Oh fuck.

[Fuckfuckfuck123]

Oh fuck. Ive just spent £200 on online slot machines. Im so ashamed. My money, but could have been put to better use. Im an idiot .

If some people can reliably make money this way, the cost to the bookies must be a worthwhile marketing expense, paid for out of the revenues they gain from people who try and fail.

If you're winning money, it's coming from people who are losing.

@HiJenny35 I have a FT job
Matched betting pays my mortgage, and I'm happy to share my last few weeks profit and loss.
It takes me about an hour a day, I'm not sure what you consider decent

mummadeeze

Do you work for one of these companies who see nothing wrong in taking money from the desperate and gullible?

Online gambling games and gambling machines are deliberately made to be enticing and addictive . The people who run them, like the people who run casinos in Vegas etc, know exactly what they are doing and who their client base is. And believe me, they don't have suave sophisticated James Bond in a dinner jacket in mind when they develope their sites. You might think you know how to beat their system, but in the end they will get your money.

Get on gamcare asap and ban yourself, I fell down this hole a couple of years ago and almost lost everything, not worth the risk!

I agree with big ears.

You are all mad.

Bonkers.

Thanks for giving me a laugh and brightening up my day Gilbert.

I started matched betting at the beginning of Feb. I have absolutely no interest in sport or gambling. For me its more of matching figures and amounts and when the figures are near enough I move some money around.
My profit tracker tells me that I have made £1039 in 4 months but thats just a figure - it doesnt seem like money to me and I'm not bothered if it goes down a bit before it goes up again.

Regarding MB, if you are even slightly prone to addictive behaviour, don't try it. This is where I started, it was one of the bonus slots offers I got sent along with standard bonus, started a slippery slope I didn't realise I was on until it was too late.

Saying that, I know there are people that can do it without spiraling down l, but only people with very good self control!!

Please stop on the slots.. it’s a rabbit hole you really don’t want to go down. Gambling companies make huge amounts of money every year, which is profit from people losing. Your money is paying for the champagne at the Ladbroke (or wherever) Christmas party.
There is a website call Gamstop, where you can register and it blocks access to all gambling sites - do it now, you will never be able to go on again.
If you want to see where gambling leads to, please go onto the Gamcare forum, and just read at the situations people are in. It’s heartbreaking stuff.
With my slot addiction I got to the point where I seriously considered stepping in front of a train, as I couldn’t see a way out. (There is clearly a long story here, that i’m not going to go into right now). I am now nearly 12 months gamble free (22nd July anniversary).. my debt gets smaller every month, and most importantly I have peace of mind.
Gambling is a mugs game ... you never see a poor bookie.

... I should have said, I am happy to talk as a PM with anyone struggling

I do matched betting although I don't make big profits like some - I am VERY risk-averse and have absolutely no interest in gambling so I don't see how I'm going to lose any money doing it.

I'd love to do this but every time I read anything about it I get a zinging banded headache!
Is there somewhere that explains it all for non-gambling fuckwits? I looked at the link above by floramcdougal - just made the headache worse and I don't want to subscribe to something like that.
Where can I find out if I'd be able to do this?

@ShitAtScarbble this one helped me
I had to read everything about ten times and then t suddenly clicked!

https://www.savethestudent.org/make-money/what-is-matched-betting.html

I'm a matched better and it has literally changed my life. I'm debt free now, so it funds my holiday habit and means that I don't have to work full time.

However, I have seen the devastation on family members of gambling addiction, so I'm not even slightly tempted to gamble.

I don't MB because I'm too thick.

I know people who do though and things like this do happen, taking a break seems to really work. Put a stop to that chasing feeling.

I know you must feel sick over this OP but use that feeling to make sure this is the last and only time this happens.

This was outright gambling
It’s ALL outright gambling. We have all “been there” and you should just walk away.

Readytogogogo i agree completely with all your points. I have seen the destruction gambling addictions can have on people's lives I would never ever do any matched betting.

It's not equivalent to buying alcohol. Matched betting involves making money other people have lost. Not spending your own money on something that other people are addicted to. Its completely different

Do you really not have to declare your winnings at all? Or do you have to declare them but don't get taxed on it?

@MyCatHatesEverybody no, don't have to declare them

I'm not doubting you, just sounds too good to be true and I could really do with some extra income. I guess it must be like a supermarket loss leader, for every disciplined person doing MB there'll be plenty of others who get sucked into spneding real cash.

MyCatHatesEverybody no, you don't need to declare them and no tax is paid on any winnings.

Mycat it's not like a loss leader, as if the bookies find out what you're doing they ban you instantly 🙈 They HATE it, it's a complete loophole which we exploit. They absolutely do not want anybody doing it.

Am I the only one who has no idea what 'matched betting' is?

Reading the first few pages and feeling like I must be living under a rock.