World Cup thoughts

Thankfully football wasn't one of my vices with gambling, I'm glad as I love football and if I lost that love for it due to quitting gambling then it would be a shame. I was always doggo at football betting so never bothered with it. I'm thoroughly enjoying this world cup.

It's funny how the sports I did bet on, I'm now barely interested in even seeing the results let alone watching any of it.

Hi Mixer

You are right on the pattern. I have been thinking a lot about betting. I could have won actually but it’s only take one loss to lose all the wins back. What I mean by that is I always get angry when I lose and chase the loss. And then I keep losing and losing at the end. It is a very stressful and depressing moment to experience when it happens.

Mixer wrote:

When you’re going gambling free, your mind can play mind games with you. Sometimes, you can’t help but take a look at some gambling activities you’re refraining from. You look at the result, and say: “I’d’ve won this, I’d’ve nailed that.”

For example, take today’s England win. Yes, you may have backed it (at a very skinny 2/9 on). And you might’ve been tempted by a Kane hat-trick.

But... you didn’t, and you wouldn’t have, anyway. Did anyone predict 6-1? Of course not.

Just wanted to quote this, Im part of a friends/colleagues predicting competition for the world cup. Could be seen as form of gambling by some, however I've seen it as entertainment. (I was paid up into it about a month before becoming GF), so I may as well continue.

These were my predictions from yesterday

England 6 0 Panama

Japan 2 2 Senegal

Poland 2 1 Columbia

When it was 6-0 I was absolutely laughing as I was already miles ahead at the top of the predicting league, when it became 6-1 I was happy. Because whilst people believe gambling takes skill. It doesnt, it takes luck in a system where luck is not designed to be in anyones favour but the bookies.

When I think of a correct score double (England 6-0 and Japan 2-2), it would have been crazy odds, thousands to one. But you know what, I'd have only lost it had I bet on it, I wouldn't have enjoyed it, especially if England cost me it by conceding. Id have started a petition to dye Jordan Pickfords hair a different colour for not saving that. Instead of enjoying my country coasting through a world cup match breaking records.

I am a winner because I didn't bet. I feel good because I didn't bet. I'm enjoying football again now because I don't bet on it.

Really enjoyed the match yesterday, was sat next to someone in the pub who had England to win 6-0. They cashed out for £20 before they scored. Said to him, bet ur glad you cashed out, he said he put £15 back on for England to score next and it was Panama just made me smile. All that stress, glued to his phone to win a couple of quid. Just pointless.

I find I’m actually watching the games more now instead of my head burried in my phone checking odds.

Some great posts here 🙂

Fantastic that this will be the best ever World Cup ... blessedly bet free!

Quite right Egdam - We’re winners - because we’re not betting. And great latent feelings for the the World Cup have rewoken, Mallard83. And who needs a bet eh, Leedsfan - naaa, not yus. And you’ve got it, merlin. We don’t need the stress of gambling. There’s enough stress supporting England!!!

Just thought I'd add to this regarding my prediction competition - I'm doing remarkably well when the math is worked out.

Im in the top 100 England fans on the whole site and I got to 567th best in the world (out of 23,000).

Out of 36 games ive had

- 5 correct scores (14%)

- 20 correct results (56%)

Apply that to betting and I can guarantee I would have been down. I a lot of my predictions were way off (brazil scoring 4+ etc) and I would have lost a lot. Betting in almost any sense is pure luck on the day, weather, place, time and thousands of other factors. 2 years ago at the Euros I was in a million pound goal for the final, if Griezmann had scored a header in the 9th minute I would have been rolling in it, (The keeper actually pulled off a ridiculous save if anyone re watches it). For arguments sake, say I won £1m on that. I would absolutely, certainly not be here today typing this. Might sound extreme but I would have gambled that money and lost financial security for myself, kids etc etc. At the min I have debt from gambling but theres a light and in 2 years I will be clear and can provide financial security.

I do apologise to those that dont want to think about gambling and bookies and odds etc. However I like to objectify gambling as something that was a part of my life, I am ashamed about but not secretive. I keep it as an object and materialise it as such, it was there, it happened, its (not) cool .

Stopping gambling provided that light and has kept me here, to enjoy things in life (such as a very very fine goalkeeping save). Im not losing out on anything, if anything, Im enjoying sport more.

I am the real winner, 1 day at a time.

I like keeping up to date with how the tournament is unfolding and I enjoy witching some of in the gym or at friends.

It does, without a doubt, trigger the parts of my brain that like gambling but so do a lot of other things.

Maybe the good side is that I have conversations with others about the World Cup where the emphasis is not on gambling.

Hi Egdam.

I think you're treading on thin ice. Great that you've stopped gambling, but not so good comparing what you would have won.at the bookies. As you say gambling WAS part of your life, it’s what you used to do, and it doesn’t (and never will) work for you. Why waste any time thinking about it in any context? Even your predicter competition I think is risky, the adrenalin, the ooh's the aah's. It does not matter man.It doesn't matter how close you were, a millimetre or a mile away, it doesn’t matter if you won big or small, here you are, and here you would have ended up sooner or later. many of us here have had big wins look what good it's done us. Here we are too. Later, rather than sooner, for me.

Of course, you can’t erase those memories they're in your head, but in time you will become more accustomed to putting less emphasise on them.

I do completely understand what you're saying, and of course all this is raw now.

I’m sorry this is the only post of yours I’ve read so I don’t know how old you are but let me tell you of my birthday milestone.

Spent my 18^th alone in the casino spending birthday money.

Spent my 21^st in prison serving a twelve-month sentence. I had to appear in court on my 21^st where I received a further 6 months for another crime.

Spent my 30^th involved in some very serious criminal activities. I had £30 000, all mine on that say.

Spent my 40^th serving the last three months of an 18-month sentence, out on “tag”.

Gambling wrecklessly and involved in some other criminal activity.

My 50^th, 2 years ago I was earning good money but gambling, so I might as well have been on the dole. A year earlier I had come out of a coma. My heart stopped after an appendix operation, the reason given for it stopping. Stress. Up to my eyes in debt, despite earning £700 a week. Stress from the chaotic world I had been living in.

The coma did give me a kick up the r’s, but I was back to gambling straight away. Despite being on the sick I couldn’t go and live with my elderly mother because on top of owing the DWP loads, I am self employed and had not paid my tax or national insurance, so I couldn’t claim sick money. So, I rented a room, lost my job got another went six weeks without paying rent. Lived off stolen food.

That’s when I said enough is enough, I had a few gambles but eventually sickened myself, I thought “I’m 50 years old acting like a spoilt 10-year-old. Ive done this since I was 15, will I ever learn”. I last went in the bookies in Dec 2016, I played the lottery a few times in the January. But havn’t gambled since.

It took me that long mate, one of the things that made me stop was remembering my first GA meetings in 1983. The people looked scruffy, (remember no internet then, GA is a lot different now), all except 1 were men, the majority smoking rollies. I thought “I’ll never end up like you. Especially the one who had gone to prison, I was shocked I was in the same room as an, ex-con. Each one of them were right in what they were saying. I chose to ignore their words I ended up a bigger jailbird than them all. Because I did not heed their words.

I knew I wouldn’t learn from their mistakes, eventually I learned from my own. They probably knew that too. I know that you wont learn from my mistakes, I just hope you’ve made enough to learn by.

You said in your post you’re winning, one day at a time. As long as that day is today.

Yesterday is gone along with your near miss. It’s a fact day 30 is Thursday but that’s not today. Don’t waste your time worrying about either yesterday, or tomorrow.

You’ve made a brilliant start Egdam, the first 28 days is a massive achievement, and there’s nothing to say that time won’t grow and grow until “not gambling” becomes the norm you.

You describe your near miss in detail, I’ve had my fair share what does it really matter?

That’s my opinion mate and I’m sorry if its hard reading at times, I also apologise for going off on a tangent.

I would not have done myself justice after reading your post, if I hadn’t of replied, as I said at the start I honestly think your treading on thin ice.

Please don’t be put off posting whatever you want, I’m only expressing my opinion,

One day at a time you are getting there.

It’s all about today.

All the best with it.

Geordie.

Geordie, you're right. I am running a bit of a thin line.

My point however was that if I am in the top 2% of people in the comp and I didn't have a positive pick rate, what hope does everyone else have? People gamble a lot of the time to make money, or so they think. If you applied those percentages to the general public and an equal bet then almost everyone would have lost money to the fat bookies.

I am glad to be out of the trap and thoroughly enjoying being out of it with no intention of going back. Apologies if I miscommunicated that.

I hit and surpassed day 30, for me each day is one little win, one step up the ladder of victory. Gambling took over my life, granted maybe not to the level of some, maybe not the level that you hit, I don't want this to sound bad, I am glad I didn't get that far. But it was only a few years down the line in fairness, I was doing some fairly dangerous and creative stuff with money that has since now been resolved and sorted.

Thanks for the kick up the ****

Whilst I feel comfortable watching the football,being in a prediction competition etc and I know I have the control not to let it get me back hooked. It may be a trigger for other people and I was slightly irresponsible of me discussing it at such length.

Day 32 and counting, honestly it has passed that quick that 100 doesn't feel far off.

Moving into my second house (rented) with my OH soon, its a brand new build in an area close to all of our families. I will not f**k this up. She means too much to me, even if I don't mean too much to me.

E

I find it interesting that I look upon sports betting as non machine players would view the fruit machines.I dont know if Im thankful because it only took one form of betting to destroy my finances. Its like I saw through the odds on football or it just bored me...not me being clever...it just didnt trigger me for some reason

I can enjoy a world cup but Im not massive on football. I wonder whether there is a clear divide between the sports betting and FOBT players or whether people do both.

What Im still working through is how the odds on say the greyhounds put me off but I was prepared to gamble on the crazy odds on fruit machines. Its the spinning reels that did me in and Im still trying to work out how that can be so addictive.

Its an interesting point in that I cant fully relate to how sports betting gets out of control but I know all about the dangers of machines.

Anyway I hope everyone is gamble free throughout the world cup and beyond

Best wishes

Sadly joydivider, plenty I know of do both. Thankfully these days I do neither.

I think, at times, Egdam we can all post things that may seem irresponsible, or could act as a trigger for others.

However this is your forum as much as anybody else’s, and if something is on your mind and you want to post about it do so. It's always "better out than in".

I'm fairly certain the one big part of the problem that leads to addiction, is that we keep things to ourselves, we don't talk. The more we talk, (well in my case at least), the emptier our head becomes. Making it easier to see things for what they are,and it also helps with sleep disorder.

I'm at work mate and got to go, all the best with the move.

You are so right preticting scores is so built on egdam. I think ur doing well not to gamble even though ur doing ur quiz

Thanks guys, the reason I've stopped is I would have enough control to go through betting responsibly, sometimes up to 6 months at a time. Losing say £50 per month. That was my limit, once lost I would leave it and I wouldn't chase. Then I would have what I called an episode, lose control for say 24 hours and blow through £2k. So for me, Im not finding predicting scores is giving me any urges whatsoever so from that sense I am ok. Obviously it culd be a massive trigger for me in terms of triggering an episode but I have done all I can to prevent that in terms of finances, self exclusion etc.

Did get Peru in the office £3 sweepstake but didn't enter my mind to start gambling again because of it..........fortunately......always have to be careful though. Day 84 gamble free