Getai singer Wang Lei, 61, better known online as ‘Fish Selling Bro’, may be raking in the big bucks as a live streaming sensation, but the 61-year-old was once in a mountain of debt after squandering all his money on gambling.

He recently shared about the horrors of gambling and his struggles are also portrayed in a new song ‘The 20th Floor’ by Malaysian singer Namewee.

"Most people think that ‘small’ gambling is fun, but if it becomes a habit, it will one day turn into ‘big’ gambling and eventually compulsive gambling. And subsequently, you will turn your back on your family," he said.

“When you owe a lot of money, you will borrow money from underground lenders, and the interest is very scary. The interest snowballs and eventually, it becomes several times more than the principal amount.”

Wang Lei shared that he once gambled away money that was meant for his mother's cancer treatment. Till today, he still feels ashamed for doing it.

He managed to overcome the problem with the support of his wife

According to previous reports, Wang Lei racked up $300K in gambling debts and was the target of 11 loan sharks. In 1999, he gambled away the entire cash proceeds from the sale of his HDB flat, losing $230K at the poker tables on a cruise ship in just three days.

It was with the support of his wife that he managed to quit gambling and repaid all his debts.

The song is one that will resonate with gamblers

While Namewee has never gambled, he has witnessed first-hand many friends who have fallen into addiction.

He was inspired to write a song about gambling after seeing an interview by Wang Lei and invited him to lend his vocals.

The song, which is a combination of rock and rap, is in a mix of Mandarin and Hokkien. Namewee initially wanted to write a vulgarity-laden song as Wang Lei has a penchant for swearing, but decided against it so the song can get more exposure and airplay on radio stations.

The music video also features Malaysian YouTuber Yang Baobao who too had a gambling addiction. She was detained by police in 2021 for attempting suicide as she was heavily in debt.

Malaysian YouTuber Yang Baoba, who stars in the music video, also had a gambling problem.  Photos: Namewee/Facebook, Wang Lei/Facebook