Rhymes with Potless - geddit? 🙂
I have an addiction to online slot machines. Things came to a head on the 27th of April (losing £800 in two days). The next day, I self excluded from every online account (bar one, where instead I closed the casino account and placed a weekly deposit limit of £20 - I'll come back to that). I have also made my credit card unavailable - everything else is joint and I would never use those.
I have used the Forum as support during the time from the 27th of April and thankfully have not lapsed since that date.
I am very much taking things in stages. It was only yesterday that I had the courage to look at my financial position and work out that I now have £2k on a credit card that will need to be (slowly) cleared. Fortunately, I can move it onto an interest free period as I haven't killed my credit rating with this awful affliction but if I hadn't have found this place, who knows? I estimate, I have gambed £3k in total on online slots this year and probably the same in 2015 (none before that).
I mentioned that I kept one site open (with a weekly deposit limit of £20). I have kept gambling on Sports with the same £50, I had in that account since the 27th of April and have not needed to add any extra since that time. I know this is not ideal - but as I say one step at a time... It will be interesting to see what I feel when that money is gone and I need to deposit. It's funny, but I have always kept sports betting at small stakes and never had the urge to lay large amounts...
Any advice/opinion appreciated, I don't feel I currently need counselling and despite the losses my wellbeing is reasonably OK. I am a hard headed Yorkshireman - so don't be afraid to tell it how it is... In return, I'll participate and aim to help others with that unique perspective us problem gamblers have...
Hi. .and welcome...like you online slots was my vice...
Great that you've done nearly a month without playing them..well done...you'll find plenty of advice...support...and help on these forums..take care
Loxxie... Yours was the first diary I read and it struck so many chords with me and helped in keeping off the d**n things. There is so much common sense spoken here in terms of the triangle - time being my particular downfall. I have tried to keep busy with hobbies like cycling and this has helped.
As I say in a perfect world, I'll kick the sports betting into touch as well. In the mean time, I need to concentrate on reducing my debt. I've set myself a target that when it is clear, I will look to save up for something nice.
Well done on your continued recovery! 🙂
Welcome to the forum Slotless , never played the slots myself but I guess that's not the thing that bond's us together on here ?.
Wishing you my friend and glad to have you along for the journey !
Best wishes ......Alan
Alan, thank you for the welcome... you are quite right, the twisted logic and urges will be the same regardless of whether it's slots, horse racing, football or bingo!
Another small step I forgot to mention was that I (until last weekend) used to have a sports bet every day. Didn't matter if it was a football treble on the Icelandic 3rd division. I've managed to stop this (last daft one was a week ago). I suppose that's a bit of progress. I'm hoping that my emotions are that when the one remaining account hits nil.. I don't feel compelled to deposit (as that's money that should go off my £2k debt...
Ultimately, that's part of my confusion, the sports betting never sets off triggers like the slots... But I know overall I'd be happier kicking the lot into touch... as I say small steps...
Hi slotless good to see you are doing well, I'm the mam of a 26 yr old lad who bets on sports/horse racing. He continues to place bets although he has reduced it to £10/£20 every week or so, it was £300 a week at his highest in November so far this seems to be what has worked for him for 7 months. I'm not nieve I know it could all change. You will get varying opinions but only you know what will work for you, I wish you well and will follow your diary if that's ok. - wcid.
The Fobt's in the bookies were my downfall , so I suppose that's a form of slots . Never had a problem with horse racing , dogs were my especiallity and again no real problem but I f I had a win on either of those , I'd chuck it all in the roulette machine and much much more , so the answer for me is to not gamble again , just over 9 months now and all's well and never felt happier !.
Just off to work now , so i'll talk to you soon !
Cheers buddy !
Glad my diary was of use to you..hope you managed to pick your way through the waffle and find some helpfull bits !. ..anyway...nice to meet you and I'm sure you will soon feel ' at home ' here...great bunch of people all fighting the fight...x
I can relate and I am now just over 1 week with no gambling , I would blow money on slots when I realised I wasn't chasing the win or the loss I was chasing the buzz. I have refocused on other things in life now t keep me occupied. I do understand what you mean with the difference between slots betting and football betting.... They have different buzzes. Keep it up.
Thank you WCID and Chrissig3224... I am going to do a diary, hopefully it will be a chance to explore the reasons I ended up on the slots in the first place - a bit of self reflection if you like.
Great work on the 1 week Chris, I found it really helpful to self exclude. It is really easy if you were doing it online. The weird thing is I'd never consider going on a FOBT in a bookies which is a blessing for me, as I would have found it really hard to go up to the counter and explaining I had a problem.
I really feel for those here who have problems with betting shops. The sheer number of premises available to bet is now staggering. Anyway, have a gamble free day everyone...
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