Returning

Stupid Question I know but why did you not stop while in profit ? Would it be you wanted more ? Gamblers cannot win because They can not stop. Bookies work on that. If we could just walk away, they would be broke, but we can not do that so they win...always !

The only way you can win is to walk away now and dont go back.

Chasing losses will only get you deeper in, Look at your losses like paying for a month in Gorden Moodey or such like rehab places. You paid your money now walk away...Free !

Sorry to state the obvious but you know that you have no options left, Walk !

Andy

PS I once lived for 3 weeks on tins of spagetti 22c each and bread. No coffee, Tea , sugar, milk etc.

I am still paying back what I owe but my fridge and presses have plenty of food and I know the electric company wont cut me off. A roof over your head and a warm bed is something you never miss till its gone !

Hi Paul,

i thought you've been quiet like me. I too have been back gambling which is why I've not posted as did not want to give any negative vibes.

Im sorry for u mate. I'm going to be tough here u said it at one point u had a profit. We'll we can't do it can we it still wasn't enough. You cannot bet again Paul. yes you've lost a lot of money but you still have a sum left. You have to hold onto it. Think u will need to put it somewhere where u can't access it.

You sound similar to me I used to obsesse about money all the time. It ends up driving u mad.

try and enjoy your weekend and appreciate your girlfriend. U still have her and some savings so try and focus on that.

i wish u all the best and keep the counselling up.

Hi guys,

Ive been following your threads am im sorry to hear you have gambled again. I have also been there and from the lowest of the low to out the otherside. In my experience its impossible to 'try and not gamble' as that still involves thinking of gamblng. I also work in financial services and have lived through a bankruptcy with a gf... Ive seen it all. If you guys want to msg me id be more than happy to offer what i believe works. Im also a volunteer counciler in my country (new zealand) and while i know gamcare does this i will still mention it.

hi anyone who is reading this site tonight. First point (which has taken me five years to re-alise) if me/you are on here on a Saturday night at 9.00pm me/you have a gambling problem or have overcome one. Second point put out there for consideration, what other industry spends a fortune on 'gamcare facilities' to obviously 'help' the problem the gambling industry has created, yet categorically maintains all casinos/bookies fotb's are completely fair and random !. If they were fair, i would have the savings I had five years ago when I started. I am not a greedy player I would never expect to turn £K2 into £K6, maybe £K4. Not even the cigarette industry offered such an expensive helpline when they re-alised addication was plain to see.

So where too, its too late for me, they have robbed me of a happy secure financial future, if the de-regulation of the gaming industry has been a positive move ? Who for ? So what i want to see, so the future potential gamblers will not suffer is, REMOVAL OF ALL FOTB MACHINES FROM BOOKIES, BOOKIES SHOP OPENING HOURS RESTRICTED FROM 9.00-6.00 (not 10.30 !!) MAJORITY OF ON-LINE CASINOS BANNED IN UK AS IN USA. FINALLY I KNOW NOT ONE OF THESE POINTS WILL HAPPEN, BECAUSE BOOKIES AND CASINOS LOVE TAKING OUR MONEY. SO .... ... THE GAMBLING INDUSTRY I HATE ALL YOU STAND FOR.

Do they take our money or do we hand it over to them? Unfortunately we have to take some responsibility for our actions at the end of the day - however painful that is. We all know online gambling is too easy and there are too many adverts and that bookmakers are exploiting the poor but the only person I am angry with is myself.

I agree with deLorean - I only blame myself. I have the free will and choice to decide what I do online (for me its the online slots!) - I know the risks, I know only the casinos win and I am the one who lost respect for what I had earnt and a healthy savings account. I can sit here now and cry or I can put it down to another lesson in the rich tapestry of life and never do it again. I'm trying not to concentrate on what I have lost but to remain focused on what I will now gain from never gambling again. Self respect, self esteem, control over my own life and to see a few quid a month going back into the savings account.

Lost my life - instead of saving all the uk drom fobt perhaps you should just focus on getting yourself in a better position and no, its not too late. Perhaps a new approach may work.

Think about this you want to be a non gambler - how many people who dont gamble count the number of days they dont gamble... None obviously they dont even think about it.

If you really want to take drastic action and you gamble online at home, throw your modem away for awhile. theres always something you can do.

I just want to say thanks to the people who replied to my Saturday nite rant. I take on board the points you three make. Responsibility for one's own actions, choices yes i made the choice to gamble on-line, but i was chasing losses i should never have been allowed to build up. If the de-regulation of the gaming industry had never happened, i would never have had the opportunity to play the 'fotb's-mini casino' on the high street. I would have been like all other footie/racing punters a pound here a pound there. So my main idea to get back one's losses by any means (fotb/on-line) would have been unavailable to me, so i stand by my theory, in order for future generations not to end up like me and many others, remove the temptation of gambling, no more major losses no more chasing losses. BAN THE FOTB'S, LIMIT ON-LINE GAMBLING, BAN THE ADVERTISING OF GAMBLING, TOOK 50 YEARS TO PUT CIGARETTES UNDER GROUND, WILL IT TAKE MANY BROKEN BANK ACCOUNTS BEFORE GAMBLING IS PUT WHERE IT BELONGS, WHERE IT IS VERY HARD TO FIND.

Hi, I'm alot like yourself I used to go to GA meetings walk out and go gambling. But you have to be fair to yourself first you need space from your last bet in order to be in the right frame of mind. There is no point in going in a crusade against the gambling industry it is unlikely to change. You need work on yourself that is the only way.

Hi while I understand your anger at the "industry" it would make little difference if the UK banned online casinos as they did in America. The only difference in the USA now is players have to go through alot more hoops to get paid when they win and are at risk of never been paid due to many a risky offshore site being open to the CGS and not so CGs. Banning FOBTs could be wise or at least limiting the stakes along with a robous National database for self exclusion. That could come with the requirment say to have ID cards to play at bookies.But no matter what we as CGs have to take responsability for our own addiction. We choose to open up the online casino or step into the bookies. Or to buy that scratch card. Rather than blame others its about working on the inner self. Getting to the root of the problem and working it from there. The end goal being no matter if you live right next door to a bookies or a casino you will have the ability to say no.

Even if gambling was banned outright in the UK people would still find a way. Focus I think on self thats where the battle starts and ends imo.

Lost my life wrote:

hi anyone who is reading this site tonight. First point (which has taken me five years to re-alise) if me/you are on here on a Saturday night at 9.00pm me/you have a gambling problem or have overcome one. Second point put out there for consideration, what other industry spends a fortune on 'gamcare facilities' to obviously 'help' the problem the gambling industry has created, yet categorically maintains all casinos/bookies fotb's are completely fair and random !. If they were fair, i would have the savings I had five years ago when I started. I am not a greedy player I would never expect to turn £K2 into £K6, maybe £K4. Not even the cigarette industry offered such an expensive helpline when they re-alised addication was plain to see.

So where too, its too late for me, they have robbed me of a happy secure financial future, if the de-regulation of the gaming industry has been a positive move ? Who for ? So what i want to see, so the future potential gamblers will not suffer is, REMOVAL OF ALL FOTB MACHINES FROM BOOKIES, BOOKIES SHOP OPENING HOURS RESTRICTED FROM 9.00-6.00 (not 10.30 !!) MAJORITY OF ON-LINE CASINOS BANNED IN UK AS IN USA. FINALLY I KNOW NOT ONE OF THESE POINTS WILL HAPPEN, BECAUSE BOOKIES AND CASINOS LOVE TAKING OUR MONEY. SO .... ... THE GAMBLING INDUSTRY I HATE ALL YOU STAND FOR.