Hi Davie30
I can really feel the pain and frustration within your post and from the feelings you describe am left in no doubt you have really been through it with these horrible addictive machines.
From the way you write you are an intelligent chap and I would imagine very controlled in other aspects of your life.
There kind of comes a time where you have to concede defeat and realise you can't get more out than you put in over the long-term however hard you try - it just can't be done.
Will the urges go away? well maybe after a loss but they always come back so the trick is to plan for how you will react to the urges be that limiting money supply, self-exclusion, calling the help line or whatever works for you but a strategy is required as the urges do return, sometimes not for months or years but they return.
It is possible to manage the addicion to the machines and i hope you are now able to do this.
By the way - if you had covered number 15 it would have course stopped on the number just before 15 🙂
Thank you for posting on the thread and I am glad it helped a little - I hope to keep it going for some time yet.
Best wishes
Dave
It not so much a case of trying to stop the urges but more a case of planning for when they occur.
When those machines next shout out 'play me, play me, play me' what will your reply be?
My reply Dave is screw you machines and bookies, too many years of wasting money and time
Here here Woody - may as well give them a little kick as well !
Here's the deal - you give me huge amounts of money that you can't afford to lose and I will play you a pretty picture on a screen for a few seconds.
You can choose the picture and all I ask is that once it has finished and you have run out of money you leave immediately and let someone else with money have a turn.
As an added bonus I will throw in some funny sounds so you can pretend the pretty picture being played is real.
Right - who's first ?
Why do you think the bookies pay huge licence fees to put the machines in the shops?
Why are they lobbying for more?
Because they are evil and prey on the vulnerable mate, like you I continue to fight and not give them any more of my hard earned cash
Keep up the good work and fight dave
And so say all of us Woody.
The guys on here are all very intelligent and although they struggle to stop appreciate how lethal the machines are.
Just imagine what they are doing to those who believe they can win!!
4 machines safely plugged in ready and waiting to take your money!!
Feeding in note after note, running to the ATM then back to the shop, back to the ATM back to the shop. Punching in PIN number after PIN number getting irritated because it takes too long for the card machine to connect and confirm the transaction. Almost running to the counter and back to the machine. Gathering receipt after receipt hardly being able to wait until they print it off and give it to you. Checking nobody pinches your machine while its being topped up. That fake 'I don't care' smile when inside you feel devastated and physically sick.
How much can you afford to lose? How much can you afford to lose? How much can you afford to lose?
Never mind the if's, buts or maybes - who puts the money in?
That post before your last one mate used to be me to a tee, especially on or around payday , money in account if I won great , if I lost juggle the finances fr another month,
Not anymore will I give my hard earned cash to them
As always keep up the good work
Good man Woody - you have beaten them!
I have a feeling it is not long before tighter regular regulation comes along.
Stop feeding your money in then acting surprised when you lose. What do you think is going to happen?
Serious lack of willpower !!
Very true as always Dave, as well as every other block we have to have the willpower and want to stop
I no longer feed them
I agree Woody - I get how people get addicted to the machines because it is like a drug and the anticipation of a win (which rarely happens) can be a real buzz.
What I don't get is where people continue to play and get fed up and moan when they lose - what did they think was going to happen? What always happens? There is also a complete lack of willpower on occassions - for goodness sake at least put some effort in !
Anyway, am really glad you saw the light and am hoping others follow your lead.
Dave
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.
