Is it possible my partner could have a gambling addiction?

EltonJohnFan

Hi all,

I'm not sure if I have the correct category for this but I'm hopeful that you can help me anyway. I was just checking our online bank accounts there and my partner and I's joint account has a really suspicious chain of withdrawals that are going towards The National Lottery. It looks like they've been playing those online instant win games and I'm a little concerned that over £100 has left this account since yesterday as I checked the website and most of those games are priced at £2 each play which to me isn't all that cheap. It seems that the money has been leaving our account in blocks, sometimes £10 and other times £25 but nothing has been coming back to the account so that leads me to believe that they've lost it all.

I would hate to confront my partner over this incase it's a simple misunderstanding on my part but I would be really hurt if it turns out that they've been taking money from our account to waste on gambling and I'm afraid that they may have a problem, or that this could possibly develop into an addiction as that to me is a lot of money to spend on scratchcards, really unusual behaviour though as I've never known my partner to gamble. My partner is out at the moment helping family and I feel really guilty typing this up as I've never had a reason to not trust them before, do you think that maybe they had planned to tell me about this? it's obvious I'd find out as they've used the joint account but it does seem a little unusual and I just can't get my head around it.

Catspajamas

Check out gamcare for advice. Your partner may or may not have a problem but it could also be fraud on your account (though to be honest I would be careful if your partner does try to claim that!)

andytashfidget

Aw bless! I really feel for you. Please don't take this the wrong way, but if you have enough of a suspicion to write a post, maybe you're gut instinct could be justified?

On the other hand, if your partner has an addiction, typically (unless crying out for help) I would expect him to hide it better?

Either way, I think you do need to ask him about it (notice, not confront lol, I hate that word!!) because it could genuinely be fraud as the above person says! You could be tying yourself up in knots for nothing! If it was me, I'd have to say something, but everyone is different!

Good luck, hope you get it sorted.

Tash xxx

onefortheroad_2

this comeing from someone who lost £1800 in 3 hours on a online site ..my wife hit the roof i no longer go on betting site maybe you could talk to him to see why he doing it

Mark_In_Hampshire

EltonJohnFan wrote: »

Hi all,

I'm not sure if I have the correct category for this but I'm hopeful that you can help me anyway. I was just checking our online bank accounts there and my partner and I's joint account has a really suspicious chain of withdrawals that are going towards The National Lottery. It looks like they've been playing those online instant win games and I'm a little concerned that over £100 has left this account since yesterday as I checked the website and most of those games are priced at £2 each play which to me isn't all that cheap. It seems that the money has been leaving our account in blocks, sometimes £10 and other times £25 but nothing has been coming back to the account so that leads me to believe that they've lost it all.

I would hate to confront my partner over this incase it's a simple misunderstanding on my part but I would be really hurt if it turns out that they've been taking money from our account to waste on gambling and I'm afraid that they may have a problem, or that this could possibly develop into an addiction as that to me is a lot of money to spend on scratchcards, really unusual behaviour though as I've never known my partner to gamble. My partner is out at the moment helping family and I feel really guilty typing this up as I've never had a reason to not trust them before, do you think that maybe they had planned to tell me about this? it's obvious I'd find out as they've used the joint account but it does seem a little unusual and I just can't get my head around it.

A little anecdotal perhaps, however my visa debit card was recently blocked by the bank. It worked in person but not online.

When I called them, I was asked to verify certain transactions were actually made by me. One thing which was "suspect" was a pair of mobile top ups back to back (was me, not unusual - my mobile is O2 and our home broadband is Three 3G, explains that anomaly) and the other suspect one was The National Lottery (£5 - also me)

I did get the impression that the lottery site transaction was what finally blocked it since that was the first time the card was declined even after going thru the payer authentication online. They mentioned they'd had a string of recent frauds (without explicitly referring to that transaction).

So I'd ask your other half about it.

AnonymousForObviousReason

Ask your other half about it. Just say, "I noticed a load of money going to the lottery" don't make a big deal of it, if it was them and do they do it often, etc.

If you're afraid they are going to walk out, react angrily or in another way to make you so uncomfortable. The problem isn't with a gambling addiction.