hi everyone, I have had a major gambling problem for 10 years. I'd never imagine myself to come on here. Over the years I've blown easy £20,000 on mainly slots in town casinos and online. I've had after every relapse I always say that I'm never going to gamble again. Sometimes I'm good for a few months and then I'll blow all my wages in one sitting. I'm blessed to have a wonderful wife and children. My wife has forgiven me on several occasions however last night I wasted £400 online , I don't think I can tell her as she will cry and I can't bare seeing the tears roll down her face again. I really feel sick and so so low. I hate myself and now have to wait for another pay day with no money. I feel so rubbish to think that I would say no to a toy my daughter really wants because it's to expensive (£20) yet I can blow money away on gambling. I never want to gamble again , it really is the devil.
it is the devil mate! we always got tp remember that we can,t we because we can,t stop! i myself am in a terrible way as i give up for 3 months from bookies and bumped into a friend who told me a way how to bet lay horses in the bookies to gain profit and i been doing this now for 3 months but down 3500 as i still want to just bet normally on horses in bookies and play those evil roulette machines in there! but my mate don,t get urges like i do to gamble as he just sticks to bet laying! i lost about 900 yestreday and just want to die! its an evil addiction and you need to go to GA or gamcare apointments! good luck my friend! at least you got a lovely woman and kid and those things are priceless my friend! i,am 38 and got no kids and loss lovely girlfriends so please don,t end up like me! all the best
I've come up with an idea to open a passbook account with Halifax, and then close my bank account. I think that by doing this will help and eliminate online gambling as you can use passbook online. And also by having no card means I'm really limited to accessible cash. Do you think this is a good idea?
Can't use a passbook online **
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Hi jay jay thank you for your kind advice , I'm so sorry to hear what gambling has done to your life... I feel that right now I'm skint that's it's completely out of my head. But I know that the more access and temptation I have the worse it'll be. I'm actually happy now I have done this. I feel that I need advice and help for mine and my family's future. I appreciate you taking the time to reply in to my post. Your story really has made me think of the bigger picture.
Hi , having read your story I am in the same situation I have to say no to my daughter as my money has been taken by the bookies , people tell me I have a great job and must have loads of money , little do they know I actually have zero money . I have spent over £35k over the last few years and it has broken me in half . I have lost all confidence and am a totally different person to that 5 yrs ago , I hope reading other people's stories and updating my fight will spur me on and also if I can help others I will do. People do not realise the addiction Is real and requires a lot of fight and determination to succeed .
It's sickening , I find that it's the first pound I spend is the worst as I kinda get myself in a trance and can't pull myself away , the saying always goes that £1 is too many and £100 is never enough. In order to succeed I need to eliminate remaining avenues , first thing tommorow I'm going to close my bank account rip up the card and open a cash book account. At least I can't gamble online with a cash book and at least my wages can be paid in. I know that the only way to access any money is to physical go into the specific branch between opening hours, I believe that this will massively benefit myself as I'm working through the whole week. I have already banned my self from all gambling premises in my home town and self excluded myself on so many online sites. I've even banned myself from the lotto website for buying scratchcards. I do believe though Tom that if you can get a cash book , at least you can't visit ATMs or use it online , I also believe that when you get an urge ..to look back at previous posts on here and see how dark that was in life. I wish you all the success in your recovery.
Great comment above I will take a lot from your comment thank you, we're all in this together so let's stick together and beat this!
Hi guys I have just read all of your kind supporting comments , today my head feels clearer and the fog in my mind is fading , today I went out and cut the garden and made a buffet dinner for my family. I really am blessed to have great people on here , I feel that I don't need a counsellor as I have the best counsellors in the world on here. Real people with real hearts to give support and advice. Through every dark night , there's a brighter day . God bless you all. I'm now going to watch britains got tallent with my family.
Hi everyone I feel so strongly about changing my life for the best and helping others , I would really appreciate if you could all sign this petition. It's only small but realistic
I’ve made a petition – will you sign it?
My petition:
Stop filling our towns and city's with gambling premises.
our towns and city's are being dominated by betting shops. the gambling act 2005 is failing to protect vulnerable people due to the sheer number of gambling premises available . Community's are being destroyed and lives ruined due to gambling.
I've signed your petition and was glad to! I wish you every success for the future for a happy gamble free life with your family!
Hi just for today,
Just read your first post and you sound very similar to me. I'm guessing that when you say you've lost 20000 over the last ten years it's probably an understatement . I went through twenty five years of hell with my addiction without dealing with it the right way. The last five years have been a lot easier and I have learnt how to manage my gambling much more effectively but I am well aware that complacency is extremely dangerous and I can't/won't! drop my guard. You really need to be honest with yourself and coming on this site is a great start. We all gamble for many different reasons and although we are all in the same 'gambling boat ' the reasons that we gamble may be very different. I think it's so important that we try and understand why we gamble. When you say that you go without gambling for a few months and then relapse there is most likely an emotional trigger for it. I'm going to be totally honest with you and I'm guessing you know it too!
You need to admit what you've done to your wife. She will be upset of course but probably knows something is up anyway , my wife used to think all sorts of things and was actually relieved when I told her. It's just money after all and that's not why you got married. You've come on here for a reason after ten years of hiding so now is the time to deal with it properly. It won't go away if you don't hit it head on, ten years is more than enough.
Block every source possible for gambling now! If you go online , self exclude yourself from any websites and think about some blocking software. Ban yourself from any bookies or arcades you might go into as well. When it was at it's worst for me I gave my wife total control over my money for a while. This way she was helping me with the fight and also not worrying about money disappearing. Talk to her and be totally honest, tell her you are sorry and that you need help. It will be emotional but it will be where it should be, out in the open and not sitting heavily on your chest.
Councilling is the best thing I have ever done , it really helps to examine the possible underlying reasons that you gamble and can really help to change things around. Talking to gam care on the phone is an easy way to start.
Join me and start a recovery thread on the forums. It really helps to write about it every day and each day you are gamble free it drives you on more.
I wish you and your family well. Good luck my friend
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