After a 33-year struggle, four periods in prison and the loss of his job, long-term relationship and freedom, Bowen Hills man Travis has rebuilt his life with support from Carinity’s prison chaplaincy ministry and his Christian faith.
A Long Struggle
For more than three decades, Travis lived with a gambling compulsion he could not overcome on his own.
The Bowen Hills man had reached a point where he had stopped trying to stop, even as the harmful pattern cost him his long-term girlfriend, his job and his freedom.
Travis has described committing white-collar fraud to fund the behaviour, leading to four periods in prison across 11 years.
Support Behind Prison Walls
During his time in prison, Travis came into contact with volunteer chaplains from Inside Out Prison Chaplaincy, a Carinity ministry supporting people in Queensland correctional centres.
For Travis, their presence became part of his path towards recovery. The chaplains offered a steady, non-judgemental form of support as he dealt with regret, fear, grief and the consequences of his past.
That support helped him begin rebuilding his self-confidence, self-respect and sense of identity beyond the struggle that had shaped much of his life.
Photo Credit: Supplied
A Turning Point Through Faith
At one of his lowest points, Travis turned to God while feeling he could no longer carry the struggle alone.
He came to see trust in God as central to the change he had been seeking for years. While the desire to return to old behaviour did not immediately disappear, that moment became part of the journey that led him towards a different life.
The Final Bet
Travis’s last bet was on 16 November 2023.
The date came one day before his birthday on 17 November 2023. After 33 years of daily urges, he had come to believe he had two choices: stop completely or continue for the rest of his life.
Since 16 November 2023, Travis has said he has not felt the urge or desire to place another bet. He also links 17 November 2023 with becoming born again in his Christian faith.
A Chaplain Who Stayed
One Inside Out Prison Chaplaincy volunteer chaplain became especially important in Travis’s recovery.
The two first met in a correctional centre in 2015. Years after Travis was released, they reconnected, and the chaplain became his mentor, life coach and close friend.
That relationship continued beyond prison, giving Travis ongoing support as he rebuilt his life and future.
Today, Travis is living in Brisbane free from the compulsion that once controlled his life. His story is one of recovery, faith and the lasting support of chaplaincy at a time when he needed it most.
Published 18-June-2026
