Gambling 20+ years. Relapsed recently

Its hard and very difficult, i am also going through this same situation, I just deleted everything from my phone. 

I lost 2,500k in a day as i was cleaned months ago. I just don't know what came into me and started gambling again

@5x90oyqvl8 I can completely get that. I lost over £2000 on Monday and had to come clean to my partner. Understandably, she is heartbroken by this again. I genuinely thought I had everything on target last year. Feels like I’m in limbo now with everything

Hi

I don't like offering advice but will say what I did. I gambled compulsively for 44 years until I stopped in November

I self excluded with Gamstop and installed gamban on everything plus blocks on gambling transactions with my bank. 

I spoke to the amazing advisors on here by clicking the talk to someone button on here where you can either live text chat or ring someone

I've been on the chatrooms pretty much every day especially the 8pm one

Got counselling

Joined GA

Talked to my family and friends

Set up accountability on my bank account

Watched recovery videos 

Walking 

All built up my support network for when I need it

@lp5vut869c thanks for the response. Ive done the online self exclusion stuff. I’ve put a block on my bank card. I’ve told family/friends. I’ve booked therapy. I’ve created an Instagram page to document everything, mainly so I can keep track and reflect. I think I’m struggling more right now with the debt, relationship break up and the guilt/shame of it

Hi Tony, have you tried GA ?

@lp5vut869c I haven’t. I think the one thing that put me off before was that I joined a group session on teams and found them to be really rude. They were concentrating on the 12 steps format, which I don’t particularly agree with as there’s a couple of points that seem to allude to ‘praying to a god’ for help. I questioned this with them. They then started to pick apart the language I was using when describing my own addiction. That was my first experience of it. Could have just been a one off

Hi Tony

If you can go to a live meeting I would strongly suggest it and just try and find the right room for you. There should be a mobile next to the meeting on the website and they will meet you before and take you in. The online ones, if you go to the London named ones they are very good and shouldn't do that. GA is not about God, it's about having a higher power whatever that means to you. It's been a life saver for me and I consider the 12 people I've met there to be friends. Doesn't mean to say it works for everyone but you could give it a try.

Try and make it to one of the 8pm chatrooms on here and talk to one of the advisors here when you have time 

Stuart

@lp5vut869c Hi Stuart, thanks very much for this. I’ll give one of them a go. I’m glad it’s having a positive effect for you!

Hello, 

Similar to you, I have struggled with gambling online, I recently was stung for 20k, so again I am familiar with this pattern, as I lost 18k in 2025. So here I am again in 2026 putting the money back each month, which has delayed my life by another year. I had ambitions of my own home this year , so relapses are frustrating, but apart of the journey so to speak. Yet when doing a bet in person via cash I,ve never spent more than £50 a month! Still, I have now knocked that on the head to.

That being said, I have used Gamban, bet blocker and Gamstop for online. It blocks those awful overseas sites also, I highly recommend you do the same. I would also recommend CBT. It was only in 2025 I discovered online gambling and stupidly thought after losing the 18k I could sort it myself. Well 2026 and relapse. This time I have looked for help. Gamcare put me in touch with one of their partners and I have been having CBT. 4 weeks and we have already found the root problem, mine is getting rich quick mentality. From this we have devised a plan to highlight and spot triggers, with coping mechanisms if it ever happened again. Also admitting online was my biggest problem has helped me review and see that you will never become rich from gambling, in fact you end up with less much less and the effects mentally is just not worth the risk. 
good luck with your recovery, talking helps, you are not alone. 

Online casinos really need looking at and some how moderated by government. It's becoming a pandemic 

@swt1kl8nyu thanks for your response. I can resonate a lot with what you’ve said. It’s like a mirror image. I’ve got some therapy hopefully coming up over the next few weeks. I’ll mention CBT to them. I do fully mentally that this is different to the other times I’ve tried to stop but it’s still really difficult coming to terms with life taking a back seat for another year, whilst I try to pay things off. We’re both doing the right thing though!

Hi Tony

Just reach out for all the support you can get. Work out what works for you as it's your journey and everyone's is different. Then stick to what works

Have you tried the chatrooms on here at 8pm which is a text room. They are amazing and have really helped me immensely