Lending rent money to a gambling roommate
- Kind
- Ethical dilemma
Prompt
You share an apartment with a friend you have known since high school. Over the past four months, he has lost about $4,000 of his student loan on a sports betting app. You know this because he showed you his account one night and laughed it off. Today he asks to borrow $600 to cover his half of this month's rent, which is due in three days. He promises that he has deleted the app and that he will repay you from his summer job in June. You both signed the lease, so if he does not pay, the landlord can hold you responsible for his share. You have the money, but it is most of your savings. What would you do?
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After you practice: what this question tests and how to approach it
What this question tests
- Empathy and compassion
- Communication
- Critical thinking
How to approach this question
This MMI station tests how you support a friend with a gambling problem without enabling him or putting your own security at risk. Name the stakes: his housing, your savings, your shared liability under the lease, and a long friendship. Address the pattern honestly before deciding about the money, since four months of losses brushed off with a laugh suggest more than a one-off. Weigh lending the full amount, paying the landlord directly, lending with a written repayment plan, or declining while helping him find other options. Pair whatever you decide with an honest conversation and an offer to help him find support. If the station shows his promises slipping, raise what you saw directly and without accusation, and reconsider what your support should look like.
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