Gambling problems

Muhren

Well as you can see from my sig I got myself into all sorts of financial trouble through gambling and let me tell you this wasn't a gradual build up of debt, this happened over the course of about nine months. The reason I tell you this is because it shows how quickly the addiction grabs hold of you, so the sooner you get some help the better.

First off if online gambling is your problem you can download K9 which blocks access to certain sites so I have the gambling box ticked and now can't go on any sites to do with gambling. You will have to get someone to put in a password so that you can't change the settings, your mum could do this for you. As has been recommended you need to tell her you have a problem. Which won't be easy but for me it was the best thing to do, and was like a massive weight lifted from my shoulders.

Get in contact with GA and go to the next meeting as they will give you more tips and barriers to put in place to help you stop gambling. I have been going to GA and haven't had a bet in nearly 10 months and even enjoy going to meetings now!

If I can do it so can you, I just hope you manage to put a stop to it before you get in as deep, if not deeper than me. If you want to ask me anything, PM me and I will try and help you out as best I can.

NYM

Firstly, you need to acknowledge the full extent of your situation to yourself !

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/50724041#Comment_50724041

You had virtually the same scenario in February 2012. Your Mum, according to that thread, paid off your debts to Wonga twice and your overdraft twice.

No one is going to be able to help you unless you start to help yourself. To that end, you will need to stop fantasising about holidays to Amsterdam, Las Vegas and Shark Fishing ! you simply can't afford it.

I don't believe you have a gambling addiction. You want money and are prepared to borrow it from where ever you can get it.

I apologise if my post sounds 'harsh' but you are not a child and must start taking responsibility for your own problems. There is no magic solution.

sourcrates

I think most people, at some point in life will go through a faze like this, the OP is quite young and I have to admit, when I was his age I led a similar life style for a time, but reality did eventually hit me, to be honest I have been in some form of debt, serious and otherwise, since I was 18 yrs old, im now 47 and almost debt free, for me it was gaming machines "bandits", then scratchcards, thinking I was going to win a fortune, football and horses never appealed to me, it was the instant hit of winning, or (mostly) the downer of losing, I spent thousands of pounds that didn't all belong to me, I took out credit to fund this addiction, but there comes a point when you are so deep in the mire, and believe me, you are no were near this as yet, that you just think enough !!, only you can stop this, only you can make the changes necessary to stop gambling your money away, do you have a girlfriend ? if not find one, get any distraction that does not involve gambling your money away, only you can do this, you can get all the advice in the world but in the end its up to you to change your habits, as your mum wont always be there to bail you out, I wish you luck.

T4NK

I have played poker since I was 18, I never really got into debt with it I just blew a huge chunk of my savings over a year. I was in a bad place nearly lost my job because I would have days off to play in tournaments, I also had a rocky patch with my OH when she realised what had happened. This was enough for me too change I withdrew all the cash I had and put it back into the bank. I didn't play poker for a year and a half in that time I learnt a lot of lessons and how my selfishness could have potentially ruined things for me and my family. I started playing poker again last year but I will never let myself get into that sort of desperation again where I was chasing my money.

I think you are going through something very similar to be honest, you need to take a look around and realise how much this is not only affecting you but how it is affecting your family and how it is going to affect you in the future. It may seem like you are in a mess at the moment but there is light at the end of the tunnel. I don't know you or your mental state but I was able to turn a corner because of my family, if you don't 100% want to change you will not be able to by yourself and I would suggest a call to GA.

I wish you all the best for the future mate, PM if you want any advice on how I managed to change.

T4NK

will369

Thanks for the help guys. I have arranged to pay the loan back end of this month.

This month I plan to just work a lot, keep my head down and try and do as much overtime as possible.

Not contacted a GA yet. Just want to get this month out of the way.

All it will take is like 2 months of work work work!

Once I'm debt free I will be happy.

2014 will be my year. No debt and no gambling! I'm
Done with it.

Im moving out of my sisters house soon. Will be saving like £200 a month.

I want to spend my money on nice things not wasting it on gambling

Thanks for your help

Asiacat

Try this.

Ask your mother or someone else you know to be your bookmaker.

You check the odds on the Internet or at the bookmakers and then make your bet with your mother.

You hand over your stake and if you win your mother pays you out of the cash she is looking after for you. If you lose the money stays in the bank ready for your next bet.

As the only people who truly win at gambling are the bookmakers you will always have more money going in/staying in your account than is being paid out to you in "winnings".

This way you get your gambling fix and you also end up keeping all the money you lose.

socrates

Asiacat wrote: »

Try this.

Ask your mother or someone else you know to be your bookmaker.

You check the odds on the Internet or at the bookmakers and then make your bet with your mother.

You hand over your stake and if you win your mother pays you out of the cash she is looking after for you. If you lose the money stays in the bank ready for your next bet.

As the only people who truly win at gambling are the bookmakers you will always have more money going in/staying in your account than is being paid out to you in "winnings".

This way you get your gambling fix and you also end up keeping all the money you lose.

One of the most ludicrous posts I have ever read

He is BORROWING to gamble - did you even read the thread?

The whole point is NOT to feed an addiction - not find other ways to feed it

JustSmile_2

Asiacat wrote: »

Try this.

Ask your mother or someone else you know to be your bookmaker.

You check the odds on the Internet or at the bookmakers and then make your bet with your mother.

You hand over your stake and if you win your mother pays you out of the cash she is looking after for you. If you lose the money stays in the bank ready for your next bet.

As the only people who truly win at gambling are the bookmakers you will always have more money going in/staying in your account than is being paid out to you in "winnings".

This way you get your gambling fix and you also end up keeping all the money you lose.

NEVER DO THIS! You have a gambling problem, get help. I would urge you to go to GA. There is no such thing as a "gambling fix" take it from someone who knows.
What you dont see right now is that gambling will eat you up, it will destroy you and people around you as you have no control over it. Continue on this path and I can assure you that it wont only be money you will end up loosing.

Speak to your mum, tell her its support you need not the money to clear the debt. Close off your online accounts and ask your bookmakers to bar you from the shops if you need to.

Good luck x

Muhren

JustSmile wrote: »

NEVER DO THIS! You have a gambling problem, get help. I would urge you to go to GA. There is no such thing as a "gambling fix" take it from someone who knows.
What you dont see right now is that gambling will eat you up, it will destroy you and people around you as you have no control over it. Continue on this path and I can assure you that it wont only be money you will end up loosing.

Speak to your mum, tell her its support you need not the money to clear the debt. Close off your online accounts and ask your bookmakers to bar you from the shops if you need to.

Good luck x

THIS.

As I have already said in this thread it can grab you very quickly. I thought that I could control it and went back to gamble after 2 months off, starting with small bets but as soon as I got a taste for it I was back to placing large bets and was betting even heavier than before.

At GA the view is that if you have a a gambling problem you need to stop gambling completely, I agree with this and have the T-Shirt to show this is the case.

I hope you manage to stop gambling and go on to sort your money issues out.

socrates

Muhren wrote: »

THIS.

As I have already said in this thread it can grab you very quickly. I thought that I could control it and went back to gamble after 2 months off, starting with small bets but as soon as I got a taste for it I was back to placing large bets and was betting even heavier than before.

At GA the view is that if you have a a gambling problem you need to stop gambling completely, I agree with this and have the T-Shirt to show this is the case.

I hope you manage to stop gambling and go on to sort your money issues out.

Unfortunately the Op does not want to stop gambling

Several of us have told him to contact GA and he has already shown that classic gamblers character flaw of denial

using excuses like I just want to get this month out of the way

the effort to call GA is far less than contacting the loan companies but he is avoiding it

I know for a fact he does not have the will power to self stop completely and all he really wants is to overcome this difficult period and he will go back to gambling