'He's Untrustworthy,' Dave Ramsey Says After Wife Learns Husband Secretly Gambled Away $120K — Despite Earning $100K
- - 'He's Untrustworthy,' Dave Ramsey Says After Wife Learns Husband Secretly Gambled Away $120K — Despite Earning $100K
Casey B. RennerFebruary 16, 2026 at 7:31 AM
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What looked like a stable, middle-class life unraveled fast after a hidden habit came to light.
Chicago-area educator Ann told "The Ramsey Show" that she recently learned her husband had quietly gambled away their savings — and then borrowed more to keep betting.
Less than a month before her call, Ann believed the couple was financially steady. Instead, she discovered roughly $120,000 had been lost through online gambling and related debt, leaving them back at what she called "square one."
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When Income Stops Being The Answer
The household income once looked manageable. Ann earns about $75,000 a year and has an educator pension. Her husband brings in between $90,000 and $100,000 annually. After taxes and deductions, their combined take-home pay is about $9,000 a month.
Those numbers could support savings, retirement planning, and college preparation. Instead, Ann told hosts Dave Ramsey and John Delony the money disappeared into gambling sites, followed by loans taken out to continue betting.
She called seeking guidance on how to prioritize saving, investing, and rebuilding an emergency fund while her daughter prepares to start college next year.
"Your daughter's college plans have probably changed dramatically," Deloney said.
Ann agreed and said her daughter was already aware that expectations would need to adjust based on the family's financial reality.
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Safety Comes Before Planning
"You have to make sure you're safe because he's untrustworthy," Deloney said.
Ann confirmed her husband had started attending Gamblers Anonymous, a support group for people working to overcome gambling addiction, and was seeing a therapist. Even so, both hosts stressed that counseling alone does not resolve a gambling addiction or restore trust.
"I just care more about you having an account where you're in control of food, shelter, clothing," Ramsey said.
Ann said she had already opened her own checking account and set up a separate account for her husband strictly to repay gambling-related debt. Ramsey supported that step but suggested going further by temporarily routing all income into her account, giving her husband visibility into transactions without access to funds.
"He's got an addiction," Ramsey said.
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Rebuilding Trust In Measured Time
Ramsey outlined two possible outcomes. Either her husband commits to recovery and rebuilds trust over time, or the marriage does not continue. Until that outcome becomes clear, he urged Ann to think short term rather than focusing on retirement decades away.
Deloney reinforced that approach, encouraging Ann to set clear expectations in 30- and 60-day intervals and reassess consistently based on actions rather than promises.
"Let's first establish a short-term game plan that's solid and you're protected and safe," Ramsey said.
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