Hi Tommy,
I’m sorry that happened to you, I know that situation all too well. If there is any silver lining in this, it’s that you’ve already taken the hardest and most important step in quitting, and that’s admitting you have a problem and actually want to do something about it.
So, where do we go from here? Well, it sounds like the most important thing in your life right now is your business and family. As a first step, I would self exclude yourself from every casino within a 50 mile radius. You absolutely have to exclude yourself as it will prevent you from going back there. I have done this and found it quite awesome walking out of a casino knowing I can’t go back there. Just go up to security or the front desk and they will help you out (they take this very seriously and will help you in complete confidence).
Next step is to get betfilter or some other gambling blocking software for all your devices. This was extremely important for me, because I realized I could just play online since I can’t play in person anymore. I believe betfilter is $60 for a year, but it is worth its weight in gold. Do this for all devices including your phone. Once you do this, you will have your blockers in place and then the recovery truly begins.
Honestly, from everything you have written, I believe you will bounce back from this. How you want to communicate this to your family (if you choose to do so) is up to you. A lot of people have found that support from loved ones is invaluable. I know this is a very hard time for you, so if you want to think about this more, feel free to. You will always have support on here, and I am glad that I have another person I get to help and recover with. Stay strong
–Nick