Me and Megyn Kelly

It’s been two weeks since I appeared as a guest on “NBC Megyn Kelly Today. Since then I’ve received a steady stream of emails from women around the country expressing their gratitude for allowing myself  to be interviewed on national television about my experience with gambling addiction.

When I was first contacted early in February by a producer inviting me to be on the show, I had to ask myself what I often ask about other people who go on national tv to talk about their problems. Why do they do it? Why would I do it? For what purpose? What do I hope to achieve? It certainly wasn’t to sell books, although Megyn Kelly promoted my memoir, Confessions of a Slot Machine Queen.

Unless you’re on Oprah, being on tv might generate a few sales, but certainly not enough to significantly boost your bank account. My goal in accepting the invitation was to bring national awareness, at least for the few minutes I was on the show, to how slot machine gambling is negatively affecting the lives of millions of people, especially African American women.

The fact that I’m now receiving personal messages from women from around the country who tell me that they’ve never discussed their problem with gambling with anyone is enough for me to feel that this was all worthwhile.

I’m regularly asked about Megyn Kelly. What was she like? My response is that she was friendly, smart, and inviting. She greeted me right before I came onto the set. I was immediately put at ease. I was surprised by the size of the studio and the large audience, about 200 people. But once Megyn and I settled down in our chairs, it felt like any other casual conversation with an interesting colleague or acquaintance.

Sandra Adell, Author, Confessions of a Slot Machine Queen: A Memoir