Hi
I'm new here, im 20 and my boyfriend who is 30 has had a gambling problem for the past 10 months as far as im aware it could have been for far longer!! I gave birth to our first child in september and between august to september he has bet over £1000 which is alot for our small income. so hes leaving no money at all incase of emergencies etc so that i cant even pop to the shop and buy my baby nappies or milk and he sees no problem, he just makes empty promises and nothing ever changes.
i dont know what to do anymore as i have my newborn son to think about aswell and i want the best for him
thanks for listening, any advice would be appreciated đŸ™‚ x
Hi emlp
Welcome to the forum and well done for posting.
You will find a very supportive community on here not just for the gambler but for those affected by gambling as well so please keep reading and posting.
It sounds as if you are going through a very difficult time concerned about your boyfriends gambling and also worried about being able to provide for yourself and your baby.
It is important that you get support for yourself so I would encourage you to call our helpline on 08088 8020 133 or contact us on the netline and speak to one of our advisers in confidence about your options.
Best wishes
Alex.
Hi emlp,
I've been a CG and Half-Life dispenses very good advice. I agree in that he does not seem ready to give up gambling and it does seem to be his priority at present, Harsh words I know. If I were in your shoes I'd definitely call the helpline.
I'd just be a bit worried that he could be on the payday loans and other borrowings. You may want to ask to see his credit file.
Remember above all protect yourself and the baby. If your boyfriend wants to set off on the road to hell-let him walk down it alone and not drag you and the little one with him. I know what lies gamblers can tell - I've been one myself.
Discuss things with the helpline first though and act on what they advise.
Take Care Now.
You must be so worried and scared right now. Phone gamcare for advice you will also get lots of advice from people who have been and are in your position and from cg who have walked in your boyfriends shoes. You will have mixed emotions towards your boyfriend and disbelief that this is happening and he thinks it is not a problem when it is a big problem. It's frustrating to family of cg as we can see there is a definite problem and think 'why are they doing this, why dont they just stop and get control of themselves!' It is an addiction, it can be controlled with hard work from the cg when they actually want to stop and change. I'm only two weeks into finding out my 25 year old son has been gambling for two years. You have the baby to think of now, of course you want to be a happy family and if you can you can try and support your boyfriend through this but it would be a shame for you to be in one of the sad stories you read on here where partners have lived many many years living this life. You have some tough choices ahead of you.
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