Last year I won a lot of money at bingo ( April 2022) , I would go several times a month , I wouldn't spend what I couldn't afford ... Then I won a lot of money, and that's where this all started .. I then decided to use this money to gamble online thinking I could win more and more money ... I lost some of it within a few weeks ... I used some to pay off credit I had on other things, paid for my son's birthday party and presents ... By this time I had only about half my winnings left. I was also on maternity leave and didn't want to return to work so I kept gambling online, if win some then end up gambling it all away ... I was so scared to tell anyone I had lost the full amount from that big win. I ended up getting 2 loans out to get it back so I don't have to tell them I lost it... I still kept gambling , I gambled away the loan trying to make. money to pay the loan off ... Then I had another big win. But by this time I was already 1 grand into an overdraft i had used to gamble ... Then within a few months . I had gambled it all away again ... Now it's Dec and I have to go back to work .. I'm gambling on my f*g breaks , I keep thinking if I can just win some money I can get myself out the s**t but I keep digging a bigger hole.. we have early access to our pay so we can take 50% wage each week. Now I'm doing that and still going into an overdraft ... I couldn't get out my overdraft cause I had took my pay out and wouldn't be paid enough end of month to pay it off so I borrowed from my dad ... What did I do with the money left over? I gambled it away .. then went back into overdraft.. I've now asked the bank to stop any overdraft charges while I try to pay it off I've managed to reduce it by half but I'm still gambling EVERYDAY!! .. had another win a week ago enough to mean I wouldn't have to go into my overdraft after bills and still have money but no obv I gambled it away . Then Tues I won a bit more. I would of had some left after bills but then I thought I'd do it again but obv I lost it got addicted to a game because I thought I was gonna get the bonus ... X10 I had built up but it never happed and I kept going and going till now not only have I lost all the money I won I've gambled away the money for my bills. So now I'm in an overdraft again and I just have enought of it available to pay the bills .. 2 of the bills being the repayments on the loans I got out in the summer ... Now I praying my manager puts this week's wages through just so I have some money to get by.. but I will have f##ked myself again because I'll only get half my wages on actual Payday and 400 will go straight on overdraft so I'll be left with just about enough to cover my bills .... So I'll end up having to get money out early again next month and I'm just stuck in the cycle. I gamble to try to get myself out this situation but just make it worse and when I do finally win I just lose it all thinking I'll magicly win a huge amount... I have 2 young children and it's way out of hand I can't tell my family. I can't. But I need to try and get out this mess. I've completely ruined my credit score ... Mainly because of overdraft usage and kept applying for more loans for yet pay off the other 2 loans ... Thankfully I've never missed any payments on anything but this is only because of relying on overdraft.... I know I have a problem I've known for months and months and months but I keep thinking I'll win money and I can stop .. I've reduced the amount I can play a day only to take that off again ... I still go bingo although that's not the big issue it's the online gambling .. I just keep deposit deposit deposit changing the losses thinking I'll hit big and I've ruined everything.. I was alway good with money ... I wish I never had that first win.. it's what started this all over ... Money really is the root of all evil.Â
You need to go on Gamstop and permanently exclude yourself for the maximum time it shows which blocks you from playing anything online.
I did this and it’s the best thing I have ever done, I now spend the money I was using for gambling on my children and little treats for myself.
I also excluded myself from my local bingo hall a few weeks back.
you have the full support of everyone on hereÂ
good luck ?? ?
@syf1ht9nue) I have been where you are! Trust me it can get better. I am now 200 days gamble free after 10 years of gambling everyday. I got so low I couldn’t afford basics. Cards getting declined for £1 purchases  My life was one disaster after another. I’m still in debt but now at least gambling isn’t adding to that stress. I reached out to GAMCARE and I received help via a weekly telephone session so I didn’t have to go anywhere. I was so scared taking those first steps and mostly just cried but everyone I’ve spoken to in this community are so genuine and want to help. Please speak to someone and you will be on the right path and slowly start to rebuild yourself. Best of luck xxx
Hi
The addiction of compulsive Gambling is a very vicious cycle of self destruction.
No one could stop me gambling.
Yet by attending meetings I got to understand how to set up healthy boundaries.
I also got to understand what my unhealthy emotional reactions were.Â
Each I went back to Gambling IÂ got to understand which of my emotional triggers were.
In time I understood that when I was in action on the buzz of gambling I was not happy I was not happy.
I was in effect sitting on an adrenaline rush that made me think that Gambling was the most exciting thing in my life.
I now understand that an adrenaline rush was in effect high levels of fear.
The pains of my past caused fears I did not understand.
By attending recovery meetings I got more honest with my self.
By attending recovery meetings I gave up talking about money or being in action.
By attending recovery meetings I started to open up and give deeper therapies about my emotional vulnerability,
In time I would write down all of my fears the list was huge.
By attending recovery meetings I would reduce y fears.
As I got more honest my fears reduced my trust grew.
By attending recovery meetings I would be able to help my self become healthier and healthier.
I thought that I would be the last person on this planet to give up gambling.
Now I am over 30 years clean.
The simple truth is if I can do it, any one can.
Do not give up faith or hope in your self.
Dave L
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