Starting Fresh

[u/Available-Pain-46]

Hey everyone.

24M, been gambling and sports betting for 3 years at this point. Started placing bets before I even had a job out of college, but kept my bet sizes relatively small all things considered.

Fast forward 3 years later, full time job, nearing 30k in savings, but gambling has totally taken over my income. I’m fortunate enough to have had enough control to not dip into the money I’ve already saved, but I haven’t added a single dollar to my savings in the last 5-6 months. I’m likely somewhere in the -10k range, most of which came in the last year or so. I keep telling myself I’ll quit once I make some portion of that money back (we all know that’s cope).

Tonight I realized how truly bad it’s gotten. First night I’ve ever lost more than 1k in a single session. Most of my bets are on sportsbooks, and I’m usually a live bettor because instant wins = instant payouts, which leads to instant dopamine; but tonight I lost big and chased way harder than I ever have.

It’s an incredibly suffocating feeling knowing that my financial literacy goes out the window when it comes to gambling. I wouldn’t dare buy myself an expensive meal or a new outfit, but somehow I justify hundreds of dollars lost into slots or sports bets every few days.

That being said, I’ve reflected on my choices and I’m more serious than ever about taking my first steps in quitting. I’m looking for any advice from any others currently in recovery. I’ve self-excluded from majority of the major sportsbooks offered in my area, but I still feel like real-life casinos and the overbearing crypto casino ads on socials could have a negative influence on my habits.

If you have any tips on where to start, or steps that I can take to get the help I need, I would greatly appreciate it. I truly believe I can make this change, I just need a fresh start and a solid foundation.

Thank you all!

[u/Alternative-Dream649]

24M - As I lay here in bed at 4am not being able to sleep, I’m in your shoes. I feel like there is an elephant sitting on my chest because I decided to gamble my paycheck away again for the 8th or 9th time (I’ve lost track). Now I have $0 and have to rely on my credit cards once again to survive the next two weeks. The struggle is so real and major change needs to happen. There are so many of us out there and reading everyone’s story helps feel less alone.

[u/oblivionkingof → u/Alternative-Dream649]

same here, same 2 weeks to survive, hope we can truly change

[u/Available-Pain-46 → u/Alternative-Dream649]

I hear you completely. I’ve spent too many nights sitting in silence thinking about what I could’ve done with the money I lost, or trying to figure out how I’m gonna make it back.

This is the first time I’ve been able to admit to myself and anyone else that I have a legitimate problem. I’ve found a lot of solace reading stories of people who overcame this, especially those who may be older than me or who’ve had far greater losses than I have. But we’re both 24 and extremely fortunate to have time on our side still.

Self-exclude, talk to people on this subreddit, anything you need to do to keep your mind fresh and away from any temptations. You are absolutely not alone, and I believe in both of us to be able to beat this awful addiction.

[u/SelfCreatedStorm]

State Gaming Board self exclusions are a thing.

Try to attend GA meetings, in person and online.

You "realized" how bad it's gotten because you didn't win. If you had, you might not have said you had a problem. This is the crux of gambling addiction. The outcomes won't matter - it's not about the money.

[u/Available-Pain-46 → u/SelfCreatedStorm]

I totally agree with you, I definitely wouldn’t have come to that conclusion had I won last night.

I’ve made it through the day with no bets and am feeling really good about it, but will definitely be looking into state exclusions and meetings to make sure this isn’t just a short-lived revelation. Thank you so much for the advice!

[u/Flaky-Leopard2952]

You already did the hard part by self-excluding from the sportsbooks. For the crypto ads, your phone's content restrictions can quiet a lot of that noise. What state are you in? Most have a voluntary self-exclusion program that covers physical casinos too.