Dear All,
I am not a new member, but it has only been recently that I have been able to stop gambling and i wanted to share what has/hasn't worked for me.
I started gambling about 6 years ago, started small and then took over. Nothing new there 😉 same as you guys no doubt.
I started to self exclude from casinos online as that is my particular addiction. The problem is that casinos tend to write their own rule book. Some like cassava and cozygames will exclude you from all casinos in their network. Others like Gamtech you can beg and plead with but they will only let you exclude from one casino at a time and so you can't protect yourself when a new one opens. Even though the agents all sit in the same office managing all casinos and could easily exclude you from all. You have to request exclusion individually.
Some casinos take responsible gaming more seriously that others and the governments have allowed that discrepancy.
I can work around blockers.
I wrote to my local MP to complain about this and have been told there is a self exclusion system lined up in 2017 to allow a blanket exclusion online from all casinos. Long overdue really! But thats not here yet so not helping anyone until then.
Years ago i got rid of my computers so I can only use my phone to access the internet at home, my work computer has a proxy set up and so I can't gamble and I won't risk my job trying as websites are logged. I have also told my boss about my addiction.
I contacted my phone company and asked to be restricted online to only under 18 websites. They ended up restricting all sites, but even this didnt work when i used wireless connections, so useless as could still gamble.
I have also asked my phone company to stop me from being able to make purchases on my phone bill. This has been helpful as some casinos allow phone bill payment.
I contacted my credit card company and they now have blocked me using the card so i can ONLY pay it off.
I asked my bank to try and do the same with my current account and the only way i could do that is to have a savings account. I threw away my debit card, and now transfer online, money from my current account when i get paid, to my savings account and i can only withdraw as cash at a cash machine. Direct debits are unaffected so i can still pay bills and debts.
If I want to buy anything online i have to transfer funds into my boyfriends or a friends account via online banking and they pay.
I basically cannot buy anything online as the only card i have is a savings cash card and it has no security number 🙂
I tried counselling, i tried anti depressants and the only thing that has stopped me is to completely have my access to online shopping cut off.
Some casinos allow you to transfer directly from your bank account, these i have blocked and the ones left are 5 days plus transaction times. I am a compulsive gambler and will not wait 5 days. I have closed my paypal account.
I have also blocked myself from ecopay, neteller and a few others.
It has taken me a long , long time to be gamble free and its a real b***h not being able to use my card in shops and only have access to cash. But, if you have an online addiction, it works.
I hope that some of the ideas above help you.
Sometimes this forum has helped me alot and especially to not feel isolated, other times it has actually made me relapse as hearing about all the pain gambling causes and the need to play has actually made me want to do it more.
Think about that as well.
I really hope that has helped and i wish everyone a solid recovery. Fingers crossed the exclusion systems save us all from having to go to extreme measures in the long run.
If i ever get the itch to play, i play my favourite games in demo mode. All the same ups and downs and time wasting, without the actual loss.
Losing is better than winning as it could have been real money and that makes me feel good. I lose more than I win as well.
No true gambler plays to win. You lose because its never enough. In demo mode you get as many times as you want to win, you just reset your balance.
X
Hi smiley. Well done on getting to grips with this awful addiction. I am going to give your advice a try .I am going to get a basic phone as all my access is on my phone. I really need to get to grips with this before it destroys me..as I can feel it doing just that , but when in the zone I don't seem to care. It's almost like having a split personality as I am normally very sensible and quite frugal if I'm honest but the last few months I have just been obsessed with online slots.I never used to gamble as it never interested me which is why I find it really hard to understand how I got this way..Anyway onwards and upwards. I will beat this.
Sharins you are exactly the same as me. The zone takes over.
I was so sneaky i could work around so many things and i have had to go to extremes so i can only have cash.
I am hoping this is temporary until the exclusion programme comes into place.
It should be easy to make it so that any casino allowing players from a UK IP address must abide by an exclusion list. Get making casinos vet people more. At the minute they can do what they like then point people to gamcare if it goes wrong.
Its taking advantage of mentally ill people and wrong on a lot of levels. How no one has sued the TV companies over it i dont know. They seem to have stopped alcohol and cigarette commercials from taking up airtime. Hell, sugary food adverts are restricted.
Yet you can have all nighter roulette taking over stations...
Try playing in demo when you get bored/ or have the urge, you really get the same feeling and you dont have to sign into an account. Alot of sites let you just click on a game to try it with fake money.
Its not as great when you win, not sole destroyingly bad when you lose, but you still get in the zone despite it being fake. Its like a really addictive computer game.
You also see how bad it can get, in fake mode i have lost a lot of money and it opens your eyes. I have won a lot too but its never bothered me that its not real.
It just feels good to play without that sick feeling.
Give it a try 🙂
Hey
Some good tips there i would agree with. For me moving to a none internet phone has been the biggest help.
If i was to offer my own advise i would strongly reccomend not playing the fun/fake modes. IN essence i belive it is still gambling. Although no financial loss or gain you are doing it with the same feelings. Blocks are essential but eventually its wise to also look in to why you are gambling or why you even feel the need to play on fake mode. You can do this through gambling.
Ever since i cut out all gambling and for example playing fun mode or watching youtube my recovery has got better and better. Eventuallly having less thoughts about gambling, and trying to understand that if i replace gambling with other things in my life i realise i do not need that rush/kick and feels its a fake feeling.
Good luck
I think most gambling is boredom, sometimes you can fill your brain with interesting things and other times you just want to 'zone' out. Fun mode works for me because i am not longer at risk (but i completely agree it may not be for everyone). I have well and truly broken the triangle regarding online gambling.
When i am on holiday or at friends i never think to gamble. But when its the 4th night in a week at home that has rained and its miserable, its something to do.
Its taken me a long time to recognise it and gambling is unique to the individual.
I just know i had to not be able to deposit money online. Very extreme i know!! 🙂
The blanket exclusion will be a godsend to many but why a bank can't block gambling transactions is beyond me. They need to do more as it's in neither parties interest to let it continue
Personally I think when gambling was legalised, that should have all been set up with it.
Allowing casinos to pretty much dictate what they are willing or not willing to do is poor.
Everyone on here that gambles never actually gets rich and stays rich.
Its the act of gambling that drives them and that is always to lose.
Its a mental health issue and could be backed up by doctors.
How can casinos in good faith practise responsible gaming when they take money frim mentally ill people? Its 2017 going on 1817 sometimes.
The exclusion will be a godsend.
Brilliant post.
I do the same as you and more. I have gamblock, i recently had just a cash card with a 100 pound limit until i cut it up because i don't trust myself. I now tranfer money into a family members bank and they give it to me like pocket money and i have to produce receipts. It's the only way i can function without gambling. Good luck to you and i hope people read your post and learn.
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