Different types of gambling

No, it's not possible for a CG to maintain control long term even switching formats. It's also worth bearing in mind that even if the original problem area is closed down the addiciton can and does switch to remaining outlets thus maintaining the cycle of destruction.

Attending and participating in casino nights and race meetings even in a social or work capacity is playing with fire IMO.Even small stakes keep the fires of addiction burning. Might be worth asking yourself why you feel the need to risk that for events that are easily avoidable.

I don't believe it's possible. Compulsive gamblers are wired up differently.

Tried it and failed many many times.

My inital problem was FOBTs and i got myself well into debt (20k) when i was in my early 20s (37 now)

Then i moved onto betting horses and playing poker in casinos.

I then went some time without betting but eventually I was betting on football, tennis, golf and then got into online blackjack and roulette which eventually led me to ending up with a 50k debt.

This time i have given up everything, no lottery, no 50p cards to win £10, not anything were I could win money and possible relight the guse.....and here I am nearly 500 days down the line and my debt is down to around 19k.

If i can do it anyone can.

Thanks for the replies, its interesting as I feel that my issue really is just with the online gambling. I feel absolutely no urge or need to gamble on horses, or blackjack etc. I know this isnt the same for everyone and appreciate that. I just feel that I probably could split the two and not have any issues - I was just interested to see if anyone had successfully done so.

Hi jacktajackson.

I agree with with the others here but would say that there is a point to be made about different triggers. However I would not advise you to try any other forms of gambling at the races or casinos.

Casinos scare me and I have never been into the horse races. However I dont think I could trust myself not to chase to extinction if I tried sitting at a card table or spent a day at the horse racing.

Recovery gave me the serenity to accept that it may always be within me but can be controlled with a healthy mind. Rapid play machines were my downfall but if I substituted something else, I could lose all control again

Ive no urges to go gambling but wouldnt want to try it with family or friends for example.

It could be argued that the lottery will never trigger a problem for me. There is also a debate that it lets my guard down for the gambling mentality to gain hold again. Its best if you adopt a policy of complete abstention.

It does worry me that you mention casual attendance at a casino. Your blocks must be cast iron and you will gain real pride by avoiding any form of gambling

Best wishes from everyone on the forum

Appreciated the comments there, I guess I feel that there are two different forms.

I just wanted to say how I view the two differently below (Ive split out Casino/Horses);

• Online gambling for me was very much about winning money. I would bet on everything and anything with the primary purpose of making money and feeling good. Classic gambler, I was addicted and it was so easy.
• Casino - I love the game of blackjack, not for the gambling, for the mechanics of the game. Same with poker. If I could play these for free at a casino I would. Its not about the gambling, winning or losing for me. I rarely go to the casino in all honesty and I have no urges to gamble like I get to gamble on sports online (maybe because I know the odds arent in your favour with blackjack). Whenever I have previously been to casino I take £20, whatever happens with that £20 I see it as an expense. If I lose it in 5 mins I would leave or get a drink or whatever but not chase. If I win, well thats great but doesn't spur me to gamble more. Never have and never will as I see it completely different to online gambling.
• Horses is another kettle of fish, when I have been to the horses I have taken the same approach of say £20 as an expense. If I lose then thats fine, if I win thats great. The problem there is I would lose it out of my online account and then refund my online account for football bets etc. I can see your comparisons and why I shouldn't go to Horses. However like I say it is sometimes part of my job and I can't get away from that, but I'm fairly certian that I can go to the horses and not bet at all, im really not into horse racing all that much and I would be going from a work point of view and a social one.

Having clarified, what are peoples thoughts? I accept that the demon of my online betting could spill over and gamblers always find a way etc. I just feel like I could control the other forms its only the online betting that I could not control and therefore have excluded etc.

I can kinda answer this with some conviction in as much as I continued to play the lottery when I 1st stopped the fruitues (fast play machines very much my downfall)...

I was asked why I felt the need to do so when I argued quite convincingly (or so I though) that it just didn't give me the same buzz. I had no reason, I was just resolutely adamant that I would continue to do so because I could & because it meant I was 'normal', chucking a quid in to the office syndicate when someone deigned to run one. I had varying degrees of urges for the fruit machines in the 1st couple of months but then over the next 2 years, the biggest struggles were with my ongoing splurges on the lottery & I had to really fight not to let it get out of hand. Just before Christmas, I accepted that I still had a lot of work to do on me & decided to get myself down to GA which meant knocking the lottery on the head & lo, I don't think I've had a single urge since (if I have they've been very weak & not @ all memorable). I was right, it didn't give me the same buzz & I don't miss it but doing it was keeping my pilot light of addiction turned up instead of just on (it never goes out).

I get where you're coming from, I really do but as was asked of me early on, why bother? Why can't you just let it go if it means so little? What better things could you spend those gambling tokens on?

ODAAT - you've got me thinking now. I think you raised a really valid point. I guess the why bother side would be that it would be that infrequent and not me promoting going etc. If a social event was organised to go to the casino it would be difficult to justify to colleagues or friends why I wouldn't be going. That being said Im fairly sure I could go and not gamble. Food for thought.

See how you go jacktajackson with good blocks in place.

Any other form of gambling keeps those gambling neurons forming in your brain. I would accept that you had stopped the online bookmakers but I would worry that any continued gambling could retrigger other urges.

Its a complex addiction and you must never be complacent. I would tell family and be closely monitored. Breaking the cash location money triangle works.

You have to be fully aware that allowing yourself a trip to gambling events with friends is often a way of the addiction creating a comfort zone.

Its a hard one to answer but we do advise that you dicsuss compulsuive gambling with people close

In full recovery I dont really want friends or colleagues who gamble. I never liked gamblers banter and it just worries me because I see the real dangers of gambling and I see gambling clearly for what it is.

It is your decision how you deal with it.

Best wishes from everyone on the forum

You don't have to justify why you're going or not. Mr L has been asked to go on works nights out and just says it's not his thing. No-one will be particularly interested in the whys and wherefores. Do it a couple of times and it will just be accepted that it's not an event you attend. If you really have to justify not attending for work there's always an acceptable excuse.

I was going to post a similar question on here. I am out of control with FOBT and to an extent the casino, I will gamble hundreds of pounds and have lost thousands, but my Football betting and horse betting maxes out at a fiver - I simply do not bet big on those sports / events. I feel that my gambling problem is with FOBT and online and off line casinos. Not sports.

Can I gamble on sports? Looking at these replies, it seems not....it seems that I will ultimately self destruct on them too

I dunno - everyone is different right?

Like Burko26 FBOT seem to be a big problem arena for me, where as small occasional bets on football and novelty TV outcomes I don't get the urge to empty my wallet into the machine

fbot are destructive

I think the limits on FOBT should be set at £2 or 3 a spin, I havent had a problem with them but have seen people who do..

I would say tread carefully, your online gambling most likely started small and controlled but it went on to reach a point where it was a problem.

One big win at the casino or on the horses has the potential to change your mindset.

Whatever you choose, good luck!