18 year old son is gambling - lost all his savings

[Shattered mum]

Our son turned 18 last week. We have just found out that he has been gambling since last November. He was transferring his money to an older friends bank account. We have confirmed this. He has lost all his savings from his after school job which is around $7500. He lost more than half the money in the first 4 weeks and said he has since been trying to recover his losses. We don't know what to to help him.
He has never been any trouble previously. He plays lots of sport. He does not drink alcohol but he has been withdrawn and his school work has suffered over last 6 months.
My husband and I are devastated and we do not know how we should help him. We also have 2 daughters who are worried about him.

[Pikachu]

Hi @Shattered mum,
Welcome to the forum and thank you for sharing.
You must feel overwheming being in this situation, seeing your loving son struggling can not be easy. Don't hesitate to ask us if there is anything you are looking for . I have included some information you might find helpful in the welcome message we sent you.
We hope you can find some support in this space.