Fobt

Go to your local bookies all around and self exclude. Take a photo in and do it right away. Don't go for the one last spin scenario as you know what will happen. You won't win cause you can't stop. Take care

Hi John B,

Like you I am also addicted to these paying in machines, because that's all they are. No matter how much you win or how lucky your streak can be you will always go back. Spend your winnings, then your own money, then money that's not even yours. I should know, that's been my lunch time routine for the last couple of years. As said by Smiler, self exclude yourself and make sure all the people that work there know your self excluded. I have gone 6 days without it now and feel so much better. Rememeber the real winners are those who don't touch those machines. Good Luck.

I keep telling myself if I limit my gambling to one day "Saturday" and only bet on the horses ill be ok but it never happens like that.

The bookies is near the pub and after a few beers I press the self destruct button , I know I need to self exclude but its having the bottle going into a place where the staff know me by name and doing the deed.

I know I need to change because at the moment im not anywhere near the mess that lots of people are in on here , but I know if I carry on that will be me and thats a scary thought.

Maybe if I read enough of these stories it will scare me into stopping all together.

Hi John B. I too have had problems with these machines. I had some great runs where I have won thousands, but I always have some equally bad runs. Sometimes I really enjoy plaing them, but eventauuly I get to the stage where I really don't care, don't know what I am doing stood there and just continue to shove money in. I've never done drugs, but I imagine it is the same effect as shoving a needle in you arm. Inevitably you will then end up spending more and more, money you have got, and money you haven't.

The addiction drives us on and the loss of money is a very expensive side effect. The outcomes on the machines are decided by a computer and they are not chance. Take the self exclusion advice - I know what you mean about being known in the shop etc but you just have to get over that hurdle. You can always say that you simply don't want to play any more and you want to make sure you don't get tempted. The other thing you can look at is not carrying too much cash and no debit card. If I go out shopping, I try to plan how much I am going to spend and only take enough to cover that, and I make sure I do that first. Then there is no opportunity or temptation.

It sounds like you have recognised the pitfalls and caught this before it has done too much damage. However much you think you have it under control, that is the addiction talking and you need to put up barriers to stop it getting worse.

Take care

Dave

The truth is the very nature of these clever machines means it will never truely be under control its almost like when you are so serious about stopping and have a lapse , the lapse usually leads to a huge win which gives you the buzz back and before you know it , it's square one all over again.

These machines are taking over peoples lives some people who id never imagine it would.

So far ive seen these machines break up someones marriage I know , drive another to death by suicide and still im driven to play on these things.

Ive tried the one hour a week councelling session and this week ive even gone to the lengths of buying a book so I can try to understand my behavoir in greater detail.

I think at the moment its understanding why I do it and what steps can be taken to prevent this type of behavoior , I think these machines create some form of OCD or compulsion which is very very hard to break , im hoping there can be some kind of break through to control this type of behavior but unfortunately I dont think there is.

We are surrounded by gambling opportunities and its only when im on holiday in places like Lanzarote where there are no machines of this type / bookies that I can truely be myself with no temptation purely because there isnt any.

Maybe I should consider a life in another country I know in places like the canary islands there would be no temptation because quite simply they wont allow such operations like the fobt to exsist because they realise the dangers to peoples well being and health.

Whilst nobody is forced into the bookies the industry must surely recognise the damage this is doing and take steps to protect people.

At the moment I cannot see anything being done to stop these vultures going about there business.

I am trying to give up for good. Have stopped playing on-line due to gamblock which has worked. I have had two or three lapses over the last five or so weeks, each time when low on cash and have succumbed to the FOBT. These machines are extremely clever, and as is usually the case, when you think that's it, a big win arrives. Off the cycle goes, win, loss, win, loss and you always know one way or another it will all be lost eventually. These machines are not know as the *** C*****e of gambling for nothing. I just hope that if I stay off them for long enough, the habit can be reversed and the desirte to play will diminish.

Good luck

Dave

I have so far given up for a few weeks , started again , given up and each time falling off the wagon.

The problem for me is giving up the gambling completely I enjoy the football & horse racing bets and I have to say I do enjoy a lot of success betting on these sports , the only pit fall is the fobt so I am now going to try betting one amount on Saturday's and sticking to a fixed amount with online bookie.

I have no desire to play roulette on the computer so I know that wont get me for sure , the machines in the shop are designed differently which create the buzz im obviously looking for pumping my money into these things.

Day one today so lets see if I can get through the first week.

John the best thing you can do is give up completely! If you genuinely win at horse racing / football then for God's sake just stick to that! Remember the crucial rule : gambling to win is a + EV (Expected Value)thing, e.g. on the rare occasion that you get offered the equivalent of 6-4 about a toss of a coin then go for it ; equally if you're offered 1-2 about a toss of a coin (the rough equivalent of the fixed FOBT's) then avoid it at all costs. take care

I wish something would just click into place and I would see sense about pumping £20 after £20 into these things.

Does anyone have any techniques / books they found helped ?

You mention drinking leading you to gamble. Have you thought about giving up the beer ?

I used to drink and then gamble like that. If i lost i'd just drink to forget.

The best technique is to self exclude from these places so you can start your recovery.

drinking & fobt seem to go hand in hand sometimes the more I drink the more likely it will lead to major fobt blow out , thankfully self banned from all bookies within distance of my local and getting to grips with things slowly but surely

Hi John, very well done on what you have acheived so far.

I like a drink and had the same problem you did before I gave up five years ago. Having a session often always lead me into the Bookmakers afterwards.

One thing that I learned, which may or may not be of some help to you, I found that if I was drinking in a remote spot or remote pub, I was much more relaxed and less likely to feel compelled to go in one of those places.

It's something I would highly recommend my friend.

JamesP

Thanks James.

I am now more relaxed in my local knowing that all bookies within walking distance ive banned myself from I know unlike most the bookies which is next door to the pub would throw me out if I entered because I know the manager personally too.

My recovery always failed because of the bookie next to the pub and without that bookie my recovery has increased ten fold , onwards on upwards but still a day at a time.

I have got myself into a terrible state over the years playing these machines both financially and mentally and I have written diary that dates back 4 years (I think I started in June 08) self exclusion helped me turn the corner, I feel wobbly at times but its no longer a luchtime anytime ritual for me. Last 'disaster' was November .....a bad one....and that has been deterrent so far !!!

One thing I is certain though gambling in whatever form and Alcohol do not mix !!!