[Russel95]

Hi all,

I am a 18 year old University student taking a Gap year before a finish my degree. I earn an average amount per month as a student gap year around £1400 per month.
For my first 2 years of university I relied on my parents for extra money if I needed it. Since I started earning for myself a started placing a few football bets which were nothing major like £10/20 a month and used to win some and loose some, up until yesterday I was probably down £10 max. I wanted to save up so I could pay myself through university for my final year so I transferred some of my wages into a savings account and some into my dads account so I couldn’t touch it.

I was living comfortably and was ontrack to save money for university and some extra money for once I graduate. I have always loved money and will admit I can be greedy but I never thought of gambling as way to get some more disposable cash. Then on the William hill site I saw the live roulette tables and thought I would give it ago. I just got payed last week so deposited £100 and throughout the day managed to get it up to £2500, and I was so pleased I thought of all of the things I could do with the money, take my girlfriend on holiday, have some more saved for once I graduate ect. Then I kept saying I will do a bit more then ended up just loosing it all. This is when I knew I went wrong because I thought I did it once why not again, so I put £200 lost it, £200 lost it and I felt like I was in a cycle of trying to win the money back and was panicking at what to do until I lost around £2000 from my savings account. And so in the space of around 24hours I was up £2500 and ended up being down £2000.

I admitted to my parents and gf what I had done and they were shocked as it was so out of character and they did not expect that of me. They got angry and me and so on and said that if I gamble again my dad will kick me out of the house which I understand. I an confident that I will not gamble again as it was just a moment of stupidity from me.

However my problem is I am trying to look forward and just make sure I scrimp and save a bit more than normal to gain back the loss. But I just cannot stop thinking about it, its not an urge to gamble and try and win the money back, but I just feel depressed and angry at myself that I did that and lost such a large amount of money that was meant for my future.

Any advice or tips of how I should go forward would be really appreciated.

Thanks, Russ

[Mon83uk]

I can empathise where you are coming from, I started “small” and things escalated. I’m no expert but I suggest that the first thing you do is…try and forget about the losses and what could have been. The moment you think about it, you will stop thinking rationally and start to think that you can get it back. The truth is you won’t. That can be hard to accept, even for myself at times, but this is really really important. Secondly exclude yourself from the online gaming site you joined, and consider getting blocking software for your pc and phone. Also just so you aren’t tempted, consider giving control of your savings to someone else. Finally, don’t go back to the football bets, cause you may just start to bet more and more. What I’m basically saying is go cold turkey. Of course, this is just what I’m suggesting and trust me, i’m no expert, I’m just talking from experience and you story really reminded me of me (if that makes sense). Lastly don’t be embarrassed, annoyed all those things, this is some thing that you CAN get over.

All the best

[maverick.]

Hi Russ,

First of all thanks for sharing and well done for doing it, it takes real courage to share and in truth it took me years before I would share any experiance like that with others.

What I share with you now is for yours and my benefit, yours in the hope it helps in some way and mine because by sharing it helps me remember what gambling does to me.

I am 39 years old, have always worked, had very many good jobs and some not so, I started gambling when I was around 14 years old, my first bet was a win and that set the tone, over the last 25 years I have gambled off and on, more on than off in all honesty and finaly admitted I had a problem around 5 years ago, I have been in and out off recovery over that time but still struggling to stay clean, periods of over 1 year gamble free but many periods when struggling to get through one day.

Russ you are a young person and I would hate for you to follow down my path, the gambling just takes hold, it gets you, it will not let go and it will destroy everything good in your life, I have had friends that are no longer in this world because gambling took them to the edge and then tipped them over, I lie, cheat, steal, manipulate and many other bad things to fuel my next bet…………..sometimes becoming a compulsive liar and not really knowing it, a very good friend said to me once and this is how it gets you “I told a lie about a lie and then I lied about that”………..now this statement always makes me smile because it sounds so stupid but believe me it happens.

I am still in this world and I thank God for that, I have still managed to keep hold of my wife and 2 wonderful children but Russ that is more by luck than judgement.

I rent my house, I have no savings, I have no possession’s, my life is this, here and now, this is me and all I have is my words and self belief……..gambling has cost be many things in life Russ, financially I would struggle to put a figure on it but well in excess off £200000 but in truth I have lost so much more……the time gambling as taken away from me and as we all well know time is priceless.

Russ I wish you well my friend, you sound like an intelligent person, so go and enjoy your life and steer well clear from this insane addiction, wish you well and take care.

“once I make that first bet I just cant stop until it’s all gone, therefore we must always stay away from that first bet”

Maverick

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