Addicted to Slots - Scared of where this leads.

Your post regarding your gambling habits are very similar to mine. I excluded myself from the UK online casinos ages ago, but since around August last year I found the crypto websites and just went way over the top - gambled hundreds per day on slots. Been in winning positions, enough to almost break even but I kept going and going and lost it all.

At one point I was almost xxx up on one website within a day, then decided to be stupid and buy bonus features which killed my balance. Chased the losses and am now needing to be strict with money for next 3/4 months to be back on track.

hope you can pull things together on your end to be back on track! 

Good morning friend,

I can totally relate to everything you’re saying. You’re with people who get this here so don’t feel like you’re alone in this. 

I too have particularly been struggling with crypto casinos recently as well. I blanket banned myself from the regulated high street ones. Installed the blocking softwares, told the banks to block gambling transactions, cut up cards, added restrictions to my broadband router etc etc but ultimately when you want to gamble you will find a way around all of that. I’ve recently found myself in a payday loan/gambling mess. I convinced myself I would be able to win the payday loan back and then some, pay the loan back and have money for myself which never worked out and the loan is now acquiring £4.90 interest a day (doing that was just adding more risk to the gamble anyway which is ridiculous). This thing (gambling) has the ability to make us irrational and that dream of hitting it big looms constantly in the distance where we truly believe we have the ability to just reach out and take it we take unimaginable risks. 

I’ve recently been participating in CBT sessions with ARA weekly. I also engage with a counsellor with them every fortnight too. I would really recommend you reach out to ARA and arrange this too. Reaching out to places like that was never something I felt comfortable doing but I realised a big change was needed and being out your comfort zone probably has to happen and probably means you’re doing something right. I’ll leave the website below. 

All the best 

Calvin 

https://www.recovery4all.co.uk/gambling-harms-services/

@Tonino84

Thank you for letting us know what is happening to you, you've made considerable efforts to stop which shows a huge amount of motivation to beat this.

Cal.J has made an excellent suggestion of accessing some gambling harms councelling/CBT. Although in Cal.J's location the support is provided by ARA, it will be a different provider depending on location. You can find and refer yourself to your local provider (it's free) using this link, https://www.gamcare.org.uk/get-support/find-local-support/  or if it's easier you can call the National Gambling Helpline on  0808 8020 133  and they will make the referral on your behalf. 

We wish you all the success and please do keep us updated on how you are getting on

All the best

Jane Forum Admin

Hi mate. I feel your pain and have been addicted to slots but in a different way from you. I can go months without but then somehow find myself back on them and winning a good few hundred or 1000’s. But that’s my issue, I’m then hooked. As soon as I lose one deposits worth I then chase and chase until I have lost all my winning and thousands of my own money. I had my last relapse about 3 weeks ago but I am promising to myself this is the the last time ever as the way I have been feeling this time around is the lowest in my life and I never want to feel like this again. I’ve been on Gamstop which worked to an extent but then had my girlfriends account which still let me deposit through my own Apple Pay which was the reason I last messed up. The guilt, shame, lying and anxiety is too much to deal with anymore and this is definitely the last time for me. I have started to reach out to gamcare and speaking to the gamcare team is helping. I would recommend you do this and also install Gamban. This will stop your from going on any gambling sites on your device. You have to put everything ahead of this horrible addiction and just the of the consequences of this continues. It’s easier said than done, but the only way to win is to not gamble. Cut your losses mate, and move forward with your life. Cheers.