Yabbut… doing it every once in a while might greatly assist in getting you money from other folks.
Perhaps, but as a thug, if I wanted to set an example, I’d rather murder some shady debtor guy without much relatives, who owes a lot of money. Those desperate types are the kind that need setting an example.
Not somebody’s mom. Murdering moms, besides getting you more harrasment from the cops, also scares away the neater kind of debtors, like old ladies, a loanshark is dependent on.
Not to mention the fact that the electric company hasn’t engaged in such practices for quite a while now. 
Only if they know it was you who had the guy whacked. If they know, the police know, if the police know, you stand a good chance of winding up in jail. To avoid jail, you need to be really really sharp, and leave no evidence during the murder, it’s not as easy as TV makes it out to be.
You’re way better off breaking thumbs, blackening eyes, and smashing windows. At a minimum, the victim has an interest in keeping the cops out of it, because he doesn’t want to get in bigger trouble. The cops aren’t going to put a lot of independent effort into investigating a punch to the face. If you kill him, the cops are going to investigate, he can’t claim he fell down the stairs.
Also, if you know Jimmy killed a guy who owed him money, and Johnny only breaks thumbs, who are you going to bring your loan request to?
Another vote for you did the right thing, Mosier. Instead of feeling guilty, have you considered getting angry at your mother for putting you in that position in the first place? She’s a grown woman who has plenty of money who is making you feel guilty for not giving her some of your hard-earned cash because she squandered her own money. That really isn’t appropriate.
Agreed. Don’t feel bad, you’ve done the right thing. Do you think you could talk your mom into getting treatment?
Absolutely not. She would be offended and completely shut down any conversation I would start along those lines.
Then don’t worry about it. She doesn’t see that she has a problem, so there is no problem.
The fact that there IS a problem doesn’t matter. She doesn’t see it, so you can’t help her.
This was the 70s, $25,000 was small change to the Mob. Best to beat him nearly to death like they did all the other degenerate gamblers that owed.
If they do get in a situation with payday loans- there are some things they can do to minimize the payments. I was entangled in some here in Nevada and here are some helpful things I learned online.
Nevada has a repayment plan law- if you request a repayment plan, the payday loan company has to arrange one for you and can only charge one finance charge. You have to do this about 3 days before it goes through.
If it was an online store, check and see if it was licensed for business in Nevada. I got two payday loans online and both companies completely marked me paid in full (unfortunately many months later after I’d already paid them a mint) for over $1000 when I questioned the legality of the loans and threatened to contact authorities in Nevada.
I was in a very similar situation as your mother. I’m still addicted to gambling but have managed to quit for several months. One thing I had to do is change my routine here- I don’t go to the same stores (I was gambling nickels at the grocery store). For a time, I requested my bosses that I not receive any payroll advances and my boyfriend is completely aware of my problem and will hold me accountable if I ask for help or am missing for hours. Right now, I’m in that phase where it seems too easy- like I can’t believe how I gambled so stupidly and I know that’s a dangerous feeling, like you have it beat. So I’m always on guard for my own behavior and making an effort to stay busy- working on my health, putting alot more effort into cooking, my dogs, etc.
I found taking a daily vitamin and eating better/exercising has made a difference in my depression, which had alot to do with the gambling. In no sense a cure, but since I feel alot better and energetic, the idea of sitting in front of a machine doesn’t appeal to me right now. Or maybe its just a placebo but making positive changes in your life is also addicting IMHO. I have not joined GA, I’m kinda afraid of sitting around and talking about gambling- seems like it could be a trigger for me.
My mother also is a gambling addict, she is now carrying 3 mortgages on her house, but after hitting rock bottom and nearly losing her house, she hasn’t gambled for over a year. Both she and I had to make that decision ourselves though- for me it was just being tired of being financially anxious, realizing I had started to lie about my problem to those I loved, etc. Hopefully your mother will get there before the damage is too bad.