Hi, I’m Harry 🙂
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I’ve gambled since I was the age of 18. Nothing but fun between friends and family over a football accumulator on a Saturday or a bet on the horse racing now and then.Â
For years it was no problem at all. I’m now 27 and on a few occasions it’s been a case of the fun hasn’t been a part of it and I got a little too greedy. Higher stakes without a single thought of the repercussions. To prevent things getting to a bad place in the past I’ve applied GAMSTOP, however once this self exclusion expired, I got straight back to it.Â
This past year is where is turned out the worst it’s ever been and could be for me. I was chasing my losses. So even when I had a self exclusion, I would text friends and ask if they could place a bet for me.
Baring this in mind, chasing losses is never ideal & as I said the fun was completely out of it. I just wanted my money back. I also moved out from my parents to the Netherlands. Knowing I hadn’t prepared myself for this move financially was worrying me also. To a point I was having to ask my mother for financial help. In which instead of the money fully going towards furniture etc. it would party go to gambling and trying to get myself out of trouble. In which case, the opposite happened and I found myself in even more trouble than before as it became a viscous cycle of borrowing money and losing it. I never wanted to harm anybody but in the meantime I broke the trust of my partner & also my family members as they had no idea but as anybody would be, I was scared to speak out about the problem I was involved in.
After speaking out about this problem and finding myself in financial trouble, it’s been tough but I feel so much better for sharing my problem which has been the key factor here to just SPEAK OUT. Instead of trapping it inside and letting it built up, I wish I’d have done that at first.Â
I’ve obviously affected my relationship with people around me but they are being really supportive and I’m super positive that things will be fixed, it will take time of course.Â
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Hello seyobyrrah,
Thanks for posting and sharing this.
I can hear you’ve been on quite a journey with gambling – starting off as a bit of fun when socialising to borrowing money and feeling like you’ve broken trust with those close to you.
Others will be able to relate to your experience of getting into a vicious cycle of gambling and chasing losses and it can feel so stressful. The draw to get back what has been lost can be really strong.
You have made a really courageous step in talking about everything and I can hear that although it was hard, it has given you hope for the future.
We look forward to hearing more about your progress on here.
All the best,
Claire
Forum admin
Hi Harry,
Thank you for sharing your story — that takes courage. Recognising the problem and speaking out, as you’ve done, is a huge first step. It’s normal to feel guilt about how gambling has affected loved ones, but your honesty and willingness to change are already rebuilding trust.
Consider keeping the blocks in place (like GAMSTOP), adding tools such as Gamban, and getting professional help or joining a support group to stay accountable. Be patient with yourself and with your relationships — healing will take time, but you’re on the right track. You’re not alone in this.
We are available 24 hours a day, every day of the year. You can also contact us for free on 0808 80 20 133. If you would like to find out more about the service before you start, including information on confidentiality, please click below. Call recordings and chat transcripts are saved for 28 days for quality assurance.
