My family is not rich has some sort of a problem paying for my college fees! Therefore I had resorted to gambling away the money I've made from working part-time which is only meant for my daily allowance and college fees, just hoping to make some good money to ease the financial burden of paying my school fees! I'm in trouble right now as I had lost all my money which amounted to about. 7 Life-Changing Lessons From Someone Who Lost Everything If you woke up tomorrow without the use of your arms and legs, would you think life was fair? The answer just might surprise you. Worst person I saw spent over 30k on table games over 3 days, never left the Casino. Best guy I ever saw would come in every Friday, play 500 dollars (max bet) on black jack. Win 3 times and he walks out with 2k, never in the Casino longer than 15 minutes. Won far more often than he ever lost. Roulette RTP and house edge Every casino game can be characterized by the so-called return to player (RTP), which describes the percentage of each placed bet returned back to the player, statistically. If a game had an RTP of 100%, the chances of winning or losing would be the same.
- This topic has 256 replies, 37 voices, and was last updated 4 years, 6 months ago by .
Hello, I'm Adam. I've just signed up to this site after advice from Katie on the live chat. I've been gambling since I was probably 13/14. Slot machines are my thing. I would go to the arcade at dinner time when I went to school, or into town on the weekends to spend all my pocket money.
I guess I graduated to more serious money when I left school and got a job in a pub glass collecting. I'd be happy to lose 20, 30 quid on the bandit even if that was a big percentage of my wages. As I got older I was promoted to the bar and eventually assistant steward. As the position went up, the wages went up, the gambling went up. The inclusion of a £1 a spin machine at work proved too tempting and I was regularly losing hundreds.
More recently I'd signed up to Betfred to try my hand at gambling away from work. Once again, video slots were my thing. Started easy with £2 a spin, but it gradually grew and grew. £10 a spin, £20, £40. Soon I was losing £100 with every spin of the reels. I recently lost £11,000 from a£17,000 life savings account. I was destroyed. So imagine my delight when I managed to win and build it back up to £20,000. That should of been the end of it. But for the fact I'm here, we all know it wasn't. I lasted roughly 1 week before I was gambling again. £100 a spin. I lost £11,500 over a week or so. I lost the final £8,500 in around 20 minutes yesterday.
I'm absolutely mortified to say the least. I've no idea where to go from here. That money was supposed to go towards a new house next year. This is where my problems lie. I can't bare the thought of telling my parents who have basically wiped my arse for 30 years. It's all going to come out eventually when I try to get a mortgage and they check my financial history. Further still, my girlfriend who has always struggled financially, will never understand. She's thousands in debt herself, so she'll never be able to come to terms with me losing £8,000 in 20 minutes. I just can't face them. I'm basically eyeing up as much stuff in my possession that I have to sell. Try and claw some of it back. If I saved £200 of my wages every week, I'll get it back in about 100 weeks. That's just never going to happen.I think I'm going to have to settle into this depression…
Hello and thanks for starting a thread in the Gambling Therapy forums
Here at Gambling Therapy we pride ourselves on being a caring and diverse online community who can help and support you with the difficulties you�re currently facing. We understand that this might be a tough time for you, particularly if you�re new to recovery, so come here as often as you need to and participate in the forums, access online groups and connect to the live advice helpline if you need one to one support. We�re in this together!
Here on the forum you can share your experiences in a safe, supportive and accepting environment. The beauty of writing it all down is that you can take your time and you will be creating a record of your progress that you can look back on if it ever feels like you�re not moving forward. So, share as much or as little as you like but do try to stick to keeping just one thread in this forum so people know where to find you if they want to be updated on your progress or share something with you.
And on that note….
I�m going to hand you over to our community because I�m sure they will have some words of wisdom for you 🙂
Take care
The Gambling Therapy Team
PS: Let me just remind you to take a look at our
privacy policy and terms and conditions so you know how it all works!Hey Adam, thanks for sharing and welcome to the forum. I was never able to hold onto the money I had available neither. I could never leave a loser. I would either be up for the session and quit or gamble, stepping up if necessary, to the bitter end.
I was well aware of this and I made a good portion of my money unavailable / not easily accessible to me. It was in an account in a different country where it would take 2 or 3 days for it to clear into my current account and only then I could use it for gambling. In addition to that the amount I was able to transfer on any single day was limited.
So whenever I was steaming out of my ears (which was often) I could only lose the money I had available and never the money that was put aside. By the time I transferred the money back to my current account and it cleared I wouldn't be steaming so badly. Also, whenever I won anything meaningful I would wire it to the account I didn't have an easy access to.Anyway that money you had is gone and you can't have it back. It is no longer yours. What you can do is make sure you don't lose more. Actually you can make sure you never lose another penny. Easier said than done, I know. I've been fighting my demons for decades and I gambled as recently as yesterday. Go figure.
I would recommend that you read 'the easy way to stop gambling' by allen carr. It is quite a good book.
Out of curiosity, you mentioned in your post that you're waiting for a bonus / cashback money from BetFred and if you got it you weren't sure whether you would gamble with it or cash it out. Were you serious? Did you honestly think there was a slightest chance you would not gamble with it? I'm not trying to rub it in or anything, I just think it's highly unlikely you honestly thought you would not gamble the money readily available in your betting account. Not to mention the fact that you probably can't cash out bonus money till you meet their betting requirements (i. e. betting 8x the bonus amount).
Good luck. And make sure you come here often and post often. you will find it helpfull I'm sure.
Adam, I feel for your story. It is so similar to mine and I guess many others. It is the worst feeling in the world. Over 3 years of gambling (poke), quitting, relapsing, losing etc etc I have lost my life savings but more importantly my self respect. Now my busienss is in trouble, my marriage is over and I have to rebuild. I read so many blogs by ex gambler and they all say the same things. Take one day at a time and be kind to yourself. We all make mistakes, god knows I have. Over the last few weeks I have been deep in remorse for so many things, but that is gettng me nowhere. No one's life is perfect, far from it, and we all —- up. I am trying now to move on, be kind to myself and rebuild what I have lost. My life will never be the same again, but hopefully now it will be better and so will yours.
Keep posting whenever you need – don't keep thoughts in your head, it is much better to get them out. The great thing about this site is that you can then see what you wrote and where you were at a certain time.
All my love to you and yours.
Adam, I feel for your story. It is so similar to mine and I guess many others. It is the worst feeling in the world. Over 3 years of gambling (poke), quitting, relapsing, losing etc etc I have lost my life savings but more importantly my self respect. Now my busienss is in trouble, my marriage is over and I have to rebuild. I read so many blogs by ex gambler and they all say the same things. Take one day at a time and be kind to yourself. We all make mistakes, god knows I have. Over the last few weeks I have been deep in remorse for so many things, but that is gettng me nowhere. No one's life is perfect, far from it, and we all —- up. I am trying now to move on, be kind to myself and rebuild what I have lost. My life will never be the same again, but hopefully now it will be better and so will yours.
Keep posting whenever you need – don't keep thoughts in your head, it is much better to get them out. The great thing about this site is that you can then see what you wrote and where you were at a certain time.
All my love to you and yours.
Hi Adam, why not close that gambling account? Better yet, why not ask them to ban you? The n you won't keep getting those tempting bonuses.
The finances will take care of themselves if you stop gambling. Trying to keep things hidden will make it harder for you to do that. In fact trying to keep things hidden can in itself send someone gambling as they try and recoup hidden losses or pay hidden debts.
What positive steps can you take? A blocker for your PC so you can't reopen that gambling account or find another one? Someone to hold your money? Getting to GA meetings?
Keep posting and let us know what positive steps you are taking.?
Hi Adam,
As hard as it is, it's better for you to come clean and tell your parents and girlfriend what you've done. The initial shock and upset it will cause will eventually lead to what they can do constructively to help you repair the damage. In my experience, if you keep it a secret and exist in this secret world of gambling, you'll only continue to chase losses and compound the problem further.
I've self excluded myself form many online gaming sites and now can't access most of them for 5 years. You can also set daily gaming limits to reduce losses. Again, it's not a perfect solution because it's best that you don't gamble at all, but added to other measures it helps.
I have still found ways to gamble, that is why I'm on this forum and seeking outside help, but you still have family and people close to you that can support you, care for you and guide you through this, so don't shut them out. I let things escalate so far that I've pushed everyone close to me away, so I speak from experience. This fight is hard enough with the help of loved ones, but it's far, far more difficult if you stand alone in isolation like I do.
You may think that you have the ability to win all your losses back before anyone finds out, but even if you do, you'll think that you can go again and next time win big. I have won tens of thousands of pounds over the years and hardly ever quit while I was winning. I always pushed my luck further and further until I eventually lost everything. There's never a happy ending to gambling, it always ends in misery.
I wish you all the best and hope you find the strength to confide in loved ones.
Take care,
Charlster2
Hi Adam it is good you are wanting to stop. I would say you need to self exclude yourself from that online casino today! If you dont the odds are you will deposit again. Keeping it open means that possibly somewhere deep down you know you will gamble again!
Exclude and do it now and exclude from any other casinos you may have open. Then install blocking software on your pcs to block ALL casinos. Without this you could stumble again. Wishing you all the best!!!
Hi Adam,
$25 no deposit bonus at Gibson Casino. $25 no deposit bonus 60X Playthrough requirements. Valid only for new players, on 21st July, 2016. Sent by Titomania. Gibson casino no deposit bonus codes.
I can relate to what you're saying. There are many times when I could have cashed out and won thousands, but because I had won large amounts in the past and because of how much I've lost over the years it was never enough. I always push my luck to the brink until I eventually lose everything.
Not long ago I was £12000 up playing online roulette and all I did was increase my stake so I was spinning £200+ a spin, and in no time I lost the lot. That has happened to me on many occasions, I very rarely cash out when I'm winning. I gamble with trepidation and fear now, there's no fun factor in it. I know I can't afford to gamble a penny, yet I gamble every last penny I have on an all too regular basis!
Just to pick up on something you said at the end of your latest post about you not deserving help, believe me, asking for help now and coming clean is the best thing you can do. You're £17000 down at the moment, when do you think you'll qualify for help and understanding, when you're £50000 down, £100000 down? Now is the time to gather those close to you and meet this problem as a collective rather than face it in silence alone.
Others may have a different view point, but from my experience, I can only say it as I see it. At the moment £17000 seems a ridiculously large amount to lose, but in hindsight, if I had come clean when my losses were only £17000, I would still have my house, still probably have my long term relationship in tact and wouldn't be the complete wreck I am today.
Use your family, girlfriend and friends for support sooner rather than later, don't try to sort this out on your own.
I obviously wish you all the best and hope that you stay strong day to day. Keep it going, you're doing great.
Take care,
Charlster2
i wanted to buy one but I'm not sure? would I be able to un-install it? cause if I can then i will.so ill be wasting my money?
Just a note on blocking software. Gamblock is virtually impossible to uninstall unless you have very good coding / programmings skills and even then it can go horribly wrong and totally mess the system. Others I wont comment on. But gamblock is about as strong as it gets. Basicially when it is installed on your system ALL sites related to casinos/gambling are blocked including gaming forums and such like.
Nothing is ever 100% but it can give you another layer of cover and protection. But the real quitting starts from within. Self excluding from casinos is at the basic level and is a must in my book for any person who is struggling with an online based gambling addiction. But hey thats just me.
Many gamblers strive just to win meager profits. But a small percentage of players have actually managed to become rich through gambling.
The biggest winners often have the perfect mix of talent, fearlessness, and bankroll management. Unfortunately, some big winners are lacking in the latter category.
These same players have won and lost fortunes due to their inability to handle money and/or walk away. The following 7 gamblers serve as cautionary tales for knowing when to quit.
1 – Stu Ungar
Stu Ungar is best known for winning three WSOP Main Event titles. He took down this prestigious tournament in 1980, 1981, and 1997. The latter title earned him the nickname 'The Comeback Kid.'
However, Ungar was proficient in more than just poker. He first became a professional gambler through gin rummy.
After standing out in the New York gin rummy scene, Ungar travelled to Las Vegas in search of action. He dominated the competition so badly that nobody would play him anymore.
Ungar was also extremely good at blackjack. He was so good, in fact, that he could count a six-deck shoe and know what the final card was.
While Ungar was excellent at various forms of gambling, he did poorly with sports betting. He also developed a bad cocaine habit that would fester throughout the years.
The combination of sports betting and coke led to Ungar losing everything he made on the gambling tables. But he still experienced a shining moment after winning the 1997 WSOP Main Event.
Ungar split the $1 million prize with his backer, Billy Baxter. Sadly, he blew his $500,000 share on drugs and sports gambling.
Just a few months later, he died in a seedy motel of a heart attack. The heart attack was the result of years' of cocaine usage.
2 – Erick Lindgren
Erick Lindgren was one of the biggest beneficiaries of the poker boom (2003-2006). He won multiple WSOP gold bracelets and World Poker Tour titles at the height of poker mania.
'E-Dog' also landed a sponsorship deal with Full Tilt Poker that paid him $300,000 per month. Lindgren used his wealth to bet on sports and fantasy sports.
The latter caused his sports gambling problem to surface in 2012. Fellow gamblers began complaining that Lindgren failed to cover a $100,000 buy-in into a private fantasy league.
Soon, others came forward with stories about the two-time WSOP champ owing them money. He eventually declared bankruptcy after realizing that he had no chance to cover some $12 million worth of debt.
He owed $3.8 million in back taxes to the IRS. Lindgren also owed fellow gamblers, including poker pro Andy Bloch, an estimated $6.1 million.
He's since gone into gambling rehab multiple times and continues to play poker. But Lindgren will never be able to pay all the people whom he owes money. Of course, bankruptcy court probably took care of most of this debt for him.
3 – Terrance Watanabe
Unlike many other gamblers on this list, Terrance Watanabe has never been a professional. Instead, he's a whale who formerly ran Oriental Trading Co.
Watanabe took over the family business in 1977 and helped it become a prominent brand. The Japanese-American businessman sold his stake in Oriental Trading in 2000 and retired a wealthy man.
He set out to be a great philanthropist in his retirement. However, he spent far more time in Vegas casinos.
Watanabe was the biggest fish in the casino and would play everything from keno to slot machines. He lost big playing these games and others.
Of course, Vegas was more than willing to offer him generous comps. Caesars, for example, created a special 'Chairman' VIP level just for Watanabe.
The CEO would proceed to lose over $200 million through gambling alone. He eventually sued Caesars Entertainment in an effort to avoid paying up on a $14 million debt. The two sides settled out of court.
4 – Ryazan
'Ryazan' became one of the most-famous daily fantasy sports (DFS) pros in the mid-2000s. He won a fortune through football and other games in 2015.
Feeling good about his skills, Ryazan began challenging other noted pros like Martin 'Papagates' Crowley and Saahil Sud to matches.
In fact, he used credit cards to fund his initial bankroll. Ryazan spent much of his 2015 fortune and used credit cards to reload his account.
The result was mounting credit card interest and a diminishing bankroll. His career took a downswing in 2016 that left him unable to cover the massive taxes on his 2015 earnings.
5 – Charles Wells
Charles Wells is similar to Terrance Watanabe in that he didn't become famous for being a professional gambler. In fact, he was a conman long before his gambling ventures came to light in the 1890s.
Lost Everything Roulette Game
The Englishman funded his initial gambling bankroll via a phony musical jump rope. He duped investors into giving him a collective £4,000.
Wells took the money and headed to Monte Carlo. Here, he played roulette using the Martingale system and got lucky enough to break the bank (win every chip at a table) multiple times. By the time the trip was over, Wells had earned 1 million francs.
He went back to Monte Carlo shortly after the first big win. He did even better this time, breaking the bank 17 times.
Wells became a celebrity upon returning to Britain. He even toyed with the press that he had a secret roulette strategy.
This notion was just another con. Wells simply got lucky while using an aggressive betting strategy.
The luck would finally run out when he returned to Monte Carlo for a third time. He lost everything and returned to Britain penniless.
As if this wasn't bad enough, Wells was also arrested for fraud. He spent the rest of his life in and out of prison.
6 – Harry Findlay
A professional sports bettor, Harry Findlay has won millions of pounds through different sports and horse racing. He's also become a celebrity in the UK due to his outspoken ways.
Findlay started drinking his own Kool-Aid in 2007. He placed a £2.5 million bet on New Zealand beating France in the Rugby World Cup.
Findlay was so sure of a win that he held a big party at the stadium. His huge bet looked like it would pay off when New Zealand led 13-3 at halftime.
Despite the big lead, Findlay hedged with a relatively small bet on France making a comeback. This wager promised to pay £600,000 if the French pulled off the miracle.
They indeed did so and dealt Findlay a massive lost. He at least salvaged £600k thanks to his halftime hedge.
This was just the beginning as Findlay continued to lose more bets over the years. He also poured money into saving Coventry Stadium's greyhound racing program only to get burned.
Findlay is now worth far less than he used to be. He's still a successful horse bettor but not to the same extend as previously.
7 – Archie Karas
No story beats Archie Karas' fall from gambling grace. He managed to pull off the greatest gambling run in history only to lose everything.
Karas' tale began in Los Angeles where he was down to his last $50. Rather than saving up money to reload, he headed to Las Vegas in 1992.
Once here, he borrowed $10,000 from a friend and won enough to build a decent bankroll. Karas proceeded to win millions of dollars through a combination of pool and poker.
By the time he was worth $17 million, nobody would play Karas in pool or poker. He resorted to playing high-stakes craps at Binion's Gambling hall.
In 1995, Karas switched to baccarat and lost $11 million. He returned to the craps tables only to lose an additional $18 million.
My family is not rich has some sort of a problem paying for my college fees! Therefore I had resorted to gambling away the money I've made from working part-time which is only meant for my daily allowance and college fees, just hoping to make some good money to ease the financial burden of paying my school fees! I'm in trouble right now as I had lost all my money which amounted to about. 7 Life-Changing Lessons From Someone Who Lost Everything If you woke up tomorrow without the use of your arms and legs, would you think life was fair? The answer just might surprise you. Worst person I saw spent over 30k on table games over 3 days, never left the Casino. Best guy I ever saw would come in every Friday, play 500 dollars (max bet) on black jack. Win 3 times and he walks out with 2k, never in the Casino longer than 15 minutes. Won far more often than he ever lost. Roulette RTP and house edge Every casino game can be characterized by the so-called return to player (RTP), which describes the percentage of each placed bet returned back to the player, statistically. If a game had an RTP of 100%, the chances of winning or losing would be the same.
- This topic has 256 replies, 37 voices, and was last updated 4 years, 6 months ago by .
Hello, I'm Adam. I've just signed up to this site after advice from Katie on the live chat. I've been gambling since I was probably 13/14. Slot machines are my thing. I would go to the arcade at dinner time when I went to school, or into town on the weekends to spend all my pocket money.
I guess I graduated to more serious money when I left school and got a job in a pub glass collecting. I'd be happy to lose 20, 30 quid on the bandit even if that was a big percentage of my wages. As I got older I was promoted to the bar and eventually assistant steward. As the position went up, the wages went up, the gambling went up. The inclusion of a £1 a spin machine at work proved too tempting and I was regularly losing hundreds.
More recently I'd signed up to Betfred to try my hand at gambling away from work. Once again, video slots were my thing. Started easy with £2 a spin, but it gradually grew and grew. £10 a spin, £20, £40. Soon I was losing £100 with every spin of the reels. I recently lost £11,000 from a£17,000 life savings account. I was destroyed. So imagine my delight when I managed to win and build it back up to £20,000. That should of been the end of it. But for the fact I'm here, we all know it wasn't. I lasted roughly 1 week before I was gambling again. £100 a spin. I lost £11,500 over a week or so. I lost the final £8,500 in around 20 minutes yesterday.
I'm absolutely mortified to say the least. I've no idea where to go from here. That money was supposed to go towards a new house next year. This is where my problems lie. I can't bare the thought of telling my parents who have basically wiped my arse for 30 years. It's all going to come out eventually when I try to get a mortgage and they check my financial history. Further still, my girlfriend who has always struggled financially, will never understand. She's thousands in debt herself, so she'll never be able to come to terms with me losing £8,000 in 20 minutes. I just can't face them. I'm basically eyeing up as much stuff in my possession that I have to sell. Try and claw some of it back. If I saved £200 of my wages every week, I'll get it back in about 100 weeks. That's just never going to happen.I think I'm going to have to settle into this depression…
Hello and thanks for starting a thread in the Gambling Therapy forums
Here at Gambling Therapy we pride ourselves on being a caring and diverse online community who can help and support you with the difficulties you�re currently facing. We understand that this might be a tough time for you, particularly if you�re new to recovery, so come here as often as you need to and participate in the forums, access online groups and connect to the live advice helpline if you need one to one support. We�re in this together!
Here on the forum you can share your experiences in a safe, supportive and accepting environment. The beauty of writing it all down is that you can take your time and you will be creating a record of your progress that you can look back on if it ever feels like you�re not moving forward. So, share as much or as little as you like but do try to stick to keeping just one thread in this forum so people know where to find you if they want to be updated on your progress or share something with you.
And on that note….
I�m going to hand you over to our community because I�m sure they will have some words of wisdom for you 🙂
Take care
The Gambling Therapy Team
PS: Let me just remind you to take a look at our
privacy policy and terms and conditions so you know how it all works!Hey Adam, thanks for sharing and welcome to the forum. I was never able to hold onto the money I had available neither. I could never leave a loser. I would either be up for the session and quit or gamble, stepping up if necessary, to the bitter end.
I was well aware of this and I made a good portion of my money unavailable / not easily accessible to me. It was in an account in a different country where it would take 2 or 3 days for it to clear into my current account and only then I could use it for gambling. In addition to that the amount I was able to transfer on any single day was limited.
So whenever I was steaming out of my ears (which was often) I could only lose the money I had available and never the money that was put aside. By the time I transferred the money back to my current account and it cleared I wouldn't be steaming so badly. Also, whenever I won anything meaningful I would wire it to the account I didn't have an easy access to.Anyway that money you had is gone and you can't have it back. It is no longer yours. What you can do is make sure you don't lose more. Actually you can make sure you never lose another penny. Easier said than done, I know. I've been fighting my demons for decades and I gambled as recently as yesterday. Go figure.
I would recommend that you read 'the easy way to stop gambling' by allen carr. It is quite a good book.
Out of curiosity, you mentioned in your post that you're waiting for a bonus / cashback money from BetFred and if you got it you weren't sure whether you would gamble with it or cash it out. Were you serious? Did you honestly think there was a slightest chance you would not gamble with it? I'm not trying to rub it in or anything, I just think it's highly unlikely you honestly thought you would not gamble the money readily available in your betting account. Not to mention the fact that you probably can't cash out bonus money till you meet their betting requirements (i. e. betting 8x the bonus amount).
Good luck. And make sure you come here often and post often. you will find it helpfull I'm sure.
Adam, I feel for your story. It is so similar to mine and I guess many others. It is the worst feeling in the world. Over 3 years of gambling (poke), quitting, relapsing, losing etc etc I have lost my life savings but more importantly my self respect. Now my busienss is in trouble, my marriage is over and I have to rebuild. I read so many blogs by ex gambler and they all say the same things. Take one day at a time and be kind to yourself. We all make mistakes, god knows I have. Over the last few weeks I have been deep in remorse for so many things, but that is gettng me nowhere. No one's life is perfect, far from it, and we all —- up. I am trying now to move on, be kind to myself and rebuild what I have lost. My life will never be the same again, but hopefully now it will be better and so will yours.
Keep posting whenever you need – don't keep thoughts in your head, it is much better to get them out. The great thing about this site is that you can then see what you wrote and where you were at a certain time.
All my love to you and yours.
Adam, I feel for your story. It is so similar to mine and I guess many others. It is the worst feeling in the world. Over 3 years of gambling (poke), quitting, relapsing, losing etc etc I have lost my life savings but more importantly my self respect. Now my busienss is in trouble, my marriage is over and I have to rebuild. I read so many blogs by ex gambler and they all say the same things. Take one day at a time and be kind to yourself. We all make mistakes, god knows I have. Over the last few weeks I have been deep in remorse for so many things, but that is gettng me nowhere. No one's life is perfect, far from it, and we all —- up. I am trying now to move on, be kind to myself and rebuild what I have lost. My life will never be the same again, but hopefully now it will be better and so will yours.
Keep posting whenever you need – don't keep thoughts in your head, it is much better to get them out. The great thing about this site is that you can then see what you wrote and where you were at a certain time.
All my love to you and yours.
Hi Adam, why not close that gambling account? Better yet, why not ask them to ban you? The n you won't keep getting those tempting bonuses.
The finances will take care of themselves if you stop gambling. Trying to keep things hidden will make it harder for you to do that. In fact trying to keep things hidden can in itself send someone gambling as they try and recoup hidden losses or pay hidden debts.
What positive steps can you take? A blocker for your PC so you can't reopen that gambling account or find another one? Someone to hold your money? Getting to GA meetings?
Keep posting and let us know what positive steps you are taking.?
Hi Adam,
As hard as it is, it's better for you to come clean and tell your parents and girlfriend what you've done. The initial shock and upset it will cause will eventually lead to what they can do constructively to help you repair the damage. In my experience, if you keep it a secret and exist in this secret world of gambling, you'll only continue to chase losses and compound the problem further.
I've self excluded myself form many online gaming sites and now can't access most of them for 5 years. You can also set daily gaming limits to reduce losses. Again, it's not a perfect solution because it's best that you don't gamble at all, but added to other measures it helps.
I have still found ways to gamble, that is why I'm on this forum and seeking outside help, but you still have family and people close to you that can support you, care for you and guide you through this, so don't shut them out. I let things escalate so far that I've pushed everyone close to me away, so I speak from experience. This fight is hard enough with the help of loved ones, but it's far, far more difficult if you stand alone in isolation like I do.
You may think that you have the ability to win all your losses back before anyone finds out, but even if you do, you'll think that you can go again and next time win big. I have won tens of thousands of pounds over the years and hardly ever quit while I was winning. I always pushed my luck further and further until I eventually lost everything. There's never a happy ending to gambling, it always ends in misery.
I wish you all the best and hope you find the strength to confide in loved ones.
Take care,
Charlster2
Hi Adam it is good you are wanting to stop. I would say you need to self exclude yourself from that online casino today! If you dont the odds are you will deposit again. Keeping it open means that possibly somewhere deep down you know you will gamble again!
Exclude and do it now and exclude from any other casinos you may have open. Then install blocking software on your pcs to block ALL casinos. Without this you could stumble again. Wishing you all the best!!!
Hi Adam,
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I can relate to what you're saying. There are many times when I could have cashed out and won thousands, but because I had won large amounts in the past and because of how much I've lost over the years it was never enough. I always push my luck to the brink until I eventually lose everything.
Not long ago I was £12000 up playing online roulette and all I did was increase my stake so I was spinning £200+ a spin, and in no time I lost the lot. That has happened to me on many occasions, I very rarely cash out when I'm winning. I gamble with trepidation and fear now, there's no fun factor in it. I know I can't afford to gamble a penny, yet I gamble every last penny I have on an all too regular basis!
Just to pick up on something you said at the end of your latest post about you not deserving help, believe me, asking for help now and coming clean is the best thing you can do. You're £17000 down at the moment, when do you think you'll qualify for help and understanding, when you're £50000 down, £100000 down? Now is the time to gather those close to you and meet this problem as a collective rather than face it in silence alone.
Others may have a different view point, but from my experience, I can only say it as I see it. At the moment £17000 seems a ridiculously large amount to lose, but in hindsight, if I had come clean when my losses were only £17000, I would still have my house, still probably have my long term relationship in tact and wouldn't be the complete wreck I am today.
Use your family, girlfriend and friends for support sooner rather than later, don't try to sort this out on your own.
I obviously wish you all the best and hope that you stay strong day to day. Keep it going, you're doing great.
Take care,
Charlster2
i wanted to buy one but I'm not sure? would I be able to un-install it? cause if I can then i will.so ill be wasting my money?
Just a note on blocking software. Gamblock is virtually impossible to uninstall unless you have very good coding / programmings skills and even then it can go horribly wrong and totally mess the system. Others I wont comment on. But gamblock is about as strong as it gets. Basicially when it is installed on your system ALL sites related to casinos/gambling are blocked including gaming forums and such like.
Nothing is ever 100% but it can give you another layer of cover and protection. But the real quitting starts from within. Self excluding from casinos is at the basic level and is a must in my book for any person who is struggling with an online based gambling addiction. But hey thats just me.
Many gamblers strive just to win meager profits. But a small percentage of players have actually managed to become rich through gambling.
The biggest winners often have the perfect mix of talent, fearlessness, and bankroll management. Unfortunately, some big winners are lacking in the latter category.
These same players have won and lost fortunes due to their inability to handle money and/or walk away. The following 7 gamblers serve as cautionary tales for knowing when to quit.
1 – Stu Ungar
Stu Ungar is best known for winning three WSOP Main Event titles. He took down this prestigious tournament in 1980, 1981, and 1997. The latter title earned him the nickname 'The Comeback Kid.'
However, Ungar was proficient in more than just poker. He first became a professional gambler through gin rummy.
After standing out in the New York gin rummy scene, Ungar travelled to Las Vegas in search of action. He dominated the competition so badly that nobody would play him anymore.
Ungar was also extremely good at blackjack. He was so good, in fact, that he could count a six-deck shoe and know what the final card was.
While Ungar was excellent at various forms of gambling, he did poorly with sports betting. He also developed a bad cocaine habit that would fester throughout the years.
The combination of sports betting and coke led to Ungar losing everything he made on the gambling tables. But he still experienced a shining moment after winning the 1997 WSOP Main Event.
Ungar split the $1 million prize with his backer, Billy Baxter. Sadly, he blew his $500,000 share on drugs and sports gambling.
Just a few months later, he died in a seedy motel of a heart attack. The heart attack was the result of years' of cocaine usage.
2 – Erick Lindgren
Erick Lindgren was one of the biggest beneficiaries of the poker boom (2003-2006). He won multiple WSOP gold bracelets and World Poker Tour titles at the height of poker mania.
'E-Dog' also landed a sponsorship deal with Full Tilt Poker that paid him $300,000 per month. Lindgren used his wealth to bet on sports and fantasy sports.
The latter caused his sports gambling problem to surface in 2012. Fellow gamblers began complaining that Lindgren failed to cover a $100,000 buy-in into a private fantasy league.
Soon, others came forward with stories about the two-time WSOP champ owing them money. He eventually declared bankruptcy after realizing that he had no chance to cover some $12 million worth of debt.
He owed $3.8 million in back taxes to the IRS. Lindgren also owed fellow gamblers, including poker pro Andy Bloch, an estimated $6.1 million.
He's since gone into gambling rehab multiple times and continues to play poker. But Lindgren will never be able to pay all the people whom he owes money. Of course, bankruptcy court probably took care of most of this debt for him.
3 – Terrance Watanabe
Unlike many other gamblers on this list, Terrance Watanabe has never been a professional. Instead, he's a whale who formerly ran Oriental Trading Co.
Watanabe took over the family business in 1977 and helped it become a prominent brand. The Japanese-American businessman sold his stake in Oriental Trading in 2000 and retired a wealthy man.
He set out to be a great philanthropist in his retirement. However, he spent far more time in Vegas casinos.
Watanabe was the biggest fish in the casino and would play everything from keno to slot machines. He lost big playing these games and others.
Of course, Vegas was more than willing to offer him generous comps. Caesars, for example, created a special 'Chairman' VIP level just for Watanabe.
The CEO would proceed to lose over $200 million through gambling alone. He eventually sued Caesars Entertainment in an effort to avoid paying up on a $14 million debt. The two sides settled out of court.
4 – Ryazan
'Ryazan' became one of the most-famous daily fantasy sports (DFS) pros in the mid-2000s. He won a fortune through football and other games in 2015.
Feeling good about his skills, Ryazan began challenging other noted pros like Martin 'Papagates' Crowley and Saahil Sud to matches.
In fact, he used credit cards to fund his initial bankroll. Ryazan spent much of his 2015 fortune and used credit cards to reload his account.
The result was mounting credit card interest and a diminishing bankroll. His career took a downswing in 2016 that left him unable to cover the massive taxes on his 2015 earnings.
5 – Charles Wells
Charles Wells is similar to Terrance Watanabe in that he didn't become famous for being a professional gambler. In fact, he was a conman long before his gambling ventures came to light in the 1890s.
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The Englishman funded his initial gambling bankroll via a phony musical jump rope. He duped investors into giving him a collective £4,000.
Wells took the money and headed to Monte Carlo. Here, he played roulette using the Martingale system and got lucky enough to break the bank (win every chip at a table) multiple times. By the time the trip was over, Wells had earned 1 million francs.
He went back to Monte Carlo shortly after the first big win. He did even better this time, breaking the bank 17 times.
Wells became a celebrity upon returning to Britain. He even toyed with the press that he had a secret roulette strategy.
This notion was just another con. Wells simply got lucky while using an aggressive betting strategy.
The luck would finally run out when he returned to Monte Carlo for a third time. He lost everything and returned to Britain penniless.
As if this wasn't bad enough, Wells was also arrested for fraud. He spent the rest of his life in and out of prison.
6 – Harry Findlay
A professional sports bettor, Harry Findlay has won millions of pounds through different sports and horse racing. He's also become a celebrity in the UK due to his outspoken ways.
Findlay started drinking his own Kool-Aid in 2007. He placed a £2.5 million bet on New Zealand beating France in the Rugby World Cup.
Findlay was so sure of a win that he held a big party at the stadium. His huge bet looked like it would pay off when New Zealand led 13-3 at halftime.
Despite the big lead, Findlay hedged with a relatively small bet on France making a comeback. This wager promised to pay £600,000 if the French pulled off the miracle.
They indeed did so and dealt Findlay a massive lost. He at least salvaged £600k thanks to his halftime hedge.
This was just the beginning as Findlay continued to lose more bets over the years. He also poured money into saving Coventry Stadium's greyhound racing program only to get burned.
Findlay is now worth far less than he used to be. He's still a successful horse bettor but not to the same extend as previously.
7 – Archie Karas
No story beats Archie Karas' fall from gambling grace. He managed to pull off the greatest gambling run in history only to lose everything.
Karas' tale began in Los Angeles where he was down to his last $50. Rather than saving up money to reload, he headed to Las Vegas in 1992.
Once here, he borrowed $10,000 from a friend and won enough to build a decent bankroll. Karas proceeded to win millions of dollars through a combination of pool and poker.
By the time he was worth $17 million, nobody would play Karas in pool or poker. He resorted to playing high-stakes craps at Binion's Gambling hall.
In 1995, Karas switched to baccarat and lost $11 million. He returned to the craps tables only to lose an additional $18 million.
Following a brief visit back to his native country of Greece, Karas began playing baccarat, craps, and poker in Vegas. All three propelled his losses until he was left with nothing.
Karas has since gone on other large runs only to lose the money. He was arrested in 2013 for marking cards at a San Diego casino.
Conclusion
All the gamblers on this list have had to think ‘what if' when reflecting back on their careers. Each of these players was up big at some point and lost everything.
Ungar is arguably the best all-around gambler ever. But sports betting and cocaine proved to be powerful addictions that he couldn't overcome.
Erick Lindgren once appeared set for life thanks to his poker winnings and Full Tilt sponsorship. But like Ungar, he couldn't resist betting big on sports — much to his detriment.
Terrance Watanabe built Oriental Trading into a well-known international company. He cashed out in 2000 only to lose over $200 million of his fortune to Vegas casinos.
Ryazan was one of the earliest success stories in DFS. However, his good fortune took a downturn when mounting credit card debt and bad bankroll management caused him to go broke.
Charles Wells was a nineteenth century conman who got extremely lucky playing roulette. He pushed his luck too many times and lost everything.
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Harry Findlay won millions of pounds through sports gambling. But big bets and a failed bid to help UK greyhound racing cost him his fortune.
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Finally, Archie Karas won $40 million after starting with just $50. He couldn't quit at the top, though, and ended up losing the entire amount.
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You may never win as big as any of these gamblers. But if you do, heed their stories so that you can quit with some of your profits.
