17 year old struggling with gambling

Knock it on the head now , take it from someone who's 10 years older and been exactly where you are 

Oh, my heart goes out to you. There are so many things I want to tell you but human nature being what it is, you might be like most of us, and have to do it your own way and learn the hard way. When I was your age, people told me not to gamble but I was stubborn, I thought I was different, I was smart and that I could figure out a way to make it work for me even if it didn't work for other people. I've wracked my brain trying to think of the best advice I can give you and if you're interested please listen to this story which is not about gambling at all but when I reach the conclusion you will see the point I am trying to make:

This is a true story and it was in the papers in my city here in the States a long time ago maybe 30 or 40 years ago, I can't remember exactly. There was a business tycoon who made his fortune in the restaurant business and had a dream of going into the hotel business. He bought two hotels and named them the Monarch Hotels. Well he invested a lot of money into making this name for his hotels, I'm talking about the signs, the stationary, the advertising, millions of brochures, etc etc. You get the picture. Well after he had made this investment he read an article in the paper about another hotel who was offering for sale, the use of THEIR name, and if you paid them so many millions of dollars, they would give you a license to use their name. The businessman thought long and hard. You see, he had just spent millions on his name choice. He had to make a decision. Hmmm, should he admit that he made a mistake and switch names even though that would be a financial setback? or should he stick with the path he was already on? He made his decision. He bought the license for the other name. He admitted he was wrong. Did the future with the new name work out for him? You might guess the answer when I tell you the name: the Ritz Carlton. By admitting he had made a mistake and choosing a different path, he became wealthier than he ever imagined. 

Young man, you are at a crossroads. Please choose your path wisely. Best wishes.

Hi jackhaywood19,

Well done for recognising that gambling is having an impact on your finances, relationships, hobbies, and mental health and for reaching out for support on the forum. It sounds like you are feeling hopeless about your situation but there is lots of support and advice to help you.  If you would like to talk to an adviser 1;1 please call the National Gambling Helpline 24/7 on 0808 8020 133 or webchat from this site and they can provide support and information about services that can help.  

Best Wishes

Clare 

Forum Admin

Hi Jack,

The reason you've lost interest in your other hobbies is because the high from winning was an addictive high, that can't be replicated by normal activities. It's like any addiction. If you stop you will recalibrate and find your hobbies interesting again. It takes a couple of weeks to get it out of your system, but you need to have a complete break and get perspective again.

People risk money all the time, whether it be investing in shares, buying an antique to sell, buying a house or starting a business. They are all financial transactions that carry a risk and have an inherent gamble. 

But unlike outright gambling, those are calculated risks that have a high chance of success. Slots have a very low chance of success and there lies the problem. The only way you win is if you get lucky. Luck runs out.

If you like the thrill of a win maybe try buying and selling. You can make a profit each month and the risk is low. 

Your whole life is in front of you. Use it more constructively otherwise you are just going to heap pain and misery on yourself, your friends and family.

Here is my favorite quote, you might like it too: "It's never too late, to do the right thing."

I’m in this exact boat now, I’m 19 years old and have been going to arcades for pretty much all of my life, starting on the 2p machines and working my way up. Since turning 18 I went into a adult gaming centre and loved it. Sometimes winning and sometimes losing but only losing a maximum of £50 which I was prepared for. I soon got wound in and the £50 would rise to £100 and so on and I’ve found myself sitting on the same machine for 3,4,5+ days in a row hoping to get my money back when I knew it was never going to happen. When lockdown happened I turned to online gambling which also never done me any favours and found myself constantly borrowing money until payday to play slots. I’d use savings money to gamble and any money I could find to be honest. This went on until the lockdown ended and over that period I wouldn’t like to think how much I spent, it was easy over £15,000 and I thought what am I doing I will never get it back so I joined gamstop and blocked all online sites for 5 years. But with lockdown ending the ‘machine shops’ as I call them had started to open back up so I started to go back in them. This is when things spiralled again and I was sitting on £25 jackpot machines (as daft as it sounds) for weeks upon end trying to win my money back and this has continued until yesterday when I finally decided enough was enough. I couldn’t afford to put thousands into a machine that only pays £25 so I’ve finally barred my self out of all shops and casinos within a fair radius of my home to try and get on the right track. Hopefully this is the end of my addiction and If I was to ever step foot in one of them places again, I’d be a lot more sensible and have more brains to walk away instead of trying to win money back which I know will never happen.

You're somewhat lucky, if you are only 17 you could potentially get a payout if the online sites didn't conduct their checks properly - since you have to be at least 18 to gamble.

On a serious note, 18 or not do not gamble any more as hard as it is you will not 'win' it back, only realistic way is to quit now and potentially try a court case/contact Gambling Commission.

i am also struggling. It started when I was younger I live in a seaside town so was always in the arcades. It started off as a tenner here and there and then it got worse and I would lose all my wages in one day and have to ask to borrow money.

i moved away to place where there was no arcades and I thought everything would be okay but then I started online gambling was just 20 quid to begin with and it started spiralling out of control. I always make sure my bills are paid but then whatever I have left I’m spending on gambling and leaving myself short on money meaning I’m having to use my credit cards with then means I’m having to pay more back the following month and it’s just a constant cycle. I’ve been taking on extra hours at work with is making me tired to try and pay everything that I owe.

i have been trying to pass my driving test and had some money saved and I’ve even spent that and now I’m struggling to pay for my lessons. My partner knows I gamble but he doesn’t know how bad it is and when he asks me about money I have to make up excuses of why I don’t have any. 

i know now it’s time that I get myself sorted I’m so miserable. I think oh I might win and I can pay all this stuff off but instead I’m putting 100s in and getting nothing back.