Lars Pacheco, a transgender beauty queen, openly discussed her battle with online gambling addiction, candidly stating, “Naging adik ako.”

In a viral Facebook video titled “How I lost 5 million in Online Gambling,” which has garnered over 6.9 million views, Pacheco reflected on how such habit began in 2021.

In the video uploaded on September 30, 2024, she recounted her initial foray into online sabong (cockfighting) through a money app.

“Well I’m super duper afraid to create this video, but baka maging help. So it started in 2021 [sa] online sabong in a money app.

“So I don’t have [an] idea kung paano siya laruin.”

She explained that she got interested while watching others in her home engage in the game, leading her to give it a try herself.

Initially, Pacheco was uncertain about how to place her bets, choosing simply between the colors blue and red based on her feelings of luck.

“Dahil nga wala ako alam, namimili lang ako ng color blue or color red. So, meron o wala.”

As she became more involved, she learned to analyze the game more critically, eventually losing a staggering PHP600,000.

As time went on, Pacheco began to feel more confident in her gambling skills. “So habang tumatagal, feeling ko nagiging expert na ako.”

She started to observe the physical attributes of the roosters, focusing on their speed and agility. “To cut the long story short, naging adik ako sa sabong.”

Her gambling addiction intensified when she transitioned to a baccarat gaming app.

“Naging baccarat queen naman ako. And sabi ko, mas madali dito kasi dalawa lang yung pagpipilian, banker at player.”

This new form of gambling became serious for her as it was directly linked to her bank account.

“So, every time na QR code lang yung ii-scan mo maka-cash in na siya dun sa gaming app.”

Pacheco shared her experience with transaction history on the app, describing it as alarming.

“Kasi kulay red, ang kulay ng deposit. Puro ako deposit, deposit, deposit, wala ako nawi-withdraw.”

Her gambling escalated to the point where her bank account faced limitations.

“So, tatawag ako dito sa friend ko, Jonas, ‘Lexa pa-transfer nyo nga ako, kasi, limit na ako.’

“Since ako nga ito, hindi nila ako nahihindian, siguro nahihiya sila. So ako naman tina-transfer nila and then, pag di na ako limit, ita-transfer back ko sa kanila, tapos dadagdagan ko na lang.

“Hanggang sa ganun yung routine namin, magpapa-transfer ako, tapos magdadagdag na lang ako.”

Eventually, Pacheco realized her behavior was problematic, leading her to deceive friends about her financial situation.

“Dito ko na-realize na I met evil in the form of gambling, kasi, natuto ako magsinungaling, like sasabihan ko sa mga friend ko limit na ako.

“Pero yung totoo wala na talaga ako pang-cash in.”

She confessed to telling friends she had reached her cash-in limit while hiding her actual financial status.

“Naging makapal yung mukha ko,” she said with remorse.

Before concluding her video, Pacheco offered a warning to others engaged in online gambling, urging them to stop while they could.

“Imagine 2021, I started wala pang mga social media influencer na nagpo-promote ng sugal, pero naimpluwensyahan ako with just, ‘Send-an mo ako ng 500 pampahiyang lang.’”

She noted how easily she was influenced by small amounts sent for gambling, asking, “How much more ngayon na budgeted na and advertised na itong mga sugal na ito.”

Pacheco’s intention in sharing her story was to help others recognize the risks associated with gambling.

“Ginawa ko itong video na ito for a realization na tumigil ka na. Alam ko mahihirapan ka, alam ko nanghihinayang ka sa lahat ng mga napatalo mo.”

She encouraged acceptance of losses, stating, “Tanggapin mo na hindi na kayang bawiin lahat ng yun.”

Lars Pacheco gained recognition after participating in the “Miss Q&A” pageant on It’s Showtime in 2018, where she had a second runner-up finish.

Last year, she also made it to the Top 6 of the Miss International Queen pageant.

READ MORE: