After multiple times where I've woken up in the morning, knowing full well that I've gambled away my months wages online and I swear I'll never gamble again, I've made the first step and registered here (along with signing up to gamstop).
I've gambled for around 10 years and it's hard to say when it switched from something that was fun and enjoyable to something that was a dependency. It stopped being about winning money but more about just gambling, which is where the real issues start as if there is no point where the winnings seem enough, then there is only one way it is going to end.
Jackpot a fruit machine in a pub? Move to the other fruit machine until you jackpot that one. Jackpotted them both? Either carry on playing or go somewhere else that you know there will be fruit machines (looking from the outside in you realise the stupidity of it all). I ended up in a large amount of debt, but thankfully found the charity StepChange 2 years ago and in December I will be debt free.
I'm lucky in the fact I've always managed to only gamble away my money after rent/bills etc... have been paid, which was down to the fact I had direct debits come out on payday covering these things, knowing full well I couldn't trust myself to have the money in my account for too long.
I'm not making any crazy promises on myself that I'll never gamble again, but I'm hopeful that this time I'll be able to stick with it.
Best of luck to others currently on this journey.
Good luck Its a viscous circle, I've registered on gamban and suggest you do the same for max 5 years. I'm not struggling with the AGC in arcades on the 500 pound jackpot machines. I just loose control and evn if I win a little I keep going till I'm hundreds down. Sine lockdown allowed them to reopen down 2k easy and it's sickening.
Considering going round self excluding from them all but it's going to take dedication and time and effort.
Wishing you the best of luck I'm back at day 1 but taking one day at a time, dread to think the money I've lost over last 18 years I could of paid my mortgage of twice.
Stay strong
Sam
My situation sounds so similar. I tried gamban but didn’t understand how it worked as I could still play slots? I registered on Gamcare too but it’s only voluntary for casinos so I’ve just signed up to ones who haven’t signed up. I’ve been ‘shielding’ and hate to think what I’ve wracked up on credit cards in 4 months! I just feel I want to shout HELP at the top of my voice but there’s nobody to hear me!
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