The Lad Brookes Life?

So day ones plan.

I am going down the self-exclusion route. I believe all of the online sites I use have self-exclusions policies which are impossible to reverse and have affect on the card you use so I can't just open a new account.

I did this with B563 a long time ago and I know to this day that I still can't access my account or open a new account with my card. So I trust it as a prevention.

*If there are loopholes please don't post them! I don't want to know*

So the plan is to make it virtually impossible to gamble online...I haven't got an issue with going to bookies - it's the lack of real cash that enables my addiction - when I go to the races I am extremely controlled with my money and don't chase losses. That makes my online addiction even more annoying.

Ironically, I have just logged onto one site to exclude myself and they have given me a 20 bonus token so I've put that on a horse at Goodwood and then I'm out.

Off to play golf this afternoon - perfect distraction.

Update tomorrow.

Hi nick

I have also done self exclusion this time, I really think it's the best way when online gambling is your downfall. This is my second time round after getting myself into loads of debt both times so it's good you have not got yourself into debt because of your gambling and you have recognised you have a problem before it did get that far.

Stay strong

Teejay x

I think I am almost lucky that my gambling addiction hit when I was young and able to stay living at home.

I obviously don't have to spend money on kids or a partner. I'm having a pretty miserable holiday doing very little but overall that is a minor fine to pay.

The other thing I am doing is giving my mate access to my online banking. He is a trusted mate and I have spoken to him a lot about this. (He is the only one who doesn't just say things like "Well stop doing it" or "It's your money mate".)

I feel that by knowing that he will see if I have been gambling will act as another prevention. Part of enabling a gambling addiction is of course the fact that it is very private.

Thanks for the kind words.

Day 1

I was out all afternoon playing golf so I haven't really had the urge (apart from a 10 quid bet with my mate, which is the safest bet ever when we are playing golf 😉 )

Still got a few sites on my hitlist for self exclusion which I will do tomorrow. Through my own stupidity, I have pretty much got an account with every online bookies I can think of so I can self exclude myself from every option which is great.

Here's to day 2!

Hi

Just be careful it's not always as easy as wanting to give up. Try not to indulge in any form of gambling draw a line in the sand and don't cross it in any form.

Michael

Noted! But I don't, or at least haven't yet, experienced any compulsive gambling cash in hand. It's strictly internet gambling. I'll still have the occasional wager on a game of golf with my mates just like I'll still have a wager when I go the horse races. It's completely controlled though. I don't know if anyone can explain that but it's the way it is for me...I have never got into the compulsive gambling when at an event cash in hand like I have online. With cash, I take my loss and move on. Online I chase chase chase.

Day 2

Pretty below average day. Watched a lot of sport (not the kinda sport I'd ever be tempted to bet on)

Been active in excluding myself from all sites. Leaving no stone unturned.

Overconfident start cos I've been here before. I hope the steps I'm taking are enough.

Thanks for post on my page mate. Take it a day at a time 😉 goodluck

Scottyboy

Really wanted to put a bet on McIlroy tonight - he was 3/1 and looks amazing tonight. Probably will win.

Gotta just keep telling myself that any win would simply be another lost stake.

Ugh, what a morning.

Feel pretty rotten about last night - would have been a big win on Rory McIlroy and I very nearly gave into the urge. Just have to remind myself that even if I had won a bet on him, it would have simple restarted the downward spiral.

I have spent the last 3 hours going through every site I know getting myself excluded for 5 years. A click of a button with some and quite a lot of effort with others.

I sent an email to JamesStan complaining because out of the 17 I self excluded from, they were the only company that insisted I could only self exclude over the phone. Really P*ssed me off. As I said to the 'livechat' person, the last thing someone attempting to recover from a gambling addiction wants to do is chat to some stranger about it on the phone.

The mention of gambling addiction seemed to be the trigger and my account was excluded within 2 minutes of that...which annoyed me even more! So I fired off an angry email.

Anyway, I have two to go - 666 poker and my favourite Lad Brookes. Neither seem to have an active chat at the moment. So will try later this afternoon.

Will feel good to know that I am excluded for 5 years off all the sites I know. Bit worried about this BetWay - seems new and I've noticed the TV adverts. Might contact them in advance and explain everything - see if they can attempt to block me out before I have even had an account, or even make an account and register my card then get excluded.

On to the 3rd day and feeling positive.

Day 3

Created an account and registered a card with Bet Way just to get permanently excluded...that led to an odd conversation, "you are asking for self exclusion but you created your account within the last 5 minutes."

So I'm positive with the steps I've taken so far. Sent a message to my 4 closest mates explaining everything. I have given my best pal access to my online banking. He's going to check every week and if I have gambled he's contacting my mum before me. Knowing that is a huge deterrent.

Fingers crossed. 3 days clean

Day 4

Should be a pretty straightforward day. Not much that I'd be tempted to gamble on anyway.

Hello mate

I can relate to your posts a lot as I am a similar age and also started off gambling with my mates on a Saturday morning in the bookies doing our accumulators. Going to be weird not doing any more accumulators with the season starting again next week. You seem like your getting on really well just want to send some encouragement and also some advice; never let your guard down not even for a second as I made it to two weeks on my diary without the slightest thought of a gamble and out of nowhere I was gambling again before I even had a chance to realise what was happening. Wish you all the best and I will keep an eye on your diary.

Thanks Jim

I knew it was an issue when two of my mates went 'hang on a minute, we're spending far too much of our money on this' and packed it in whereas I carried on, quietly but consistently.

Day 6 now - I agree it's going to be difficult especially when the football season starts again, although I was never compulsive about chasing losses on football, it was always the horse racing for me. Mainly because I was actually quite good at picking winners.

Going to enjoy watching the golf and cricket over the next few days and I would have normally had a gamble on a big odds golfer but I have ignored that.

Next week, I am off on holiday for a week with my family so that will be enough distraction. The biggest test will be the first weekend of October - just after payday.

Nick