Hi,
new person on here. My story will probably be similar to most, but hoping seeing it in writing may help me going forward.
where did it all start? Well, quite innocently it was family holidays to the seaside. This including trips to the arcades. Pretty much 2p pushes which did no harm
as it went, a friend of a friend knew a person who owned such a place and I worked in one during school hols, 13-18. It was minimum wage, and whilst I saw a lot of people lose money, it didn’t stop me using my wage to gamble in other arcades. I remember a low point being getting the bus to my nana at the start of the week (where I stayed) and then putting 50quid into a red cops and robbers for those who remember the ‘good old days’. I then effectively worked for free the next 5 days of the week
after that, 4 years at university where I spent every spare pound on fruities
since then I’ve had various times avoiding them (6 months), but inevitably go back.
in the last year I’ve got into online slots, and would say 20k at least down
at present I can cover my debts with my wage, albeit with corona that may change
yesterday I won 800, whilst today I lost 600
yesterday I came into some money from my mother passing away, and at present I’m sure this will end up being gambled away
with no disrespect to anyone, I’m not stupid, have a good job, and so don’t think ga will help. I’ve registered my details with GameStop but not heard an update, guessing due to corona.
if anyone who has successful stories against slots, please give me some good advice before I throw my life away
I gave up alcohol at the start of the year thinking it would solve it all, but if anything it’s got worse,
thanks
Hi, and just to add to this, which I find fascinating, I would spend hours choosing a 5 pound football accumulator, or going to an afternoon at the horses would limit myself to 5 a race and be gutting if I lost....,but I wouldn’t hesitate for 1 second to stick 500 quid on red. How does that make sense?
Hi Mollie
First thing you need to do is give your inheritance to someone you trust who will look after it for you. You MUST do this ASAP otherwise you will start to eat away at it during gambling binges!!!
I have lost tend of thousands of the years but one thing I did do was give a 30k inheritance to a trusted family member and I still have it to this day. Untouched and there if and when I need it for my future.
GamStop is a must. This has helped me massively.
I wish you every success. You'll get some great advice on here.
All the best x
Hi Mollie66 and Welcome.
I have been recovering from a forty year addiction and your story is similar to many people.
You say those first innocent days do no harm but its actually far more sinister than that. The addiction grabs people fast. I reckon I was hooked within a week and it started in a chip shop in a remote part of Scotland.
Those 2p pushers are infact a classic example of something deviously designed so you ignore the odds. Im sure you remember that coins could fall down within the machine rather than in the tray and it was more than a bit dodgy. It also hooked children on gambling activity because I didnt see much regulation.
Slots are the crystal meth of gambling and you need to focus on the reality. Its a drug addiction and you need to start looking at it that way.
Focus on your overall losses. You know they can take hundreds or indeed thousands from you without the reward you seek. The complex issue is that the dopamine of every spin is what you seek and the money is an afterthought. Only you get numb to it and take bigger risks for the same feeling
That is how control is lost and as a drug addict for it you have no control. after certain trigger points you end up in a semi trance and start chasing/making worse decisions at all costs.
Your delusion is that anything now can touch your overall losses....the recent amounts dont matter as its all tokens to you
You cant tell me its an income scheme and one exercise you need to do after your born again moment is trying to explain a gambling session to a non gambler...they will look at you like you are telling them about faeries at the bottom of the garden because it makes no sense.
Its a split mind disorder and an illness. It should worry you that you have no control over your own mins and you need help.
Its not a stupidity issue. I could be very careful with money in certain situations but I was a gambling addict.
Phone someone close tell them and get any savings away from you. You need to face the dangers now and save yourself from further losses.
Its not an income scheme...you can see that..we ended up hooked like lab rats.
Phone someone close in thse strange times and start reaching out for help...there is no shame in admitting it took you over...its happened to countless people.
Its nothing to do with ego about being a grown adult with a good job...you need help to do the cold turkey.
You dont need gambling in your life and the slots have taken your self respect and control of your life away from you
They have sold you a lie because you dont understand the long odds. They have pushed a drug at you...you liked it and now you need it.
It may well be that you are escaping your inner fears with alcohol and gambling....both are toxic especially gambling and nobody has been protecting you because its a money earner in taxes.
Im serious give it up and get some help!
Best wishes from everyone on the forum
Hello Mollie66,
I too started on the penny slots in arcades and beachside amusements. This very quickly developed into slot machines and so on until the point where there isn't a type of gambling that I haven't done.
I don't want to tell you what to do or what I think. It was my thinking that got me in trouble, but it was the things I did which helped me put gambling down. Gamblers Anonymous. Meetings after meetings working an abstinence and recovery program. Unfortunately I didn't work the recovery program until much later but I found by attending meetings and being open and honest about the things I had done and how I was feeling allowed me to stay away from that first bet. So for now, let's not worry about too far in the future, let's just focus on the short term. You can't go to a meeting because they are currently shut down so being able to talk on here or to an adviser is a great place to start. I also put a few blocks in place during the early days. You need three things to gamble. Time, place and money. Take away one of those things and I can't gamble. Currently, with the lockdown there is only online, so if you ensure that you are registered with gamstop that's the first block. If you aren't sure then you need another block. A lot of banks now, through their online banking, allow you to put a gambling transaction ban on your account. I did that as well. Finally, if you haven't yet, is tell someone close to you and ask them to look after access to your money. What that does is take the secret out of the dark of your mind and stops it festering away, dragging you back. As hard as it might seem to be able to admit yo someone close to you, it lifts a weight off your shoulders and you'll be surprised how supportive people can be.
This addiction has no agenda on who it picks. A lot of educated people become problem and compulsive gamblers. It's not a weakness, it's an addiction which can be overcome one day at a time. Let's just get you some time away from that last bet.
Any questions please just ask.
Chris.
Hi Mollie
i used to love the 2p push machines when I was young I used to spend all my holiday money on them and although I only played them while on holiday the seed was set.
I didn't gamble until I met my husband when I was 32 he gambled and it took me a month to become addicted!
18years later I was still gambling and like you I would only ever put a couple of pound on a horse but think nothing of putting thousands into a slot machine!
I also came into money as I lost my mum and dad and inherited it.
i spent so much of it on slot machine s and the only reason I didn't spend it all is i had put some in an account I couldn't touch.The guilt ate me up.
I hit my rock bottom on 18th January 2020 and haven't gambled since.
My advice to you would be put gamstop on your phone.Give the money to someone to look after and try GA.I go once a week it has saved me!
There are also group chat forums daily which help especially at the moment.I also have phone counselling.
What works for one person doesn't necessarily work for another but there is no harm in trying.
It wasn't just about the money for me its what it was doing to me mentally I thought I was going mad and I am an intelligent person.
You can't change the past so take one day at a time and life can get better
Hope this helps a bit
If you want to speak you can message my diary Debbie4
Take care
Thanks all
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