Hello,
I lost $2000 today on sports gambling. This weekend I was up, but managed to lose all my winnings and an additional 2K of my own money within a span of 2 days.
I am saving up for a down payment on a house and I thought gambling would be an "easy" supplemental income. After my losses, I feel guilt and remorse for my decisions. I have gambled in the past and lost, but knowing I need to keep saving made me hopeful that I could make more money to speed up the process.
This loss hurts more than others. I have gambled for over 10 years and know I've lost plenty of the money at casinos, online casinos and sports, but never stopped. I think I reached my breaking point today because I'm saving for a down payment that my girlfriend and I will share in 2025. Losing this money is different because I am no longer hurting myself, I am hurting her. I love her so much and she is the reason I am choosing to stop gambling.Â
I'm extremely grateful to have come across this website. After my losses, I felt overwhelmed as one does after a gambling loss, but after reading this forum I could see I am not the only one struggling and looking for support. Seeing posts from others that openly share their stories makes me believe I can stop gambling forever.
I know the temptation will always be there with the amount of gambling ads we see, but only I can control their impact on me.Â
I plan to refocus on saving with my work income and find more positive activities to pass the time. I also want to come back to this forum regularly to read other stories that encourages the fight against gambling addiction.
Thank you for listening to my story and I hope you would be willing to share your story with me as well.
Kind Regards from,
Toronto
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Hi,
Thank you for sharing your story here.
You took the best decision ever. When I first read stories in this website, I was £600 down. Then I was roughly £2,000 down because I relapsed. People were telling me that it is a minor loss and I should forget that money, but around 2021 to 2023 I lost even more. Eventually I reached this point where I am gamble-free the last two weeks. What I am trying to say is that you need to think longer-term and keep your promise to you and your partner and if you stick with it, you will only save money, while if you play you will only lose.
Stay strong!
AV
I've found keeping it in the day and the immediate future the greatest comfort. I've never pledged to be clean forever but just for today I won't gamble.Â
I've been through the cycle of gambling and losing it all too many times that it can't be part of my life.Â
If I look at the times I "won" - What did I win? Money that I could shove back in and lose.Â
Loss chasing was my biggest demon because I always wanted to get square...breakeven with what I had lost. The reality was that's near on impossible. You never win back what you lost, you never get even but for me I made a new start. A new foundation in which I could live a normal life without playing these games.Â
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Just for today I am free and won't gamble. Stay strong!!
Hi
IÂ got to understand that I did not love gambling.
IÂ got to understand that my addictions and obsessions were an escape in my fears.
For me gambling was self detruction.
When I was gambling I was working hard and getting nothing for it.
My gambling indciated that I had certain emotional triggers.
No one could stop me gambling that had to be my own choice.
No one could make me go to meetings.
No one could make me put large effort in to my recovery.
No one could convince me that by gambling I was destroying y self and my family.
No one could convince me that my pains were not healed.
No one could convince me that my fears were reaching panic mode.
In time I got to respect my self and others.
In time I got to abstain from unhealthy habits and exchange my unhealthy habits in to healthy habits.
The recovery program is about healing my pains.
This takes time.
Dave L
Dave of Beckenham
Fighting an addiction is not an easy task.It requires commitment and asking yourself real questions like would I consider my girlfriend if I had won?am I just coming back to my senses because I have lost?do I expect people to understand me when I am failing myself?these are key questions which will help you fear gambling.Telling yourself that you have stopped the day after you lose is not good enough to instill the change you need.If there was more money you would probably go back and gamble more.Give it time and be truthful to your partner about the money you have lost.Seek help and take each day as an accomplishment.
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