Online gambling sucks

Dear @ineedhelpqjf

Welcome to the forum and thank you for sharing your story and being open about your experience with gambling. This must have been a huge decision reaching out and I want to reassure you that this is a supportive place and encourage you to continue to share your story.

Our helpline is open 24 hours and you can make contact and speak with our advisers on 0808 8020 133 or via live chat to discuss your all you options during your journey to recovery.

I wish you the best 

Forum Admin 

If you were not gambling, what would you be doing instead? One has to reason what gambling is taking you away from. Is it finding a girlfriend. Playing football. Getting an education or going on vacation with your friends? What would you be doing more of if you did not gamble? Ask yourself the questions and put pen to paper if you can because you need to work with a mind that can be reluctant to that type of communication sometimes.

I can imagine what hurt, depression and anxiety you must be feeling because I started around your age. And if you could take to heart the warnings from an old timer like me I would say this. 

If you come of this now. You have all the chances in the world to go and be who ever you want to be and not look back at the life you have had and feel its been a wasted one.

Life is not easy it is hard and this addiction just makes it harder.

Addiction is going and can only be kicked by you. You can ask for help but you need to make the changes necessary to facilitate changes in your lifestyle. It is a well planned amount of actions that will get you to the end point of this so don't go around and thinking it will get better tomorrow.  I recommend cbt and or hypnosis for fast change. Follow the plans that you make with your counselor or shrink  and you will reach the goal you need to get to.

Doing nothing will just get you more of the same.

Decide to change and change you will. It is up to you.

Best

C

I was the same, really good with money. Naturally I’m quite frugal with money which baffles me how I can spend thousands on slots but not buy myself a nice coat etc. I think it just adds to the guilt and shame when we lose control. Practically go into settings in you online banks and block gambling transactions. This has 100% been my most useful step as when I self exclude I would just Open new accounts. Then after that I have no advice, I’m just the same as you trying to work all of this out. Always here is you ever want to chat!

Hi, you are so similar to me at that age. I am 30 and only very recently opened up about my 10 years of gambling online. I can honestly say telling someone was the best thing I I ever done. (If only I had done it 10 years ago when it started I wouldn't be in such debt) there is to much to miss out on in your 20's aswell. Please tell somebody close to you, you are having problems. Doesn't need to be family, even a close friend ? The impact on opening up has had on my life is amazing. It terms of blocks, please use Gamstop as they have been so good with me. And it was very easy to set up. Also as suggested above, go into banking settings and there is an option to turn off gambling deposits.  You will then need to wait a cool off period of 48 hours to turn it back on . You have realised this early and you will beat it. Honestly, let somebody know and start to Enjoy life. 

Thanks Meg and it is horrible I know I can spend all my money on gambling and barely buy myself a burger from a restaurant because I could just use it for gambling, I took you’re advice and blocked bank transfers to gambling sites I just always used crypto.. but I locked my crypto account and tossed away my 2FA code so I can no longer gain access! Almost two days free from it and it’s been real hard as I open any social media and that’s all I see lol, but it will slowly disappear, cheers and good luck on being gamble free it’s a tough one to overcome that’s for sure!:/

Posted by: BlueSpace69

Hi, you are so similar to me at that age. I am 30 and only very recently opened up about my 10 years of gambling online. I can honestly say telling someone was the best thing I I ever done. (If only I had done it 10 years ago when it started I wouldn't be in such debt) there is to much to miss out on in your 20's aswell. Please tell somebody close to you, you are having problems. Doesn't need to be family, even a close friend ? The impact on opening up has had on my life is amazing. It terms of blocks, please use Gamstop as they have been so good with me. And it was very easy to set up. Also as suggested above, go into banking settings and there is an option to turn off gambling deposits.  You will then need to wait a cool off period of 48 hours to turn it back on . You have realised this early and you will beat it. Honestly, let somebody know and start to Enjoy life. 

Thank you for the comment and that’s why I had to open up about it I was starting to search for ways of quick loans etc and I didn’t want to be in such debt as I can barely afford what I’m doing as it is.. but almost two days strong no gambling! Hope to stay this way for good 

Many years ago, when the sky was bluer, and casinos were everywhere legal, practicing different game strategies, I decided to calculate by software the chance of just doubling the amount on roulette with the minimum allowable bets on equal odds (red/black, even/odd). The programmer's skills allowed the analysis for 10 million games (in each game, the number of bets varies until the goal is achieved or until the money is drained to zero). It turned out that the chance of doubling the starting amount on roulette with one zero does not exceed 45%. At this point, it became clear that statistically, the casino is always black. If 45 people won $100, the other 55 people lost $100. The casino is in the black on the difference between them.