Hopefully tomorrow will bring a good result with the FOBTS

Same here

They did

Hi Steph92

I read your comment on the page about the FOBT limits coming down to £2 eventually. I am so sorry to read that this evil industry has gotten hold of you the way it has. I myself am a recovering addict, I have been clean for nearly 9 months, I however promise you it has been far from easy. You have already made the first step you have realised you have an addiction so my friend well done to you for being true to yourself.

The hardest thing about coming to terms with it is what to do next, I visit this site every day sometimes multiple times to talk to fellow gambling addicts and share stories and try and help them by telling of my experiences. I went to counselling for almost 6 months to help with recovery, my fianceГ© has been fantastic as has my parents, brother and sisters. I nearly lost my fianceГ© but she gave me a chance to prove myself, i lost in excess of £2000 in 5 months which i hid from her until i was caught out big time, i then admitted this wasn't a habit I was addicted.

It is a real struggle and cashiers should not encourage you to up stakes or do anything, that is against their policies aswell they are not allowed to actually influence anyones play stakes. I am saying all this so you know that there is a way out, it doesn't have to stop when you run out of money, it can stop if you are ready for it to but you must be ready my friend because it is bloody hard. I am 30 years old, i was an addict for 14 years so leaving that behind is so difficult especially going cold turkey, but i am making it happen, all i found impossible is very possible.

Please feel free to message me on here if you want to talk and share stories, i am no counsellor and by no means a know it all, we are all caught up in the same thing. I am just someone who understands and am going through the recovery of this awful addiction also when we are reaching out for help we are all friends.

Fight it don't let it fight you, one day at a time, walk before you run. There is a future outside of addiction believe me it is amazing and the hardship of early days of recovery is worth it.

Thank you matty4becca
Your advice is greatly appreciated. I'm.not having a very good time of it at present as have landed in a lot of financial difficulty. I should have faced my demons along time ago but it has taken this downfall to acknowledge the depth. I have lost 8.5k in 5 weeks in a local bookmaker on FOBT roulette. 5 weeks ago i was given 3.5k to clear my rent arrears. Lost the lot in 2 hours. Running up and down to the cashiers counter loading 100 at a time from my debit card into these machines. I then borrowed 3 payday loans trying to chase my losses. Needless to say I lost that too. Having no food in the fridge, bailiffs at my door and letters from creditors pouring through the letterbox has finally given me that wake up call. I work hard , 60 hours a week with nothing to show at the end of the day. My colleagues, friends and family wonder why I never have any money. I have hidden my addiction for many years but I'm.sure some of them suspect. I have now put blocks in place. I come here daily and everybody's story helps and encourages me with my battle. I'm.day 4 today and really hope I can fight this. I've been gambling now for 13 years. It's time me for me to stop

I hear what u r saying mate, it's easy when the bookies/amusment arcades allow u to play on as easy as they do but somehow we all need to find that inner strength. 4 days tell you what mate hold ya head up and tell yourself that's 4 days of your life back, it might sound like so little right now but u know what we gotta all start from zero in recovery. Keep talking, let people in, ya family and friends need to be told, the reaction may be awful but they will want to help you. All my work colleagues know as do my friends and family, not one person was horrible, everyone in fact put an arm round me and said it will all be ok. I didn't believe them and u know what it is still really hard but i am getting somewhere, my kids have treats every other day, my mrs gets little treats, all because i don't gamble anymore. My debts r clearing, all my bills r well up to date but it didn't take 5 minutes, it is bloody hard when u start recovery walking round with virtually pennies in ya pocket, that is howeverpart of reparing the damage gambling does. If it is a friend you want to talk to you then consider me your friend, you probably guess my name is Matty, i needed people, we all do. Keep it up, one step at a time.

How the hell does a bookmaker let you load £3500 into a machine without intervention

Thank god for these new laws.

All the best Steph- You can do this

Thank you Colt.
Yes. Not a single question asked. Well from today I don't carry any more bank cards. Any money I have to withdraw I have to go into the bank with I'D..At least if I do get the compulsion I have no debit card to pile thousands into the machines. I have tried exclusion but continue to be allowed in to bookmakers without any questions asked. Sometimes the high turnover of a busy North London shop does not help so 'I slip through the net's to speak. I have now put gamstop on my phone as have lost a lot online too. After my recent heavy loss I know I have to stop. If I can I will try for good. I have managed to stop for a while in the past and when my bank balance looks relatively ok, off I go again!

It is easily done when we have had the finds available Steph92, we look at our bank balance and see a nice chunk of cash n think a little flutter won't hurt us. Then that flutter turns to disaster because suddenly our balance begins to look thin. The bookies don't care about intervention because they all get their wages paid and their bonus payments because of people pumping the machines full of cash.

Stopping is one thing, continuing to keep clean of gambling is another thing which is so difficult to do especially after such a history with it. You should be proud of yourself though for wanting to stop, for making the steps you have so far, for that mate well done. Have you phoned anyone at all to see someone for help? The help that is on offer is incredible, I would not have coped with getting my life back on the right track without my counsellor he was amazing and is now my friend.

Keep going great start to the rest of your life so far, the hard work and dedication is so worth it.

Thanks for the advice Matty
Have phoned Gamcare who appear to be quite helpful. I have put several blocks in place now and have asked a relative to take care of my bank account. A big ask but they said they would help.out. I didn't tell him the problem. Just said I needed to get my finances back on track. I've sat down and had a look at All my debts. Basically will have £35 a week to live on for around 2 years and will start paying off the loans, arrears I have incurred. If I gamble again I will probably end up on the streets so that in itself is a thought to keep me GF. I've been given a very last chance by my landlord as managed to get a loan from.a friend to clear some of my arrears.
Steph

Good stuff mate, it is a struggle, my debts weren't and aren't terrible however the magnitude of the problem was bad. I owe my mrs money because of it which really hurt us to begin with but we r good now because i am working hard. To start with i didn't have so much as £20 per week n had to manage on that, gradually the harder i have worked the more money has become available and life is feeling better. I have down days, we all do but it doesn't mean we think of playing, withdrawl is part of dealing with addiction and it does hit hard when it comes around. I know u said u haven't told the relative the problem but trust me, if you don't want to it your choice but let them in. It will help more if you be honest with them because they will be there for you, it isn't easy telling family but my god it helped mine all knowing i am an addict and they just wanna support you because family does that.