INTERVIEW: Losing $300k before you're 30

Dylan's gambling started at school, and it just got worse from there. To fuel his bets, he reckons he started borrowing money from friends, but as the addiction spiralled out of control he resorted to stealing. Gambling cost Dylan a lot, in terms of both money and opportunities. Now, he's trying to quit, and he's documenting the journey on TikTok and Instagram. In this longer interview cut for the hack podcast, Dylan talks with Dave about the road that got him here. He describes the clarifying moment when he placed his last bet, the daily battle to keep going in a world where gambling ads are everywhere, and what it's like to do it all so publicly. Guests: Dylan, anti-gambling advocate Get the whole story from hack: Follow us on Instagram and TikTok Subscribe to the hack podcast Listen on the triple j app or on your radio live every weeknight at 5:30pm

An episode of the Hack podcast, hosted by Australian Broadcasting Corporation, titled "INTERVIEW: Losing $300k before you're 30" was published on November 19, 2025 and runs 20 minutes.

November 19, 2025 ·20m · Hack

Summary

Dylan's gambling started at school, and it just got worse from there. To fuel his bets, he reckons he started borrowing money from friends, but as the addiction spiralled out of control he resorted to stealing. Gambling cost Dylan a lot, in terms of both money and opportunities. Now, he's trying to quit, and he's documenting the journey on TikTok and Instagram. In this longer interview cut for the hack podcast, Dylan talks with Dave about the road that got him here. He describes the clarifying moment when he placed his last bet, the daily battle to keep going in a world where gambling ads are everywhere, and what it's like to do it all so publicly. Guests: Dylan, anti-gambling advocate Get the whole story from hack: Follow us on Instagram and TikTok Subscribe to the hack podcast Listen on the triple j app or on your radio live every weeknight at 5:30pm

Episode Description