.
She thought it was thoughtful of him to ask for permission.
I told her it was manipulative and wrong.
Some of our other friends wound up having a telephone intervention type thing with her and told her how they felt about her being with this guy. They didn't like it.
She took it all to heart and talked to him yesterday and called it off.
It was painful for both of them, but she is now freed from the insanity of dating a guy who manipulates her and can't control his addiction.
As someone in another thread said recently -- if we're using "addict" and "boyfriend" in the same sentence, we need to wake up and realize there's no reason to be in that situation.
Pretty powerful statement, but certainly worth considering.