Chasing Losses has ruined everything.

Hi all, It's my first night on here, I've been reading this thread and understand where you're all coming from. I'm just about at rock bottom having gambled away my entire December salary save for the 2 weeks worth of shopping and £150 cash that I withdrew on payday. Slots have had my rent money, gas and electric and would have had the water and tv licence money had I not stopped paying them months ago. I've had to contact my letting agent and give them a c**k and bull story about someone raiding my bank account on line. I have a 14 year old son, I am all he has in the world. I have no one to go to for help with anything let alone bills. I feel sick to the pit of my stomach but worse still that I have done this to him at Christmas time. He has no idea that I now have no money and can't pay the rent. I too have excluded myself from so many casino's i;ve lost count but the other commentator was right, there is always another. I can;t add blocking software to this laptop as it is a company laptop and they could call it back in for some update or another at any time. I've maxed out all my cards, had one too many payday loans. December was going to be the month it all stopped - I got myself a cash card account intending to start afresh but I have been worse than ever - I have never gambled my rent money before. I hope that I can be as strong as you all seem to be. Is there any financial advice to be had on here?

To somethings got to give, try your local job and benefits office for a crisis loan, give them a c**k and bull story saying you lost your purse somewhere with x amount of cash in it, you dont have to be unemployed to get one, dont say its for rent but say you need it for electric, food and household essentials. I feel for you im in the excact same boat, monthy pay for a CG is a curse, i just lost my house by not paying rent, but on the plus side you wont be evicted missing 1 month

Thanks str, I have spent all day today googling 'can't pay rent' and 'eviction' and can't seem to find a simple answer. Half the sites seem the say that if you're a day in arrears you can be evicted whereas the other half says 2 months before the process starts. I will be able to pay next month as I do earn a relatively good wage but I won't be able to pay 2 full months, so it looks like it'll take a few months to catch up (so long as I can stop gambling of course). I'm assuming that your credit rating is shot to bits too?? So have you managed to find another rental home or are you with family/friends? Sorry for being nosey but that's my next worry, that the landlord will ask me and my son to go when our lease is up in June. How on earth will I get another place with my credit rating, and apparently you can't go on the council list if you are earning decent money.. How have you got on today? I've read a few of your comments, did you manage to get through the day without gambling? My body clock is completely out because I've been up until 4 or 5 in the morning for the past 4 nights on slots 🙁

@somethingsgottogive I don't know how it is in england but in northern ireland, if you have children and going to be evicted you go top of the council list for re homing and would cost u less to rent than your private rent. My credit rating is that bad i cant get rent or a phone. But around were i live we have private landlords who dont credit check. All my family know i gamble, luckily my mum is putting me up until end of month then il be moving on. I was in bookies twice today to self exclude, and twice they asked for more documents but i didnt place a bet. At the moment i dont want to bet as i want to see my daughter in london, but its easy not betting when your low on cash the real test comes on payday and ive never not gambled when in the UK on payday. And sorry amt1974 for hijacking your page!!!!

It doesn't work like that here I don't think, they tell you you to find a private rental as you can afford it but private rentals all credit check so I'll be in a catch 22 situation. Anyway, thanks for replying, it's just nice to know that there is somewhere that I can be honest with people instead of putting on the facade of respectable, in control, independent woman. I'm a mess. No one knows it but me (and you now!) but I am a mess. Well done for today and good luck with getting to see your daughter. Let's be the parents our kids deserve for a change eh?

Ditto to amt1974, sorry also.

Hi,

To help on one small matter. Lettings agencies can only see public info when they credit check you. That would be CCJ,s bankruptcy or an IVA already in place. They would not know you have debt unless you tell them. I know this from personal experience.I am just like you and payday is a nightmare. Do you realise that if you have an IVA, your name and address will be listed on the insolvency register. How bad are your finances ?

Just some general comments from me.

I was addicted to online slots for many many years after being addicted to slots in arcades and pubs. It is so, so easy, just to spend the money, because like it has been said on the thread, it's not in your hands, so it doesn't seem like real cash.

A gambler, really only stops when they want to and will then do everything and anything they can, to make it happen. For me, I decided after joining another thread on another forum, with people who also wanted to stop.

I let friends and family know and I worked out, my complete debt (both which was painful), then set about repairing it.

I would strongly suggest, making a diary on this site and/or consistently posting your daily thoughts on this thread, it doesn't matter even if you don't always get a reply, people will be reading and understanding where you are coming from.

Like others here, I thankfully after 4 years, managed to turn my life around, so it can be done, but it's certainly not easy and there will be down moments as well as some great feeling, such as clearing a credit card balance or paying off a loan, even small one.

Good luck to everyone, fighting against this horrible addiction.

Thanks Sammy, I've replied to you on another thread and thanks Steve, I realise it's going to be a long journey but one that I have got to start. I appear to have hijacked AMT's thread again so will start one of my own if I can work out how to.

Rachel 🙂

Rachel, no worries r.e hijacking my thread for a few posts, know how you feel with the debt situation, in the same sort of situation myself.

Day 3 for me today, closed the only online account I have and have'nt tried to access website to see if it is closed. Main thoughts at the moment are applying my efforts to finding the funds to repay my business account which I stole from last week. Then tackle the wife's credit card and joint account overdraft then my personal debts. So plenty to focus on. Positive few days selling a few items to help with the task.

Hey amt1974, well done for today and best of luck with finding funds - I'd need to find a couple of gold bars down the back of the sofa to put on ebay in order to sort my debt out 😉 Hope you get some more work come in during January too. I'm off to a conference in the morning but will be back on line Tues night I expect so I'll look out for you then and hope that we've both managed to stay dry.

Keep the faith and look forward to another gamble free couple of days. I'm thinking of starting a recovery diary, maybe it's the way forward to keep active on this forum. The last three days it has helped me keep focus. Can't be a bad thing.

Hope you guys are still on the straight and narrow.

Steve1970 wrote: Hope you guys are still on the straight and narrow.

Hi Steve,

Yep I am, and had a good nights sleep last night for the first time in 8 days (perhaps because I managed to get a few money worries sorted yesterday through talking to people and not gambling!) I hope you're good too and thanks for the support. I have started a diary too. I was born in 1970 too by the way, must have been a good vintage 🙂

Rach x