Hi all. Over the last few weeks/months I’ve started to realise I have a problem. Back at the start of the year I lost around £800 in a session on the slots and was devastated for days, I couldn’t believe it. Lately I’ve lost around £1000 several times in a couple of hours doing £1 spins and each time it happens I’m more numb to it and I kind of just think ‘oh well’. I have around 30k in debt and each time I lose I just think it’ll just take a little longer to pay my debt back, already owe 25k, what does it matter if it’s 26k kind of thing.
The debt is causing my mental health to take a bit of a battering. I think about it a lot day and night and the end seems to never get closer.Â
A few months ago I started matched betting and am making consistently over xxxx profit a month from it but obviously being on the bookie sites a lot, the temptation is glaring me in the face, especially when they give away free spins. I sometimes do the free spins and think I was close to getting a bonus, a few more with my own money won’t hurt just to get the bonus then I’ll be in profit but even though I know I can’t stop once I’ve started I somehow trick myself into thinking it’ll just be a couple of spins. I’ve recently found myself upping the stake to £2 and even £5 spins to try to recoup the losses quicker as in my head at the time it’ll be harder to win back £300 with £1 stakes. Anyway I’m going off track a bit.
When I’m not online on any bookie sites, in my head I think yeah I can easily not go on the slots, I just choose not to and I won’t but time and time again it doesn’t work. I actually got lucky the last few days and walked away with around xxxx then xxxx so I kind of feel like I’ve won but then today found myself with a £2 casino bonus to use, 2x£1 spins paid nothing so I carried on with my own money for just 3 spins to see if the bonus would land, £200 later I won xxxx and immediately stopped. Sorry for the rambling, it just feels good to finally talk about this for the first time ever. The main point of me joining and this post is do you think it’s possible to carry on the matched betting to help clear my debts but also find a way to stop the slots? It feels really good taking money from them and it’s risk free for the most part. The whole thing is pointless though if I’m putting grand back into the slots. Thanks for reading and any responsesÂ
Imagine that you are on a field digging a hole. That can be very monotonous work and can put your brain into neutral as well but the deeper you dig yourself down the deeper the hole. Gambling is the same. 30K can easily become 300K and so on. Ask yourself this. Are you prepared to dig that hole as far as it goes? It takes time to get back up. Stopping now allows yourself a chance to do something different.
I wish you well!
Best
c43h
Imagine that you are on a field digging a hole. That can be very monotonous work and can put your brain into neutral as well but the deeper you dig yourself down the deeper the hole. Gambling is the same. 30K can easily become 300K and so on. Ask yourself this. Are you prepared to dig that hole as far as it goes? It takes time to get back up. Stopping now allows yourself a chance to do something different.
I wish you well!
Best
c43h
Good way to put it and I’m glad that others see it as I do.Â
There is no middle ground with betting and the fact that you are asking ‘is there a way to make it work’ is a red flag you are 100% addicted. We have all been there and it has not worked for any single one of us.Â
Stop now, or as c43h says, eventually, in the end, your addiction to any form of gambling whether it be slots or matched betting; will lead you to endless amount of debt and significant harm in your mental health (i would add).Â
Keep us updated on your thoughts!
You might not want to hear it but if you have a gambling problem it’s really difficult to control it and just stick to one type. It might work for a bit but eventually you’ll end up back on the slots.Â
The only real way is complete abstinence. Nothing at all.Â
Your bets will get bigger as you’ve already seen and it starts taking over your life.Â
There’s blocks you can put in place as well as getting help. I suggest GA because it’s worked for me but you really need some kind of interaction so you could call the gamcare counsellors and talk to them.
Read through on here what others have done to help themselves, see if you can identify with others.
Good luck.
Chris.
Hi there,Â
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Thought I'd share my experience as someone who also struggled with slots as a result of matched betting.Â
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I was matched betting successfully and fell into the same trap. I can win some on slots but seem to inevitably end up losing it and probably more. The edge you get from these offers is pretty small and if you're not very disciplined then you're bound to lose the edge and fail.
You can exclude specifically from the casino section of most sites. Those you can't, I'd exclude totally.
However, there has to come a point where you think matched betting simply doesn't mix well with your brain. I've come to terms with this lately and can't give myself anymore chances. It's disappointing but happens to many people who enter the world of gambling in this way.Â
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