Want to limit my gambling but not stop.

If you don't want to stop gambling you're asking in the wrong place. This is a gambling recovery forum. Best advice I can give is to make your mind up to stop now before you spiral into debt and worse.

Just reading your comments suggests you are in denial. You need to see the issue for what it really is and unfortunately it can't be a hobby and not a problem.

I thought the exact same thing and it worked for a short while. Ultimately, it's a dark path to walk and my best advise is to join GAM STOP, save up your money and once you get to the month end treat yourself out of the money you have not gambled.

Get some advise from Gamcare and remember this triangle. Time money and place. Never have all 3 together.

Hey, you're how I was a few months ago. I gambled my spare wages and left myself pretty broke until next payday, having to borrow small amounts from people. Trust me, your desire for gambling is going to grow. I only bet on sportsbooks too. I told myself I would set limits, and it works for a while, but that buzz for the higher stake bets will persuade you to place those bigger bets. Be careful man, I'm not going to be a hyprocite and tell you to stop because I currently have open bets on tennis as we speak. Gambling is all in stages that you don't think you will reach. I have a few payday loans active that I'm very grateful I was able to pay off most this month due to working so much overtime. Right now payday loans are probably no where near what you think you'll do, but this cruel addiction will make us do such dumb things. The only advice I can give you is telling you to not do what I have done and end up massively upping your stakes and taking out payday loans. I'm 20 and owe around £300. There are people on here who have owed thousands their entire adult life. I'm currently seeking help by using this forum and it's really helping. I suggest you spend some time on this forum reading posts, some of them will make you realise the harsh reality of gambling. Good luck man.

Stop gambling mate it's hooking you in an will become a problem big style. I was like you. I'm now an addict trying to stop before I lose everything....everything!!

Sorry but it's unlikely to end well if you continue

Either stop or set a concrete deposit limit for each month. Best stopping though as it sounds like your on a path to being as bad as me(and a lot of others). Its very difficult to control gambling.

Hello mate.
I have to agree with the other comments on here. You need to stop now before things get a whole lot worse.
I used to think I could control it by setting deposit limits. It dosent work as it's too easy to remove the limits or use a different site. It's a slippery slope and I have ended up in 34k of debt . I wish I had seen that I had a problem much sooner than I did and acted on it.

You say you enjoy gambling as a hobby. This is something I used to say to myself until I wrote down everything that gambling has given me over the last 20 years. I put it down in pros and cons. There were a lot of cons. Debt, depression, losses, loss of trust, damaged relationships etc. There was no pros.
What's to enjoy?

Please stop before it spirals further out of control. I wish you well

Hi,

My experience of gambling is a bit on the extreme side but I want you to know that you're situation is common and you are on the path to destruction. For a long time, well into my 40s I was conflicted, I knew gambling was killing me but I was reluctant to give up the only thing I enjoyed in life. Like yourself, I started limiting my gambling to weekends only, no friuit machines, only sports bets etc but time after time my lack of discipline led me to over spending and feeling mortified with my stupididty. My friend, you and I are one of literally millions of people in this world who do the same thing with our wages each month. That's how bookmakers make enormous profits out of our misery. Until you except that gambling has no place in your life anymore, you will continue down a downward spiral that may end in homelessness or a suicide attempt. I hope you get help before it's too late because believe me, gambling will take everything from you.

All the best.

Stu

I used to think it was a hobby too. But if it's eating all your spare cash within a day or two of getting paid, it's already become a destructive addiction.

I read somewhere that a person's entertainment budget should be 5 per cent of their disposable income after all bills and essentials are paid.

If you are giving away 100%, you are spending 20 times too much already. No-one wins it back, it just does not happen.

Stop before it gets any worse.

Gareth1983 wrote: Hello mate. I have to agree with the other comments on here. You need to stop now before things get a whole lot worse. I used to think I could control it by setting deposit limits. It dosent work as it's too easy to remove the limits or use a different site. It's a slippery slope and I have ended up in 34k of debt . I wish I had seen that I had a problem much sooner than I did and acted on it. You say you enjoy gambling as a hobby. This is something I used to say to myself until I wrote down everything that gambling has given me over the last 20 years. I put it down in pros and cons. There were a lot of cons. Debt, depression, losses, loss of trust, damaged relationships etc. There was no pros. What's to enjoy? Please stop before it spirals further out of control. I wish you well

if you are a problem gambler, which i personally think you are "if i win, i will lose it all anyway", saying you want to limit the gambling but not stop, would be like a drug addict saying i will just have a little heroin but not too much, you know as with any drug the more you can get the more you will do, problem gamblers will stop when (A) they run out of time (B) they run out of money, probability is your going to run out of money, borrow money and run out of that too. this isnt making you feel good you are becoming angry and losing self control so WHY do it???, that is a very slippery path mate and as Stu as said you can lose everything, end up homeless or in prison due to fraudulant means to fund this addiction, i was exactly as the stage you are at thinking its spare money i can afford to lose this, then losing that, eventually chasing my losses by borrowing money, lossing that then using rent/bill money to gamble with to win back my lossess, the re occouring theme here is LOSS, you will eventually lose, until you hand over control of you money to a parent or a wife and they give you just the amount you need day by day to live on. question is will you take note of this warning from myself and other gamblers? i personally wouldnt have when i started out gambling i was so self assured of myself, so how did i do?? well im £30k in debt, no spare money to gamble with now, and dont have a pot to P*** in, i hear you saying "that wont be me, but it will if you continue gambling". The odds are in the bookies and casinos favour and always will, so the more you gamble the more you will lose, why do you think these bookies are giving you these bonuses free £5 or whatever c**P because the more you gamble the more you will lose, these bonus clauses you have to wager like what is it 5 times the amount before you can cash out why??? because the more the gamble the more you will lose, abit long winded the best of luck STOP THE GAMBLING!!!