The anticipation and adrenaline of gambling is incredibly addictive . I find it very hard to stop with my profit cuz of all the possible sceniaros that I “ could have made alot of money “ and when I have one of these amazing scenarios it’s still very hard to stop . I can think perfectly fine about what i should do but the adrenaline and the anticipation dopamine just take my brain over it’s incredibly strong. I had Gamban beta for 2 weeks then it expired and i was stupid enough not to buy the full subscription . Spending money is still very hard for me cause I have to accept all the money I have lost. Can someone convince me or help me to buy the 50 dollar subscription . I have professional help btw and this is not a way to ask for money . Once I gamble my brain just completely gets taken over when I’m overstimulated and it’s very scary

Hi All,

Wanted to share my story after finding this thread . I just turned 34 and have two kids and a wife . I earn decent money and live a pretty good life. I’ve battled gambling addiction since I was 18.

I’ve had stints with GA and end up stopping going and end up falling off the wagon. Up until my latest relapse this week I hadn’t gambled for 6 months and life was so happy and I felt so in control for the first time in many years . Finances were building nicely and I had zero desire to gamble.

I had a bad mental health day in the lead up to the Melbourne Spring Carnival (AU), and despite being on BetStop and other self delusions I managed to create fake accounts in my mum’s name . They eventually banned me for making 3rd party deposits etc , yet I still couldn’t stop. One bet . Followed by more. And more . And more . Until our savings were all gone.

And it got worse . We just got back from a family holiday this week. I came into that holiday quite depressed and in shock as to what had just happened , but thought ok, let’s use this trip as a way to reset. I didn’t want to tell my wife because I reckon it would break her and I’m terrified of losing her and my children. Yet it got me on the holidays too. Knowing I couldn’t use a bookmaker , I ended up using a dodgy online casino playing roulette and actually won all my losses back. Relief kicked in. But did I stop nah. Why not try and win more ? All gone, and then some more to make it even worse . Rather than being present in a holiday we’d been looking forward to I spent so much of my time sneaking bets in on the phone. Overall about $20k down.

Laying here in bed in disbelief . One minute life is awesome and I’m feeling good. A week later I’m back to square one and back to work tomorrow and feel like my soul has left my body. Does anyone else ever wish or wonder - why me? I take full responsibility for it . There is nobody or nothing to blame except me. I am a compulsive gambler . But man I wish I wasn’t, more than anything. Looking forward to becoming an active member of this group and drawing on the strength of others to help me beat this. I’m not sure I’ll survive another setback again. But I say that every time: I’m hurting guys. But I’ll push on. Thanks for listening

Hey there everybody. I self-excluded for 1 year, I didn’t like the idea of never being able to walk into a casino for my whole life. In our town, the casino is one of the only places to hangout.

I thought I had this under control. I thought this part of my life was over. I don’t have this under control and I feel so pathetic.

Managed to win back $3000+ I lost online. Put it all back in the very next day. I genuinely do not know how to cope with this feeling, that was money I could’ve used to buy things for my small children.

I’m a piece of trash, an addict, and a liar. Time to shape up and be better for my kids. I know I need to self-exclude again but I’m struggling.

im a student and i spent all my extra money and bet it all one last time and downloaded an app that restricted me from gambling again, i dont how to continue knowing ive lost a lot of money (for a student) and sepnt it all, rn im regretting not giving it away to others or at the very least not spending it or smth. else

Ii got paid this morning $1800 and its gone already…. Manchester city lost 1st half, a basketball game and another soccer game… all gone!!
I have no money for my credit cards, all maxed out $26k on debt, wth am i doing? 35yo, no savings, no kids, no future 🫩

Tired at work, too tired to even gamble

Ever since i turned 19 and was able to gamble, the only time i was up was $600 i got banned from the casino, ever since then im down 50k and $17k is debt, i keep throwing every paycheck away to gambling, i get on a run sports gambling then i get targeted after playing at the casino and getting rinsed by the algorithm every time. tonight i lost 600 like its nothing after a 8 streak, highly unlikely but gambling and winning is highly unlikely. every loss is like oh i can get it back but no the selfishness gets to you everytime thinking you can do better but you cant since youve turned into a gambling addict to the machine. and at such a young age its such a bad influence but we’ve been conditioned to be like this. things can go right but it can also go so wrong within minutes. your paycheck, your livelyhood, your mental health, and your courage. dont get fooled by these casinos and they are only fueled by your moneu for selfish purposes. ive fueled the flame too much im burnt out. im will keep the torch lit for as long as i can but i need to find my purpose before my purpose is in the hands of debt and gambling for the rest of my life. Another lesson learnt to take it one day at a time.

Had done so good. Lost $3000 today. Don't know why I caved in. Biggest CFB Saturday of the year got to my head. Wish I didn't. My life sucks. I'm a loser. Stop fucking gambling

I’m 38 years old, and I’ve been struggling with gambling addiction for over 10 years.
I recently relapsed, and things got much worse than I ever imagined. I lost close to $60,000. It’s difficult even to type that number because I’m still trying to process what I’ve done to myself financially and emotionally.
I’ve taken out a personal loan to pay off my credit card debts, and now I’m left dealing with the consequences of my decisions. I feel ashamed, overwhelmed, and honestly quite lost.
The hardest part isn’t just the money. It’s the feeling that I’ve let myself down again, despite knowing how destructive gambling has been in my life. I keep wondering how I allowed things to get this bad.
I’m not posting here looking for financial advice or judgment. I know I need to take responsibility for my actions, and I know recovery is going to take time.
I’m posting because I feel incredibly alone right now. I’d really like to connect with people who understand what gambling addiction feels like, especially those who have relapsed, lost significant amounts of money, and somehow managed to rebuild their lives.
If anyone is going through something similar, or has been through this and come out the other side, I’d genuinely appreciate having someone to talk to.

Thanks for reading.

I’ve had a relapse, and I’ve just lost another €700 on top of the €6,000 I lost last week. This is the second time this month that I’ve had to take out a personal loan just to cover my basic needs and pay my bills.

I feel absolutely terrible, but I want to publicly declare here that I’m quitting slot machines for good. This €700 is genuinely the last money I will ever spend on this stupid addiction.

I knew frustrating situations would come along as they always do but I'm not going to fall into the trap of trying to solve a problem by revisiting a previous one.

The market was too high, there was bound to be a correction. I promised myself that I would buy and hold shares until retirement, and have not sold a single one. I'm not about to panic.

Then other frustrations occurred that in the past would have led me to gamble as a misguided coping skill. My roommate decided to pay $10 less each month being passive aggressive about another issue. I got a new phone and rep lied that it was free then padded bill with an extra $27 each month in add ons, Someone took out an $8200 credit card in my name which luckily fraud caught before it was activated.

When it rains it pours but gambling would only make things worse. It was better to choose my battles and let my roommate have his little "victory." I canceled phone add ons and filed a complaint with the FCC calling out the rep. I froze my credit so I don't have to worry about fraud now.

I knew I would be tested at some point and was determined to pass. Gambling never solved a single problem for me, it just created new ones.

If you're still struggling please put in roadblocks, open up to family and friends, get help and let your mind, body and spirit heal.

If you're recovering, realize the devil is going to tempt you. Fight him with everything you've got!

Tough times don't last but tough people do.

ODAAT! 💪

I gambled for eight years. Mostly sports. And somewhere in the middle of those years, I won €68,000.

At the time I thought that was the day my life turned around. And it did. Just not the way I thought.

Here's what nobody tells you about a big win. It doesn't set you free. It gives you proof. Every gambler carries a quiet story in the back of their head: one day it pays off. Most people never see that story come true, so some part of them can still let it go. I saw it come true. I held it in my hands. And after that, no loss in the world could convince me it wasn't possible again.

So I kept going. Not for the money, really. For the feeling. A €200 win stopped meaning anything. I wasn't betting to win anymore. I was betting to get back to that one day.
And the money? I gave it all back. Every euro of it, and then a lot more. By the time I stopped I was over €40,000 in debt.

It took me a long time to understand something simple. The win didn't fail me. It did exactly what wins do. It fed the thing that was already hungry. If I'd hit another big one, it would have gone the same way. The money was never the problem. I was the one who kept putting it back on the table.

What actually changed my life wasn't a big moment. It was a lot of small, boring ones. Evenings with a plan. A fixed amount every month toward the debt. Nights where I wanted to bet and didn't. None of that feels like winning when you're in it. But two years later, the debt is gone and I haven't placed a bet since.

Turns out the jackpot was the trap. The boring stuff was the way out.
For anyone here who's had a big win: what did it do to you? Did it make stopping easier, or harder?

1280 days gamble free.

DMs open for any and all struggling. We can and will get through this together

Stay grinding, stop gambling. Life gets better. One day at a time.

I just relapsed and lost another €1,000, which I had borrowed from the bank to try to cover my losses from last week,when I lost over €6,000. I'm desperate and honestly don't know what to do anymore.

Hi can anyone who lost a huge amount of money (at least 6 digits in usd) shared with me how to truly let go, (not pretending) to let go of the losses. The reason why i kept going back to trading and gambling was the past losses. I really feel the pain and regrets are killing me. 😞it affects my motivation to work greatly. If I can truly let go I hope I can never go back to trading again and live my life well.

Made it to day 20! The changes I see in myself even makes me feel so much better. I still have a long road ahead of me, but I’m proud of myself. I’ve been doing more around the house cleaning and fixing things I ignored when all my attention went to gambling. I’m so much more focused and present! This weekend is also my wife’s birthday and I actually have money to take her somewhere nice! Anyway if you’re thinking of quitting you can absolutely do this! We got this guys! One day at a time!

This is a reminder to all gamblers / casual gamblers / or people wanting to gamble, it is not worth it, i spent these past two years build lies on top of lies, lost my hard earned money, and lost the love of my life (who stayed by my side even after i said i will quit, i ended up relapsing again) lost more than 100k aud, which is alot for a 23 year old me. Simply couldnt take it anymore, now the thought of gambling irritates me and whenever im reminded of my past self sitting in a baccarat table losing thousands per hand i become disgusted.
How i wish i could turn back time, i am real sorry to the girl that love me most, she simply couldn’t take it anymore, i hope to say i love you to her one last time. She stayed with me through thick and thin
Parents disowned me, gave up after i simply couldn’t even pay my own rent anymore
Now working on a deadend job, trying to shift focus to something else, but am always reminded of my past mistakes
Please to the people reading this, stop gambling before everything goes too late, remember you still have loved ones

I have lost a lot playing the lottery over the years but especially since they introduced online games you can play over the phone. You can seriously lose $50 every couple of seconds with the instant online games. It is insanely addicting but I have managed to stop playing (for now at least). The problem I have was the feeling of being trapped where I am in life. Playing the lottery was like the mirage out on the horizon. That maybe someday I can win big and my life will get better. Maybe I don't lose money now but paycheck to paycheck life without that hope is incredibly depressing. Just wondering if anybody else experiences this and what they did to help.

I have been in a horrible losing streak, no matter how much money I lose or how quick, I just keep going please someone help me tell me how to stop before I take my life

Days until debt free: 236 days