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Addiction support

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Original poster

Today I gambled 2.5k

58 replies

Whisky2014 · 21/08/2018 23:14

Fucking hell. When I looked at my bank statement I actually cannot believe it.
I had made 7k over the last week. I won 2.5k today and tonight I thought I'd give it another go. Fucking lost the 2.5k. So im still up but i am struggling to not go back on and chase my losses. I am just realising how addicted I am. I go on everyday. Started with matched betting. I am definitely "up". Over the last year I have made and won about 10k. I was SO happy today with that 2.5k win. I had the most money in my account ever and now it's gone. What a fucking twat.

OP posts:

heartofgold · 22/08/2018 14:07

i do matched betting too, so i have an idea of how they engineer the games to get/keep you hooked.

i think a clean break/cold turkey is a really good idea. did you register your accounts under your usual email? i used a separate one so i can filter out the correspondence more easily. the "bet 10 get 10"s (or casino offers - sounds like that's your thing?) can seem pretty harmless to dip back into, but you've recognised the psychological aspect of an emerging addiction before getting consumed by it. this is your (one) chance to get out ahead.

getting one over on the bookies never happens! cut all your ties, leave it now and you can have the warm glow of getting out up. find a new game/hobby and don't look back :)

good luck!

Original poster

Whisky2014 · 22/08/2018 14:42

Tha is heart. I definitely intend to end on this "up" even though it ended with a downer mentally. But i think i need to keep remembering that not to entice me back.

It is very difficult to not be enticed back. In the last few days the bookies were sending me notifications that they saw an increase in my stakes and that id been playing for x amount of time (alot) and that i can restrict access etc. But then the next day of have an email inviting me to be a part of a big casino bonus!! It's crazy.

I've had a few of my balances credits back to me but im waiting on the biggie. Then ill have to wait a couple fo days for the very last amounts to come back to my account.

I'm about to start a Netflix series instead of playing starburst!

These posts are helping me

OP posts:

heartofgold · 22/08/2018 15:11

hang onto the danger of chasing your losses - that's where they completely hook you, and will do everything they can to lure you back. can you set up an email filter to send everything into spam? empty/close any exchange accounts too, anything that would make it easy to have a "harmless" dabble...

Original poster

Whisky2014 · 22/08/2018 15:28

Yes I need to go and close them all.
I have a need to make money. I had debt and made stupid/uneducated decisions with money when i was younger.. only in the last 5 years has my situation improved. Now im sitting with more than ever. I need to be thankful for that at least and just work hard and forget about this silly gambling malarkey. Slow and steady wins the race

OP posts:

heartofgold · 22/08/2018 15:54

the problem is that you've seen quite how easily/quickly it can come in - and you've experienced the high associated with that.

i don't see how you could go back to the discipline of risk-free matched betting after a taste of serious gambling, so exchange accounts are just a gateway back into something you have to put down for good.

i'm sorry you got "lucky" - seeing large amounts in a short time must make it horribly tempting to have one more/last punt...

Original poster

Whisky2014 · 22/08/2018 16:14

This loss has been a real eye opener to me. It was gone in minutes. I was so stupid to do it. It is so easy to keep going. I was sure the next spin would pay off as it had done i previous situations but not this time.

OP posts:

parklives · 22/08/2018 16:32

My Dad was a gambler and took my family from very very comfortable to eating out of bins.
Step away op, the house always wins sooner or later.

Original poster

Whisky2014 · 22/08/2018 16:48

Yeh thats right, its not a saying for no reason. I'm stopping whilst I'm in profit I guess I will see sooner or later just how difficult it will be for me. But at the moment i am positive about all the free time i will get back to fill with better hobbies.

OP posts:

heartofgold · 22/08/2018 17:32

have you actually closed accounts whisky?

Original poster

Whisky2014 · 22/08/2018 22:00

No i just restricted them all to £0 deposits. I havent gone on any to see how to close tgem yet but i will probably tomorrow. I have jusy watched one whole season of Anne with an E (I'm off sick) and not had the urge to gamble.

OP posts:

parklives · 22/08/2018 22:46

Good for you whiskey

FlyingMonkeys · 23/08/2018 02:56

Ask your phone provider to install an under 18 block on your phone. You'll not be able to access sites unless you go in store to reset the restrictions.

Booboopidoo · 23/08/2018 04:01

You could be a rare thing OP, the ‘one that got away’ as it were. Stop now and you’ve had a lucky escape, you’ve walked away with £5k and averted certain disaster. As things stand you can look back on this as a positive, you stopped before it was too late. But if you gamble again all you will see when you look back is the point where it all started to go wrong, the crossroads where you took the wrong turn.

Don’t forget there’s support out there, you might not feel you need it right now but keep it in reserve so you have a last line of defence in case of a wobble. Decide now who you will call in that situation and put the number in your phone, no excuse not to at least try talking to someone before you go too far then.

You have a perfect chance to save yourself, you’ve realised in time and you can still spare yourself and those close to you the shitstorm you know will follow if you carry on gambling. Sending you strength and a hug, you can do this x

Bluntness100 · 23/08/2018 09:16

Get the accounts closed. Do everything to restrict yourself. You're gambling thousands. It's crazy behaviour. Be final about it.

Original poster

Whisky2014 · 23/08/2018 14:18

Jeez so i checked my emails and one bookie had rejected my withdrawal of £130 because i still had to turnover £30 :s I had never heard of this before unless using a bonus or whatever that you need to opt in to. I contacted live chat and they said it's in their terms and conditions that you have to play through your deposit at least once before you can withdraw. I had deposited 400 and when i had lost 270 I stopped and tried to withdraw the 130 that was left. Fuckers. So i went back to starburst and played two spins
Luckily I "won"and ended up with £360 from my £130. I was SO TEMPTED to keep playing but NO. I stopped myself. I wanted to keep going to hit a "big win" but then i thought £360 is alot of money I dont want to lose it. So withdrew it. So in total I "lost" 40 from the whole exercise but better than having lost £270. Silver lining i suppose.
But its fucking ridiculous they bleat on about responsible gambling and when the fun stops then STOP but i tried to stop they wouldn't let me. It's disgusting and pathetic. I might write a letter to them actually. Anyhoo felt good I managed to stop. I've not had an urge to gamble but was forced to!

Ps. this thread is helping me. Thanks to all contributors.

OP posts:

Booboopidoo · 23/08/2018 15:19

I can understand your reasoning and well done for stopping when you did, that’s it now though, right? And yes, ‘responsible gambling’ is a joke and they should be making it as easy as possible for people to stop when they need to. You really are better off having nothing more to do with an industry that causes so much misery.

Original poster

Whisky2014 · 23/08/2018 19:09

Yeh, Thats me done I was just forced to gamble to get my money out. :)

OP posts:

Bamboooo · 23/08/2018 19:41

Well done for stopping tonight whisky!

Once the money comes through to you from each site, can you go online and close the account completely one by one? Restricting yourself is still leaving a bit of temptation in your way, perhaps?

Then once they’re all closed, get the child safe setting turned on, on your broadband.

Keep strong!

Original poster

Whisky2014 · 23/08/2018 20:04

Thank you! I have started closing them now...There's ALOT. But yeh..really happy with myself :)

OP posts:

Booboopidoo · 23/08/2018 20:50

Imagine how you’d be feeling now if you hadn’t realised you were heading for a fall. You’d more than likely be massively down by now and feeling sick and panicky and instead you’re feeling happy Remind yourself of that when your resolve weakens and keep choosing to be happy, you’re doing great

Original poster

Whisky2014 · 23/08/2018 21:20

That is so true. The sick feeling I had When I lost the 2.5k oh god it was horrible. I never want to feel like that again and it was all my own doing.

My work contract just ended sooner than I was expecting (today rather than end of sep) and i am just thankful I have that money sitting in my bank but i am absolutely not going to risk losing that and ending up in a worse position! No, this is the end.

OP posts:

Booboopidoo · 23/08/2018 21:58

So pleased to see you say that, you should be really proud that you’ve nipped this in the bud. Don’t forget we’re here if you do hit a rough patch, as are the GA type organisations, don’t be afraid to ask for help if you need it x

Original poster

Whisky2014 · 23/08/2018 22:02

Thank you boo. This thread has helped me so much! X

OP posts:

NashvilleQueen · 23/08/2018 22:12

I know nothing at all about all this but how come you can’t just cash out your money into your account? Why do you have to wait?

Original poster

Whisky2014 · 23/08/2018 22:33

There's transaction processing time. Usually takes 1 to 3 days.

OP posts:

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