After Nick Colangelo won more than $110,000 on a $2 slot machine bet in
July, the 47-year-old Fontana man paid off his car and truck and even
invested in the stock market. But his winnings “created a monster,”
Colangelo says. He returned to Highland’s San Manuel casino less than two
days after the jackpot and has since lost $20,000 by gambling regularly. He
lost more than $9,000 in December alone. He had to use a credit card to pay
his January rent, and his financial losses have put him at risk of losing
his carpeting business. “I’ve never tried heroin, but I think this is
worse,” Colangelo said.