26 years old and ruined my life :(

If you're all roped into payday loans , if you haven't already get some advice from stepchange or debt camel.

I’m on a payment plan for the pay day loans that I set up myself with them, i can’t wait to be debt free next summer and hopefully never gamble again. It’s funny cos as you read comments and write on this it’s easy to say you’ll never do it again but it always finds its way back to you 🙁

Hello LostLisa welcome to the forum. It is a positive step you have taken to protect yourself from gambling by removing yourself from the raffle pages and blocking so you can not be added again. It also sounds like you have a debt managent plan in place with an end in sight next summer. Here is information on software you may want to use in the longer term to block gambling from any devices you have used for gambling in the past. https://www.gamcare.org.uk/get-advice/what-can-you-do/blocking-software#.VBwD8fldXww

We have a helpline where you can talk to an adviser if you want further information and support we are open 8am -midnight every day. The helpline is 0808 8020 133

Keep posting we are here to support you

KInd Regards

Forum admin

LostLisa wrote:

Hi Leah, that is really difficult to hear you will be paying out so much for so long. I haven’t been back on any websites but wasted £170 on raffles on Facebook gambling pages yesterday so I’m really upset with myself as it’s put me a whole month behind paying off debt.

I’m paying £400 a month until March then £300 until July then I’ve got about £50 a month to pay on payday loans that the interest is so high on I’m not entirely sure when they will be finished. I’ve removed myself from the raffle pages and blocked all the admins on it so they can’t add me back into it xx

im not on facebook so not heard about these mysterious raffles ? from what you have said i cant understand the attraction ?

buy one for £20 in the hope of winning £100 ? , thats around a 4/1 chance which would mean you would need less than 5 people buying the tickets to make it anywhere near worthwhile ?

or have i got it wrong ?

also regarding your debts i would look into an IVA or dmp if they are over 10 thousand

Stay strong Lisa; it is so tough, relate to your story so much. The thing with the facebook groups is that you pay a few pounds for a number and then before you realise it, you have spent so much money. The greed is silly. The attraction is that you don't have to pay so much, to begin with, but then after a few wins, you become confident.

Hey! Well there will be 5 numbers for sale 1-5 you pick one and pay £20 and it’s drawn with a random generator online, the first ones I done were £2-3 a shot as there was lots of numbers but these pages are getting bigger and bigger. I actually got added to another one yesterday and put £10 on and won £100 so I went to the cash machine and took it straight out and spent it in tesco getting loads of nice food as a lot of you will know you end up leaving yourself with £20 to feed yourself for god knows how long half of the time! After that I Had £30 left in my bank and wasted it on more raffles last night - I Have blocked this page and reported it to Facebook as this is genuinely the only thing I am gambling on just now! Haven’t touched a website or wanted to since July 🙁 I really don’t want to delete Facebook as I love seeing all my friends photos etc on it. I’m really annoyed about the £30 as there was a pair of trousers I wanted that cost that and I told myself I couldn’t afford them! I’ve picked up an extra shift at my second job today and have told myself it’s my own fault I’m spending my Sunday there as I wasted money on gambling - again!

My debts aren’t over £10K but the big amount is to my auntie which I should have been finished paying her in feb but it’ll be March now as I paid her this month then I asked to borrow it back again which is what has put me 1 month behind. How is everyone finding it with Xmas coming up? I done my shopping in one day as soon as I got paid before I had the chance to s***k my money away on gambling.

Such Facebook groups should be banned, as it’s not being monitored, also. How have you found blocking the online sites on your phone has it helped? Definitely, I wouldn’t get rid of Facebook, just delete the groups, not worth it Lisa.

I’ve never even tried to get back onto a gambling site honestly I would never touch them again! Haven’t since July and there’s no temptation. I think the Facebook problem is that you’re having so much banter with the girls and it seems harmless! They do get taken down as soon as Facebook finds out about them but they just change the name and make more!

Completely understand, I have done the same with these Facebook groups, my issue is more online at the moment, I’m going to use the ban, and move forward from today!! Day one!! Hope your Sunday working isn’t too bad, hope that the groups start disappearing as catches people out!

Ah have you, it’s a nightmare cos as I’ve said I don’t have any temptation to gamble anywhere else! definitely get the blocking software, self exclude yourself for the maximum time and if you haven’t already sign up to GameStop this is what stopped me and I’ve never looked back! I know I’ve wasted £170 on Facebook but months ago I was putting £2K a time into roulette and losing it all, I was living with constant anxiety and pushed all my friends and family away. I feel so much better now I’ve stopped the online sites!

my Downfall is when I’m sitting doing nothing just looking at my phone so when I get the urge to play the raffles I leave my phone in the house and walk the dog down the park. My works been a blessing aswell as my full time job my phone is in a locker all day and my part time job is in a wee village where there’s hardly any signal for internet

Also good luck on your first day, have you got any plans ? Good luck - I have so much faith that you can manage this - one day at a time 🙂

Justme6767 wrote:

Completely understand, I have done the same with these Facebook groups, my issue is more online at the moment, I’m going to use the ban, and move forward from today!! Day one!! Hope your Sunday working isn’t too bad, hope that the groups start disappearing as catches people out!

I haven't gambled since using gamstop. Please if you haven't already sign up. I can't emphasize this enough. Urges come and go but I have no way of following through on them. Live is beginning to settle with help from my gp. If I feel anything it's like a fool for being sucked into this for so many years. Facebook wouldn't appeal to me as not big wins, so safe there. Instead of gambling daily and most of my wage I am putting money into my home and changing areas that get me down like my job. There is hope I have gambled for over 25 years

Hello Lisa. I have just been reading your diary and felt really sad.

You worked your little socks off all year and gambling has just taken everything away from you as well as causing you sadness, shame and remorse.

However, what's done is done and can't be undone. It is now a part of your past but please don't allow it to dictate your future. There's nothing quite so insidious as compulsive gambling so please do what ever you can to get it out of your life. I wish you well...stephen