“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 …

David reached out to GamCare around three years ago. He was gambling online and had run up debts of almost £30,000. He says: “I wanted to stop, but I needed support – I was on the verge of losing my family. I looked for help online and found the National Gambling HelpLine. The adviser …

“I found GamCare through an internet search and at first I contacted them via the NetLine. When I’d just had a big loss for the second time, I started to realise I needed help to stop gambling. I wanted to stop for good, and I felt counselling would be the kind of support I needed.” Tom …

“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

Mark had a successful career in the financial markets before his gambling behaviour began to take a toll. He says: “I got to the point where I started chasing my losses with gambling, and that’s when I really felt everything went downhill. I began stealing from the company I worked for in …

Mark, 52 from Derbyshire

“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 …