Ren Jie, once a fervent gambler, now appeal to the public to stop illegal soccer betting.

This is the last time, I swear. No more gambling.

That's what Ren Jie, a successful business owner and family man, told himself before placing one last big bet of 230,000 yuan ($ 35,420) on a series of soccer matches between Roma, AC Milan, Real Madrid and Manchester City.

"I only need enough money to bail myself out of this mess and I'll never gamble again," he recalled telling himself.

He lost is all.

Meeting the bookie

It was the summer of 2004 and Ren had already gambled away his company and his savings and piled up 1 million yuan debt to shady bookies, which he couldn't pay off.

Ren was escorted to a teahouse by a dozen young, muscular guys with tattooed arms. He was given three months to pay up. He mortgaged his house, sold his car, and borrowed from friends. He swore he'd never gamble again.

"Don't ever believe a gambler," said the bespectacled 40-year-old.

Two years before that big loss, he was the proud owner of two apartments in Beijing and two other apartments in his hometown in Chongqing. He also owned a car and had 2 million yuan in cash in the bank. His company, which organized exhibitions, was valued at several million. Things were going great until he started betting on soccer matches in 2002 when China made it into the World Cup for the first time.

That's also about the time when underground gambling dens and online gambling began to flourish on the Chinese mainland.

Across the country, there are tens of thousands of people who are addicted to gambling which is prohibited in China. Some experts estimate that the gambling industry rakes in billions of yuan a year.

Ren said that by speaking out, he hopes people will learn about the dangers of gambling and realize that despite efforts by police to stop such activities, it is still prevalent.

Six months after he paid off his losses, the bookies lured him back. This time he had to sell the two apartments he bought for his parents back home to pay off his new debts.

"One night I thought my wife was asleep, and I went downstairs determined to kill myself," Ren said.

Luckily, his wife stopped him and he never bet again.

In 2006, he published his experience in the Beijing-based Legal Mirror and launched an "anti-soccer gambling alliance," which offers advice and help to addicts and lends them a sympathetic ear.

In 2007, he opened a restaurant where gambling addicts could gather and discuss how to get back on their feet. After his car was vandalized and he and his family were repeatedly threatened, he sold the restaurant two months ago.