Hi all.
New to the site.
Have been betting 'hard cash' for several years now, never smartphone, (don't have one) or internet.
This week, Tuesday, backed a horse at Cheltenham, fiver each way, it won net profit £40.00, great!
Wed lost £17.00, couple of small bets, and today was off work this afternoon (15th) and lost approx £100, not the first time I have blown a
three figure sum, vert often alcohol influenced, but not this afternoon, quite sober today though, and was chasing losses.
For example £30 in a short priced horse at Meydan, finished 5th!
Own my own house, have no debts/kids/partner, and losses don't preclude me from doing anything else as I have other monies available,
which are in excess of any losses, but it does hurt me mentally.
In a menial job I don't really enjoy, but to be fair is quite well renumerated though, but below the 'oft quoted national average of £26k'.
Self excluded with a few local bookies but as we alll know there are always others available.
Keep a diary of days I do and don't bet.
Never really minded losing say £20.00 say over a a couple of hours, see that as entertainment, but today was a bad episode.
Will only take £20 to work tomorrow for food shopping and no debit card!
Ideally though want to stop and strip gambling out of my life!
Any thoughts/suggestions welcome.
Thanks.
Hey mate. At the moment financially you ae on the lower scale compared to alot of people on here. That's a good thing for you. Take a look at some of the stories on here, things just get worse and worse. I started like you and thought that 100 was a bad loss, lost 10,000 to 20,000 over 15 years, and that is nothing compared to some on here. I have had a bad day today blew all my money then got 200 out of my pensioner mum blew it all without even coming close to winning, all I can think about is could of beens. Blown 1000 in the last ten days, my partners skint at the moment as well, I can't help her but done in 1000 behind her back, don't even have the money to get to work this week. I will give you the same advice I give myself, get down to your local GA meeting, it's tough to go in and talk there, easier to stay at home, but nothing good ever came easy.
you mention in your post you are "quite well renumerated though, but below the 'oft quoted national average of £26k"
you have your own house no debts/ kids/ partners and surplus income to cover gambling ? .......assuming you are earning above 20K i cant imagine the loses you mention in your post are causing you any significant financial distress
it doesnt appear to me you are gambling for the finanical aspect but pherhaps more because you are bored in your life ?
you mention you dont like your job ? pherhaps it would be a good idea to look for a new one ? i found when i changed my job and got a girlfriend my gambling calmed down alot
my girlfriend also helps me to keep in check with reality,
like the other week i got carried away but thankfully she put her foot down and stopped me going any further meaning i left with money still in my pocket which years ago wouldnt of happend
anyway just some thoughts that may help
Thanks ally100 and nipped.
Yeah not in as deep as alot of people on here, I fully recognise that, but probabaly losses run in to the 000's not 00's.
Losing £70.00 on 3 individual bets @(1 x £30 and 2 x £20) was a wake up call and prompted me to comment on this site.
My sympathies do go out to those people.
I always come back though to look what I could have done with the money.
Meals out, tank-full of petrol, new clothes etc etc
Anyway 4 days in now and I'm doing OK.
Certainly helped that the horse racing was cancelled on Sunday, I might have been tempted.
Never gambled on line, so when i do get home, no smartphone so, I'm in a safe place, but again recognise it's not the same for everyone.
For anyone reading this just taking what you need in cash, for example £15/£20 out with you and no cards, does from my experience work.
Covers your food and other shopping, but you want have much left over for anything else.
Two things:
Compulsive gambling is an addiction, it’s the itch to place the bet. Addictions always progress and get worse the more you use.
And gambling is an emotional, not a financial problem. Financial problems follow because there’s always a net outflow of money but the gambling, the urge to place a bet, the addiction, that’s an emotional problem with an emotional and not a financial solution.
It’s a completely false comfort to think that because you can afford it (for now), your gambling’s not too bad. If you’re using, then you’re using whether you can afford it or not.
Start regular GA meetings to get your life back?
CW
Cynical wife wrote:
Two things:
Compulsive gambling is an addiction, it’s the itch to place the bet. Addictions always progress and get worse the more you use.
yes but there has to be some reason you are wanting to place the bets in the first place ,nobody just wakes up in the morning and thinks to themselves im going to go play roulette / blackjack whatever for 6 hours and risk £2000 just for the fun of it
there are 3 avenues this usually stems from ...... finanical issues e.g wanting to "win" money to solve them , boredom job, lifestyle , freinds etc etc , or self destruction loss of a partner / child / cheating spouse etc etc
Solving life’s problems by using (alcohol, drugs, s*x, food, work, whatever ) is addiction. Mature people earn a living and face up to difficulties without trying to escape.
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