Hope is waiting on the other side.

Jontay's Story

I started Open Gate Project not just to help others, but as part of my own redemption. Gambling addiction consumed my life since 2020, but it was the decisions I made — including illegal betting activity — that led to serious consequences. As my struggle was revealed publicly, I was banned from the NBA. That experience led to me having feelings of deep shame, losing my sense of identity, and facing isolation from friends and family who didn’t recognize the man I had become.

Through therapy, support, and time, I began to find a way forward. I realized I wanted to help others who feel as lost as I once did. Whether someone is just beginning to slip or already at rock bottom, gambling addiction isolates, destroys, and convinces you that the only way out is to chase one more win. I was fortunate to have a support system that helped me through recovery. I know many people don’t. That’s where Open Gate comes in.

We exist to be the kind of lifeline I wish more people had — a place built on lived experience and real understanding. We connect individuals to expert-led care, peer support, and tangible paths toward healing. Open Gate is rooted in the full reality of gambling addiction — not just the clinical side, but the emotional, financial, and personal fallout it leaves behind. Our mission is simple: to meet people where they are and help them find their way back.

We’re not just here to raise awareness. We’re here to throw a life raft to anyone drowning in the same waters I nearly didn’t escape.

With gratitude,

Jontay Porter
Executive Director
Open Gate Project