Hey guys, I'm a 25yo bloke from New Zealand who is battling a sports betting addiction. It started when I was 19 years old when my friends told me about this way you could win big money through placing bets on sport. It seemed fairly harmless at first so I gave it a shot. Years have gone by, and here I am. 25 years old with very little money and still trapped in this inevitable game. I keep this secret hidden from my friends, family and girlfriend. It kills me inside knowing how much money I have blown over the years with this addiction. Most days I blow large amounts of money betting on baseball, basketball, rugby etc thinking I will 'win big'. And guess what....it never happens. Well today I've made a decision to put a end to all of this. I really admire all you guys who have quit and any support and advice would be much appreciated. Keep you guys updated #DAY1
Hello Jarry,
Well done for deciding to take action against your addiction. Have you self excluded? I certainly recommend telling at least 1 person you can trust. I've said it many times on these threads that it was a huge help to me having someone to talk to.
Good Luck
Conradnose
check out my blog www.conradnose.com
Hello JarrydNZ,
Welcome to the forum.
You mentioned that you've been keeping your problem a secret from your family and friends, and that you're from New Zealand. Are you based in Britain now? If so, you could call us on 0808 8020 133 for information on free local 1-2-1 counselling services around Britain, if you'd like the option to talk confidentially to a local therapist about your gambling problem. There is a lot of free support available, including online counselling appointments by video call, and psycho-educational groups that allow you to benefit from the imput of your peers in the group as well as the therapist facilitating the group. You could also find out more about these options by chatting to an adviser on our Netline. You could also join our live group chatrooms if you'd like to chat with forum peers in real time.
If you're still based in New Zealand, you could look at local services in New Zealand here: https://www.pgf.nz/
Another website that might be of interest: https://www.gamblingtherapy.org/en
As conrad suggested, self-exclusion may help you to achieve your goal of stopping gambling, in combination with other measures and using support. Well done for making a start here. If you'd like to continue to use the forum, you could start an online diary in our 'Recovery diaries' section to chart your progress.
Take care,
Forum admin.
Hey guys I appreciate both of your replies. I used to live in Manchester but I am originally from NZ and currently live here. I feel really embarrassed to tell my partner the extent of my addiction. She knows I put the 'odd' bet on but I haven't told her how bad it has developed over the past year. I am building up the courage to tell her. As for today I have had urges to place bets but I have had the discipline to resist. Thanks again guys I will keep you updated. Cheers
To succeed in this game we have to put blocks in place.im like you I wasted money on sports betting my worst sport I bet on is tennis good luck
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.
