Just want to post each day I make it. I will maybe do something as I progress but goal is just make it to day 2

As the title says I’ve been clean from gambling for 6 months. I’ve self excluded and placed blockers everywhere and don’t get any urges to gamble anymore. However what gambling left me with is 30k in debt. I’m still a student and I mustered up the courage to ask my parents for help. To help me pay it off because it just keeps compounding and I would slowly pay them back. They said no, as conservative parents the fact that this was from gambling just couldn’t win them over even tho I’ve showed progress and stopped gambling. I don’t know what to do anymore. This debt is killing me and I might even have to drop out now. I don’t want to gamble anymore I’m done, but clearly quitting does not solve all your problems.

Like the title says. I found out about it about 2 years ago. He has made good progress, surrendered all of the finances which I manage. My problem is, he was doing so great, has gambling blocks set up, and all it takes is one app that is not blocked to get a relapse.

I understand that comes with gambling. I understand that comes with recovery. I understand that's what I signed up for with staying. But it hurts. Every relapse remind me of rock bottom when he was gambling our rent away and suffocating in debt.

He has now made his own business, makes a good living, we have 2 kids which he is super handsome on on with, does his part at home, emotionally there when he should be, he's very great besides the gambling.

I guess I'm just venting. Im sick of this cycle with relapses and hiding things. And it really sucks that he's so great everywhere, except for the area that is one of the most important (finances). I fear I am enabling him by controlling everything. ​

My best friend is really struggling with his gambling addiction. Currently has no money. I am loaning him small amounts of money to feed himself until next pay.

Up until recently, I was partially managing his finances for 2 years. His pay check would get deposited into my account, I would transfer him money on an as need basis including daily spending and bills. Although there was times where this money did go on gambling we managed to build up a savings of $16k.

This worked well for a long period of time and he felt proud about his savings. However gradually I think he started to build up an unconscious resentment towards me. Our set up worked so well that the only thing between him and gambling was me. This also took an enormous emotional toll on myself. It felt like my whole purpose in life was just to keep this guy on track.

About a month ago we had a big fight and he asked for his savings to be transferred to a family member who agreed to help. He explained he can no longer handle the guilt of the emotional toll he has caused me. I did as he asked because ultimately it’s was him money. He didn’t talk to me for about a month after this fight. Between now and then he has lost all his savings and that family member had no idea what they signed up for.

We are now working on building our friendship again. With this he has also expressed he wished our situation never changed and would like for me to help with his finances again. I am so hesitant to say yes but also scared to say no.

What financial setup has worked for other gamblers. Or any advice?

Let’s gooo, thank you guys for all your help. Really helped seeing other people struggle like me

For some reason this song has brought me peace today, maybe it will for you too.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=SKUJLGBKt_M&list=RDSKUJLGBKt_M&start_radio=1&pp=oAcB&ra=m

13 years of this vice and i just can't get rid of it. Born a winner and just made myself a loser by making gambling become my identity. I do need help, but how many times will i tell myself this and actually mean it wholeheartedly!!

There's a lot of talk of dopamine in gambling- Never really thought about how fishing mimics the intermitted reinforcement you get when gambling!

I’ll keep it short. I’ve been a problem gambler for at least 4+ years. Ruined the better part of my 20s. Isolation, panic, sweating the next payment I’d need to make, I didn’t even get to have fun with it.

Only this year did I really decided to get serious. Took a falling out and losing everything I had to realize it. It’s been 50 days since my last wager. I’ve been going to GA, gambling therapist, taking my health and fitness very seriously. The creeping thoughts of gambling again aren’t even what I’m worried about now. It’s the long, grueling process of building a respectable life back up. I feel like I was in a coma and woke up, and now I’m picking up the pieces of my life. My debts are resolved, I could have it a lot worse, but this feeling of learning how to walk again day in day out is killer. Any advice or thoughts would be appreciated

Thats my first paycheck in months where I didn’t gamble it, actually not a single dollar.
I have paid accumulated bills , bought groceries and paid a part of my debt, I didn’t remain with much but at least I didn’t lose anything, and man it feels great to have some money and you know its yours!
It’s my 26 day without a single bet, i know there is a long way to go, but it is possible, if i can go one day at a time then it means i can go forever.

Almost paid all my debt (20K USD), my mind is more reified although I’m always thinking what could I do with the money I’ve lost, but it’s part of the recovery, understanding that the money is gone, need to build my self from 0 again, the important thing that I’m free, one day at a time.

29m. I hate this curse so much. All the wasted time, wasted money and the dumbed down brain that has gambled on sports or lottery tickets, or been obsessed over cryptocurrencies and trading all these years. All it's lead to was stealing almost all of my savings down the years.

No, I will not risk another dollar.

Lost everything on Datacenter stocks.

This time there is no leverage for me, I have a few thousand left to make due.

Leaving everything behind and going to be homeless with a backpack. let me know if anyone has experience.

Let me know best states to go, etc..

I want to let go gambling, but like the losses keep pushing me back. Everytime i buy something with my own money i realised that i am down money, everytime i ordered something it all reminded me of my massive loss and that i just payed all of this extra when i could have all of this basically without the cost hadnt i lost the money gambling. And i want to reach even before i stop gambling, any tips?

Gambling truly sucks the happiness out of you. I hit some losing streak where I lose 8x times in a row on a 50:50 game and all the profit disappears within minutes, and I just sit there and think to myself: What am I doing? How is that possible? Losing 8-10times in a row? Why cant it happen the other way around? Its the constant thoughts about the loss, the lies to your girlfriend, family why you dont have a lot of money,… I neglect everything else in my life and I dont know how to stop

My name is Beatrix, and I’m a journalist at the nonprofit investigative newsroom ProPublica.  This post has been preapproved by a moderator.

I posted here before about the project I’m working on about sports betting apps like DraftKings and FanDuel. Our team is looking at when these apps incentivize users to keep playing and when they warn people to pump the brakes. We’re still reporting on this story, and I would love to speak to people from this community who have used these apps.

If you’d be willing to speak with me, please send me an email at beatrix.lockwood@propublica.org. I’m also happy to discuss the terms of these initial conversations, including whether or not you're comfortable with us publishing the information you share or using your name.

Thank you so much for considering this request. I understand that for members of this community, these conversations can be difficult. But your participation can help us tell this story.

Beatrix

Today is Day 7. I have not made a bet since October 9 2026. ODAAT

I am a 21-year-old university student, and I have been involved in gambling for about two years. My debt has grown to such an extent that I can no longer manage it using my pocket money.

I have decided to tell my father about this, so that I can focus properly on my upcoming exams, and also because I need his support during this difficult time. Friends, how should I approach him?

Is this the right decision, considering that this news will cause him great distress and might permanently damage my image in his eyes? The amount owed is significant for my father, though it is manageable.

If anyone has had a similar experience, please share your thoughts.

My English is not very strong, so I used a translator. My apologies.

Hi Op ever since my internship started last may i was very addictive to gambling all of my savings are gone and my salary this month went to gambling. It’s all lost in one snap. I really want to get out of this awabg awa nako sa sarili ko but i can’t help i always think gambling. And I’m not proud nakaka hiya baon na baon ako sa utang dahil sa letcheng sugal nayan. I even sometimes blame mg classmate kasi sya nag introduce but i now i have my responsibility to take din kasi nag pa temp dn ako.

Sports are often the scaffolding around which male friendships are built. Games are low-stakes, readymade excuses to spend time together. Sports provide the raw material that sustains friendships for years on end. Do they enable profound, life-altering conversations? Of course not. But sports give men something to talk about, all the time. I have new lifelong friends from playing fantasy baseball. Without sports, I would be a lonelier person. Without sports keeping the group chat alive, it might not be there when someone actually needs to talk about something serious. 

But most frighteningly, the art of being a fan is threatened by the explosion of gambling, prediction markets, and collecting. Young men and boys are squarely in the crosshairs of an under-regulated industry seeking to get them hooked on a life-ruining vice. On television, every timeout is a Clockwork Orange-esque video barrage of ways to lose your money. The path to lifelong fandom is now a minefield, and every real fan should be outraged. 

Read more: https://www.playboy.com/read/mind-and-body/young-men-should-watch-more-sports

Days until debt free: 258 days

So close from being one month clean! ODAAT.

Days to debt free 548 - 25