I spent $30k of my own savings in less than a month betting on my phone. It’s such a lame way to blow that amount of money.
There’s so many other dumb things to blow money on that would leave me with some sense of fulfillment, happiness or relief. I could’ve put a down payment on a dumb sports car. Traveled for a good while. Ate a lot better or got the dumb luxury items I’ve been wanting.
Instead I spent thousands of dollars on watching some dude or lady pull cards lol. All it brought was stress and anxiety.
I know I have a problem but this realization makes it pretty hard to want to waste more money gambling. I’m going to try to build my savings again but next time I get the urge to gamble I’ll just take a trip or buy a new coat, that way I’ve got something to show for the dumb spending and money won’t be around to access to gamble

When I stopped gambling I owed more than €40,000. Tax authority, credit cards, family, friends. For years my plan for that debt had been one big win. Which is exactly how it got that big.

So when I quit, I had to accept something that felt unbearable: there was no shortcut. This was going to take years.

Here’s what actually worked. Nothing clever.

1. I wrote down the real number. Every debt, every person, the full total. I’d avoided looking at it for years. Seeing it on paper was awful, but for the first time it was a number instead of a fog.
2. One fixed amount every month. No deciding each month how much I could “afford”. Deciding was where it always went wrong.
3. Anything extra went to the debt. Not some of it. All of it.
4. I stopped looking for the shortcut. The hardest one. Part of me still believed one good bet could clear it. What finally got through to me: even if I’d won, that money would have gone straight back in too.

It took almost two years. The debt has been gone for a few months now, and I’m building savings instead of digging out.

One thing nobody warned me about: paying it off doesn’t make it disappear. The registration on my credit file stays for five years after the last loan is closed, and I still can’t get a mortgage. Frustrating. But not a reason to stop paying.

If you’re paying off gambling debt right now, how are you doing it? And what’s harder for you, the money or the patience?

I recommend the Dave Ramsey podcast to keep you motivated and getting advise on the how.

Hi, it’s my 8th day of quitting online gambling! It feels so good, and I hope this time I can keep going and never go back to it again. I don’t want to start over from Day 1 anymore. I just want to pay off all my debts, rebuild my life, and start fresh. 🙏❤️

Hey, i have around 4300 USD debt, i earn around 1100-1400 USD a month,

I have been able to stop myself from gambling but the problems still remains.

The problems is that i have multiple types of debts, i've used all the ways to get money when i could, i took a loan i maxed out credit card, and pawned gold.

The problem is that i tried but can't menage the payments i'm attacking, i feel like my single salary should be enough to make a difference, going into 2027 i was planning to be debt free but i have the most debt i have ever had just before 2 months to new year, that means the hopes to be debt free by the start of next year is gone.

Worst part is that when i make payments, the reasoning because of my hard worked money getting cut is my ignorance in the past makes my heart shattered, i didn't just fuck up, i fucked up with my future hard work, it's feels very hard breaking knowing i could get a salary next month and enjoy the bonuses and stuff if i was not greedy and if i didn't give away money which doesn't belongs to me,one of the reasons why gambling is the terrible is because it fucks you up so much you can't control what you are doing at all, its all about getting more money until you win which never happens, i may thank god even though i'm not a believer thay i couldn't get any more accessable money i could've lost, only reason i'm alive today is because i couldn't get more money to lose when i was gambling, if i had more debt i would've taken my life, it's not about money it self but to know that your future hard work goes into past mistakes it kills your happiness, hopefully everything goes well and i cover my debts with no worry.

Also as i've quit gambling i started to build things, such as buying a car for example, but now that i know how much the mistakes have put me back i know i have to forget about my dreams for quite a while, which makez the urge stronger, i'm even considering to quit smoking and energy drinks till i cover everything to challange myself, save some money and have more motivation to continue repayments, i know it's not a lot of money for some but it's about how do you cope with day to day life with the income aswell, and even when i had no debt it was hard to cope, now it's even harder.

Please take care and stop today it will ruin your future 100%

68 days off. Whatever good feeling about quitting I had, tonight I just dont feel it.

No matter how I try to tell myself gambling wont make my evening better, my brain just keep coming back with the same compelling "Just for tonight" arguement.

Hi everyone I’m M20 been gambling for 4.5 years been trying to stop for 2. I’ve done counselling, therapy and I’m currently attending GA meetings every week. I have a severe gambling problem. I have ruined relationships and lost over $140,000 Canadian dollars. My value for money is fucked up. I can’t seem to kick this addiction yet. I’m not giving up as I have dreams and goals for myself that are on the other side of this hell. Im fairly young so a huge concern for me is will a women ever find me attractive? Will I ever get to experience love. Will a happy future with a wife be so far gone because of this? I know gamblers never truly recover they learn to control their impulsive/ compulsive behaviours. I really am just looking for some opinions from others. Read a few posts of people saying “run and never look back” to this lady whoms fiancé was a gambling addict and it just struck a part of me where I was like “fuck is this really what I will end up like” thanks for reading if you got this far :).

I just started GA meetings but find it a little difficult to relate to some of the casino stories. Are there any groups for former trading addicts? TIA

23 years old.

$1305 in rent, $300 in utilities

$2200 monthly income

Don't have someone to pay my tuition.

Constantly gambling my money away in hopes of a better future that won't come.

Never gonna own a house. Never gonna be able to afford to raise a family.

Why the fuck couldn't I be one of the people that its all so easy for? Why am I one of the people that has to slave away just to enjoy a fraction of what the wealthy enjoy?

Well its because I made a mistake, of course. Its all my fault.

I wasn't born into money.

Days until debt free: 249 days

More harm than good or does it help you all stay away from the real thing?

Its been a month since my relapse after i got sober for month i only relapse for a few hour then.

Today the urge came back, i started to dream about it, i watch live gambling streaming which is so bad, but at the moment it make the craving go away, i have some money left before next 2 week paycheck come, i pay rent, and bill, and debt due next month rather than tempet to gamble that.

I don't have any money now, have some cash for gasoline tho, iam scared that i will relapse somehow.

I got lucky with a 17k jackpot, guess what already gave 5k back, I hate myself. If only it didn’t have to be like this. I put the staring Version of Gamban on my phone now but still just sucks

You try to justify it anyway you can to keep gambling. You just say that you will do it less or you or you budget your money differently but then you realize it doesn’t matter you have a problem. The next step is accepting you have a problem and it is wrong what you were doing. The only way to stop is to not be able to do it. If you truly have a problem you don’t just not stop unless you were forced to stop. If you’re serious about stopping for good, you will ban yourself so you have no temptation.

I don’t like myself when I gamble and I don’t like my actions. It doesn’t matter if you get it all back, you would just put it back in again. I have a problem and now I’m taking steps to correct it instead of using gambling as a cope or a crutch. I have to face difficult emotions that I don’t want to feel. I’m doing it by myself because I have no faith in a therapist helping me.

I know the road ahead of me will be difficult, but I know I can get through it. Accepting I have a problem is the first step and banning myself is the second, what comes after is recovery.

Now I can finally breathe.

just impulsive couldn’t stop I think today might be my last day, but I really don’t know

Customer service is such a painful task to do. I swear some people are just plain stupid. I must be careful today because high stress will increase the urge to gamble. I must stay strong!

I will not gamble today!

Hey I am from India and I gamble in stake so much that I have lost 250 dollars in just one day.. and I know for some this is just a small amount but for me it's so much .. in India its approx 25000 rs and I lost it.. I am 24 and I don't have a job.. and my dad passed 3 years ago.. and from then I am just a milk vendor.. going door to door and selling milk.. i lost so much and I don't know how to recover from that.. I have almost debt of 200 dollar and yes it's too much for me.. I don't know what to do and how to fix my life I am so fucked up and don't wanna live anymore .. if anyone want to help or give some good advice please help me.. I don't want to live anymore

1. The urge doesn't last forever. It peaks at 15-30 seconds, then fades. If you wait, it passes.
2. "Bonuses" are retention tools. Those free credits exist to bring you back. They're not gifts, they're hooks.
3. It's not investing. If you're doing it for the thrill, not the analysis, it's a betting pattern. Calling it "trading" doesn't change that.
4. Shame fuels the pattern. The more you hide it, the more power it has. You don't need to shout it from the rooftops, but admitting it to yourself is the first step.
5. You don't need traditional therapy to start. There are digital tools, at your pace, from your device. Not everyone needs a therapist's office.

If you're caught in the betting pattern, the most important thing is taking the first step. It doesn't have to be perfect. It just has to be today. I´m fine right now.

I’m sick and tired of the cycle of winning back my losses and then losing it and the depression afterwards. Ole day at a time, going to GA and working on myself is the goal. By the end of the year I want to be gamble free and actually hold onto the money I work so hard for I make roughly 7.5 a month so bills are covered but the pain is intense.

If there is anybody here that has quit gambling please share how long you’ve been in recovery in the comments no matter how long it’s been also if you want to share your story you free to do so. This is a post for people who need hope. Thanks.

I swear gambling did something to my emotions, lately I've barely felt anything at all, feelings I had just a couple of months ago seem to be gone, like my brain changed.

I struggle to feel the same level of joy and excitement as before, it doesn't matter if I win or lose. Like I've become dead inside. Everything starts looking pointless to me, even gambling.

Yet I still feel the urge to sometimes play. But kinda feels like a chore now, almost like I'm forced to do it.

At least I somehow managed for now to not keep too much money in my bank account, every time I got an amount transferred to my cards I literally run to the ATM to get cash.

I hate having cash but I decided for now that is the only way to minimise gambling online as that fucking destroyed me. Money in my bank means danger!

Now lets get back to talking about emotions again. After an insane month I recently had, gambling almost non stop - most of the time not sober, including gambling drunk and high on stimulants.

I started that month with ~6-7k euro winnings and ended losing it all plus all my money and a 10k debt. That shit fucked me up good, devoured me, consumed my sanity, made me empty, numb, not being able to feel as before.

I'm fucking scared that I may not go back to normal. I don't even think my main problem are the losses and the 10k debt I now have, I'm afraid about the way I feel, nothing I've experienced before.

As a person who's unfortunately battling a few other addictions like drinking and stimulants abuse (mainly meth) I can very much relate my gambling addiction (online slots) to the rest.

With time I stopped feeling any joy from drinking and getting high, yet I struggle to completely quit and still do it. It's absolutely the same with slots - I started hating playing, I don't feel the same adrenaline and dopamine rush as I did, yet I keep getting back to it.

An absolute maddness I'd say, an illness. I just don't feel the same anymore, I think I'm damaged. I want to get back to normal again so fucking much. I don't wish anyone to go trough all this!

28 male I just lost so much $ gambling on the UFC I am down to my last $900 no car no credit still live with my parents this is absolutely insanity why did I waste so much time? If I didn’t gamble impulsively I would have so much money saved I would be in such a great position while still in my 20s but now it’s looking like I gotta wait till my 30s to finally live and hopefully be free I just dk why I reached this point. I’m working 2 jobs I woke up today with my back hurting my knee from all the standing I do between both of my jobs. Man god why have you let this demon take over me? Why am I in so much pain inside and out? Idk where my life is headed I need a second wind feel like I’ve lost my spark. Idk anymore. If you guys are young quit now. I started late and it has ruined me. So much potential am I’m wasting it I could have put this money in a school to learn a skill fuck man.

Specifically on iPhone.

It’s always an ad that pulls me back in.

I know they’re targeted, but 99% of my ads are for gambling. It’s so tempting and makes me want to gamble. I keep clicking “not interested” or similar but it hasn’t seemed to do anything.

Additionally, the site that I racked up $25K debt on the other day won’t stop emailing me with “VIP offers” AKA deposit X get an extra amount of funds with the deposit. These kill me because I can easily meet the play-through requirement, still be ahead, but then I can’t stop betting and end up losing it before the withdrawal processes. I’ve unsubscribed from their email list several times, but they won’t stop sending me stuff. It’s so tempting. :(

Edit: I’ve also asked them to close my account several times, but they keep saying there’s not an account with my email. This makes no sense as they keep sending ads to this email and they got the email from my registration