“Contacting GamCare felt a huge step. I had no idea how to start the conversation and I mulled over this for days. Finally, I took the plunge and it was the most important step I could have taken. The Adviser talked to me like an equal and instantly put me at ease. They made me feel that I …

“I’d always been a gambler, mainly focussed around betting on horses and football. Then I began to play blackjack – I had a ‘system’ and I thought it would be an easy way to make money. Although I was successful, I had some very close calls and I was betting large amounts.” After a …

John, 37, Manchester

“I started gambling in my 30s, at first when I went to see greyhound racing. Then I took a trip to a casino and played roulette. Before I knew it, I was preoccupied with gambling, and I thought nothing of losing £1,000 a night. Then my husband told me we needed to relocate because of his …

"I began gambling online around four years ago, and during this time I felt like he was becoming a completely different person... I was suffering with stress, mostly related to my work. However, when even moving jobs didn’t seem to help, I turned to gambling. I would neglect my wife and …

Steve, 35, Norwich

Carly found help through GamCare on a long night in December last year. “I had been struggling with gambling for around three years. My ‘rock bottom’ was last year, when I lost my home, my job and the relationships that were the most important to me. I knew something had to change, otherwise …

"I found GamCare online and got the ball rolling in my recovery by talking to an Adviser on their NetLine. I had tried to stop gambling many times before, and each time I started again within a few weeks or months. Nothing had changed, and I now realised I needed help if I really wanted to halt …

Sean, 31, Shetland Islands