As the new year beckons, I want to share my story with you (again) because I know how hard gambling addiction can be, but I also know that recovery is possible.
This time last year, I was stuck in the same cycle you might be in now: chasing losses, feeling regret, and thinking there was no way out. But if I can turn things around, so can you.
In the past year, I’ve paid off debts I thought I’d never clear, including payday loans and a long-term loan. I’ve even wiped out an overdraft that was a thousand pounds deep at one point. My goal for the coming year is to tackle my last overdraft and become completely debt-free.
But this journey hasn’t been easy, and I want to share what helped me so that it might help you too. The first step is putting gambling blocks in place. Block gambling transactions through your bank—most banks now offer this feature. Ban yourself from gambling establishments like casinos and bookies. Download tools like the Gamban app to block access to online gambling, and make sure to self-exclude from all online platforms for the longest possible period. These safeguards work, but you have to take that first step to put them in place, trust me I’ve had my weak points and if it wasn’t for these blocks it would have been a lot easy to relapse.
Most importantly, don’t try to do this alone. Speak to someone, a friend, family member, or a professional. I was reluctant to open up at first, but sharing my struggles truly lightened the load. A problem shared is a problem halved, and there’s real strength in asking for help. At my lowest point I called Samaritans. You can remain anonymous and they do help especially if you don’t feel able to speak to someone you know straight away: 116 123
This year hasn’t been perfect for me, and there were setbacks along the way. But I didn’t let them knock me down for long, and neither should you. The most important thing is to keep going.
If I can move from the depths of addiction to where I am now living gamble-free and taking control of my finances you can do it too. Start the new year strong. Put those blocks in place, reach out for support, and take it one day at a time. You’ve got this!
Thanks for sharing this. Hearing other people stories makes me more hopeful. I've been relapsing back into gambling too much to the point I've lost all my saving and monthly wages. I'm making a new year's resolution to have some savings by the end of 2025.
Hi
well done for paying back all the debts! i am trying to do the same but its so hard; I keep wondering why I put myself in such an awful situation. Thanks for sharing the number of the Samaritans . I don’t talk to anyone about my gambling issue. I don’t think my family would understand me . They would probably get so mad at me thinking of the many times they lent me money I would say I needed to pay some bills but instead I was just using it for the gambling . I wouldn’t blame them. I’m mad at myself too.
So it’s nice to be able to chat on here with people that share the same gambling issues .
I have been gambling for over two years . At the beginning I was financially stable and had no one single debt . No overdrafts , I had no loans or a credit card debts . Nothing . Just a mortgage . Two years later i find myself covered in debts from top to toes and I don’t know how this has happened.
I don’t trust myself with money these days .i think I need someone else to manage my finances or I will always end up trashing my money down the casino. 🙁
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.
