So my story, it all started when I was on holiday. I’d £50 in and out the money on dead cert bets on football like over so many corners or free kicks etc, all at easy odds like 1.3. After a while I got that up to £500. I ended up putting it on a game, then lost that £500 after 4 successive corners. I’d panicked, rang the bank saying it wasn’t me I tried to do everything to get that money back. I ended up taking out a 1k loan at the age of 18. But that didn’t stop me, i started on roulette betting 20 a time getting up to 200 being too greedy to cash out and ended up loosing it time and time again. By this point I had 1k loan and 2k overdraft at the age of 19. More and more money got put on spins. I was spinning £200+ each spin at one point. I’d got up to 4K on an overdraft. A letter came in the post which my Mam accidentally opened, it was from the loan company. Everything unfolded she knew everything. They were so supportive though it, they gave me a second chance and payed off the debt and said to pay it back in instalments. I said I’d never bet again, and I didn’t for a while. At this point my gf knew aswell and we were already going through a rough time. I ended up going to counselling as I started with depression I felt worthless. After a while of not betting I stopped the counselling, a few months went by I started again, this time going in the shops it started off small, loosing £20 and leaving. But then it progressed I started chasing my money. Ended up putting £500+ on payday, by the end of the week I had nothing of my pay left. I went back to the overdraft blew another grand and a half on it and again my parents found out and again bailed me out. The pain and disappointment I feel now because of all this is awful. I’m 21 years old I want a house but I’m in so much debt because of my stupid habit. I’m going back to counselling and stopping betting. I don’t want to disappoint my family, they mean everything to me and they’ve gave me an amazing upbringing and I owe them the world. But all I’ve done is disappoint, it’s time to make a change.
All your messages will help me get through this
So thank you in advance
Good morning . Firstly well done on admitting that this has gone too far . I was similar to you and gambled at your age . My mum also paid off my debts two or three times and each time I said I would stop, but didn’t truly believe my own words . 20 years later and my life had been exactly the same ,losing everything more loans , more lies . I wish I had been your age and sought help but you can’t look back . My life has improved greatly over the last 3 months and yours will too. Read the posts on here , take the advice . You will only stop when you say the words to yourself and actually mean it . There are no winners except the casinos when you are a compulsive gambler . You see we have no stop button . We can’t stop when we win and we can’t stop when we lose .
Hi Mason if you take bailouts from parents or others, which most have done, it 'sets you free'. Most just gamble again. Accept the money is gone. Take the help out there. Counselling, debt advice, gp if you're depressed. Put some blocks in place. Get your mum to manage your money rather than taking hers. Find a GA meeting, there are many young people there now as gambling is far more accessible and banks are falling over themselves to get you into debt. If you really want to stop you need to act now. Gambling will ruin you and it's ripples will affect your family and relationships. Call gamcare and talk to someone.
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