Best way of self-excluding

Dear Compulsive Gambler, and anyone else reading this. We do not condone insulting behaviour towards anyone. For example, we have a zero-tolerance approach to abusive behaviour on the forum, to protect you our service users. As Advisers, we experience our fair share of abusive behaviour from callers and we would not wish this on anyone else, whatever your feelings about the gambling industry.

It is important that if you do have negative experiences of self-exclusion, that you are able to pass this feedback on to the industry so they can improve. You could write to the specific company concerned, or if your feedback is about MOSES, the Multi-Operator Self-Exclusion Scheme, their registered address is published here: https://self-exclusion.co.uk/terms-and-conditions/

Best wishes

Deirdre

Forum Admin

Thanks Deirdre - sorry to hear that you experience abuse yourselves, certainly not deserved and I agree nor is it for the employees in the industry - I will follow the links posted and feedback as required.

However the point I make and the ridiculous nature of the gambling industry remain the same. The majority of problem gambling could be solved overnight, if people didn't stand to lose so much financially. Sadly us CG fund a huge industry, including multiple spin-offs that should not need to exist

I made the choices to gamble. I've also made choices not to and have tried self exclusions etc before. Yet I can open an account with an unusual name, same bank details and same ID within five years all becuase I use a different email address. I can then gamble making up to 50 transactions in a day with no blocks

I've, on multiple occassions, tried to deposit £500, declined, £400 declined, £300 declined, £200 declined.....£25 succesfully deposited - how on earth is that not a sign of problem gambling - any contact, none.

then there's the contact with the 'live chat' team:

Me: Hi, I've made a withdrawal and I realise I have a gambling problem, please can you freeze my account.

Them: 'No' - please travel to Mount Everest, climb to the top and under the rock you will find a key, take that key to the Sydney Opera House and unlock the safe, inside the safe are some instructions on how to get to the south pole. Once you're at the south pole there will be a PDF form that you will be unable to edit, please take this to NASA who will unlock it for you and then complete that and return it to us, once we have it we will review it and then take steps to self exclude you for 5 years and we may even take you off our mailing list.

Me: Can't you just accept that I have signe dinto my account, passed your security checks and I'm now asking you to self exclude me

Them: no sorry, it's not our policy

Hi Compulsive Gambler

I hear your frustration. From time to time we do get the opportunity to feed back to the industry about our service user's experiences of self-exclusion. I'll make the relevant members of staff aware of this thread.

Best wishes

Deirdre

Forum Admin.

Hi CG.

On a local level I enjoyed feeling a surge of pride and positivity as I went round. It was one of the best days of my life. I tried to make sure they knew who I am and I wanted to see the sheet in their file with my picture. I took the time to make sure it was all being done and they were not casually brushing me off. Other gamblers were actually uplifted when they sensed what was going on as they knew it was the right thing...it was like the first time I had a nice conversation with another gambler in a den if you know what I mean. Before that it was just meaningless and twisted banter

I found there was no point being rude and most of the staff were actually quite pleasant and seemed relieved for me. They seemed to take some pleasure from using the process they have. I know they are not my friends and its not a job I would ever do but it would have been pointless and unacceptable to get nasty with them.

Self exclusions are one building block but not the only one. In my view thay have to be backed up with other measures and indeed tested to see if I was going to break them or go elseswhere. I accept the staff are busy but I found that the shame of even thinking I would pop in again was enough to draw a firm line under it. At no point did I think it was a foolproof system but its enough for me as I needed to feel secretive and welcome in a den. Its interesting that I weigh up that risk but not the odds on a machine

Fundamentally the gambling dens arent going anywhere for now so we do have to deal with it on stronger terms like blocking software...no passwords and even handing gadgets over.

Its unfortunate in a way thet we have to bear all that responsibility but we do. It does involve some effort but the online places do have a self exclusion procedure. They already have some personal details so you have to go through the procedure. I accept its not as easy as it should be but its a serious procedure and you have to take the time.

As I said its not the only building block but is an important keystone

Best wishes from everyone on the forum

If you were to take a hammer to the machines directly, then you would not be insulting anyone ; )

That's what happened in the final episode of the TV series Broken, which I've just watched. The main character, a priest, found a biblical justification for taking a hammer to the FOBTs. Good programme - covered lots of issues relevant to this forum. As well as having a gambling addict as a main character, it also looked at moral dilemas such as honesty and integrity.

I think there's a moral argument to the hammer approach. But defintely a bad idea due to almost certainly geting a criminal record

Funny you should post this, I was actually recommended this by a staff member (I can't remember why but I'm guessing they had no self exclusion forms because I'm pretty sure I knew how to do them @ that time). My potty mouth tried to fail me but I eventually managed to squeak out the f word (that I give away so freely most of the time) & went back 5 minutes later with a bunch of flowers to thank her!

For me, I'm not sure it was the fear of stepping back into somewhere that I was excluded from, more the slim chance of being able to collect any potential winnings (slim on both the word winning & the word collecting)...I've been in too many places where people come back with exclusions still in force & are allowed to play to ruination or until they tried to cash in & that's ugly 🙁 A hammer to the machine is more than just a criminal record, it's something that no staff member deserves to watch because they can't see inside your mind & don't know that they aren't next on you list.

As for the online exclusions, I think it's disgusting that they are allowed to operate the way they do! Any other genuine operators have unsubscribe buttons, you would think it even more vital for something as harmful as a gambling site...Maximum 5 years indeed! I did a 5 year exclusion in one place, went back almost to the day it ended, crippled myself financially again & when I filled the form in again, crossed out my 6 months & 5 year options & hand wrote 'for life'. Self exclusion isn't the answer, I know that now but anything that makes it harder to gamble should be accessible for those very few of us that actually get to the point of admitting we need help!

I spit on the machines and the staff don't like it. I'm already self excluded but they are ok about that. Last time I told a member of staff that I was self excluded on my way out so that I wouldn't be let in next time she was funny with me. I said I would be reporting her and she said she doesn't care as she wouldn't get in to trouble . They were her exact words . Unfortunately there are 5 or 10 thousand shops so we don't stand a chance!

I think the multiple self exclusion for shops has helped I wish online would do the same aswell cause some of them are quick and easy to self exclude where as others are not ie one of them said they would send a self exclusion form then I need to sign it and photocopy and send back to them in the mean time you could spend more hundreds.