Im new to this forum and just want to say that I'm really greatful for any replies i get help here. I'm 18, graduated 5 months ago..worked two jobs so i could save for school & hopefully get into a career i enjoy one day. I first started gambling this summer when I saw a flashy green betway advertisement on youtube. I didnt know much at the time, I understand gambling is meant for entertainment purposes and you should never gamble what you can't afford to lose. I knew that when I started, I know it now while still being in shock. I considered myself'good'at betting ar first..i bet on sports, football to basketball to hockey..my hit rate was over 50, always betting multi and i tracked my bets on spreadsheet. My first parlay bet attempt was an eight team accu..$50 for $3000 win. I got obsessed instantly. Its last month when I started losing..alot. I quit my jobs hoping that by putting more effort into gambling I could be successful again..live off that until i figure out what i want to do in my future. Instead I drained my 3rd paycheque in a row, $2 in bank account before christmas. I'm still shocked and haven't processed what happened. I feel like I just wasted my life and honestly the worst part is I want to borrow money from someone and keep playing. My friends would grill me if I told them what happened and both my parents have had depression issues in the past so I dont want to put any load on them, can't talk to anyone about this. If someone here has any similar situations or knows how i can stop and if its possible to move on I'd appreciate any help.
Hello Dom
I just saw your post by chance and thought I'd reply. Probably because of your age, etc. You could easily be my nephew who is starting Uni soon after being at College. I'm in no way qualified to give advice, I had been gambling for 2 years triggered off by a bereavement. However, I'd just like to say you are a very "lucky" person to have been stung by gambling at 18 years old. You probably don't feel very lucky but you have an entire lifetime ahead of you, you can put this down to a "blip" or a glitch and it can be over before it's even begun. Many won't be able to do that. I wouldn't say never look back, just don't dwell and it won't seem long before it's just a distant bad memory. Fretting endlessly about what's happened will just reinforce things so just think of it as a glimpse into the future and what you've just rescued yourself from, and then breathe a huge sigh of relief. I'm sure you'll get some very helpful, practical replies from some more knowledgeable than me but I wish you success.
Sapphira wrote:
Hello Dom
I just saw your post by chance and thought I'd reply. Probably because of your age, etc. You could easily be my nephew who is starting Uni soon after being at College. I'm in no way qualified to give advice, I had been gambling for 2 years triggered off by a bereavement. However, I'd just like to say you are a very "lucky" person to have been stung by gambling at 18 years old. You probably don't feel very lucky but you have an entire lifetime ahead of you, you can put this down to a "blip" or a glitch and it can be over before it's even begun. Many won't be able to do that. I wouldn't say never look back, just don't dwell and it won't seem long before it's just a distant bad memory. Fretting endlessly about what's happened will just reinforce things so just think of it as a glimpse into the future and what you've just rescued yourself from, and then breathe a huge sigh of relief. I'm sure you'll get some very helpful, practical replies from some more knowledgeable than me but I wish you success.
Thanks so much man. Just hearing that really does inspire me to look forward. Hope that if you're still going through a similiar situation it gets better cause you sound like a genuine and nice person.
Hi Dom,
Welcome to the forum! - as sapphira says - you're 18. You got a chance to completely turn things aruound.
From your post, I think you're a compulsive gambler - meaning no matter how big you win, you will always give it all back, plus much more, until you get into a bad debt and hit rock bottom. You're luck you've realised and come to this forum early.
For me it was a big win that put me on the wrong path, and I started playing too high stakes that I couldn't afford. I'm 41, and I've wasted 10 years of my life going down this path, it's only now I see the light, and it will take me at least 12 months to pay off my debt.
And gambling is a BIG LIE - never believe that anyone makes money from gambling in the long run. Never believe that anyone is "clever" so they can beat the bookie - it doesn't work that way.
Just put it down as an expensive mistake, and move forwards and experience what is important in life, experience what's wonderful in life that an 18 year old should experience.
If you can talk to your parents, tell them (I know it's hard). You need all the support you can get to quit. Anyway, good luck in your journey! Andyr.
Thanks Dom for your kind reply, Andy is so right about about going on to enjoy a wonderful life that can easily be yours. You've graduated, it would be such a shame to let all that optimism and enthusiasm go to waste ( not to mention the sheer hard work! ).
Well done on posting here Dom, first step is to admit we have a problem. Im you 20 years down the road, but I only admitted my problem 2 years ago, there is no living to be made from gambling unless you become a bookmaker (plenty of those fail also), they are the ones making the money. We sometimes win as is the nature of gambling but far more lose. But as with human nature we quickly forget teh losses and focus on our wins.
Having a win seems like easy money and makes us think we could do this more often, we could pay for holidays, cars whatever without having to work for it. BUt the reality is we can have those things by working for them, they may take longer to get but we can do it. I missed out on plenty of these because of my gambling.
You also recoognise the alarm bell as you rbrain is even thinking, 'If I could borrow some cash I could win x amount and everything would br sorted' but the likelyhood is you would simply dig a hole of debt like some many of us on here have done in cashing a cash rainbow.
Also I know you dont want to tell your parents but in this battle you need all the support you can get and its good to get you to open up and be honest, hiding issues only helps feed an addiction.
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