r/problemgambling

Yesterday I was at the casino. Down $8k on the month, but that's fine. Went for a good time, ended up withdrawing another $3k.

And then today... I have limits on all the online casinos I use, but found another. Blew through another $8k. Down over $25k since the start of the year.

Why? I didn't have to play today, it was otherwise a good day. Now I'm sitting in the basement sick to my stomach, don't want to talk to my wife because I can't admit it to her. I could have paid into the mortgage. Could have saved for a vacation. Instead.... Shame. Can't sleep. Can't eat. Want to cry, but can't.

.. and she told me we will be okay. It felt really bad when i gave her the real number i lost. 65k in total, i havings no more savings. I still have a but of money in ETF but i had to sell a bit if it to cover bills this month.

We just got a child, i should be loaded and optimistic but everything always come back in my mind to money i lost. I could use it in so pany ways it makes me sick, sad, angry and ashamed of myself.

Now my wife counts my days off gambling, i can't avoid being asked every day because i asked to. It's good but it's hard. At least i've put all the chances on my side.

I have to confess i didn't tell her a 5k loan i took.. i'll pay it back asap and forget about it.

Man how much i miss those days when i didn't have this poison in my head. I could be genuinely happy and bored without anxiety. Now, every minute not doing something i feel crushed by remorse.

I know i didn't dig myself too deep as far of now, but i restart in square zero, while i should be so far ahead.

I hope someday i can feel whole again and genuinely happy like i used to 3 years ago...

Started on Stake around mid-2023. I never thought it would get serious since I wasn't even betting big. But somehow it still turned into an addiction.

Till now, I've lost almost $19,000. Even typing that feels unreal.And it's not just about the money anymore. It's what it did to my head..constant stress, chasing losses, always thinking about the next bet. It slowly takes over you.

Yeah, some people win. I did too sometimes. But most of us don't, and deep down we all know it. The house always wins in the end.

I'm quitting before it takes more from me.

Now I'm putting that same time and energy into something real freelance work, sales, actually trying to build something instead of burning money.

If you're stuck in that same cycle, thinking you'll win it back or one big hit will fix everything trust me it won't. I thought the same. Just get out while you still can.

Hello there, I just turned 20 and I started gambling online, first it was genuinely just out of curiously, but then it felt like I couldn’t stop. I gained some, which made me feel literally high, but then the problem started when I LOST some, then lost more, then at that point I “NEEDED” to get the money I lost back. I’ve already struggled with other addictions before and I have diagnosed ocd so I struggle with compulsions and obsessions. My family even has gambling problems, my sibling is an addict and went to debt before. I feel like the urge to get my losses back is SO strong that it burns. I don’t know wha to do.

One of the most common responses I’ve gotten:

“I gamble too, but I would never do what you did.”

I understand that reaction. I used to believe the same thing. What I’ve learned is this:

When you’re deep in something like that, it doesn’t feel like you’re crossing a line. It feels like you’re buying time.

That’s the part that’s hard to explain unless you’ve lived it.

Curious how others see that line—where do you think it actually gets crossed?

Hello Everyone,

I’m 14 days without gambling today and I feel great. My story is much like a lot of them posted on here. I started gambling about 3-4 years ago, small amounts at first but they slowly increased when small wins didn’t do it anymore. I was gambling paychecks away over night. Getting $20 and running to the bank to deposit it into my account to bet. Long story short this past winter I blew 10k in a night that my wife and I had been gifted by my mom.

I constantly made excuses why I couldn’t get it out of the bank or I couldn’t make a phone call to get it transferred, blah blah blah.

Two weeks ago it blew up in my face. My wife discovered the money was missing and my gambling addiction. I then did three things that changed everything for me.

1. I self excluded from every online casino I used, and also the ones that I didn’t use, for the next 5 years.

2. I came clean to my family. I sat in a room with my wife, sister, brother-in-law, and my mom and told them everything. The big and the small. I told them no money should ever be handed to me until a time when I can prove I can handle it and I don’t know when that will be. All money should be handed directly to my wife. I have also been calling my friends individually and telling them I have a gambling addiction.

3. I changed my paycheck to be directly deposited into my wife’s account.

I’m two weeks in now and for the first time in years I feel as though a weight has been lifted off my chest. I feel happier around my family. I have so much more time without sneaking off to try and gamble $50 on slots. I don’t have to think of lies and excuses as to why I’m short on cash for anything. My wife used to ask me to get milk on the way home and I would say I left my debit card at work or something. It was always an excuse and a lie.

If you find yourself in this situation, please tell your family, or whoever is closest to you, the truth. Then take the money out of your hands and give it to someone you can trust to help you.

(28M) I have a pit in my stomach thinking about my losses. I have attempted options “trading” multiple times and it always ends up in me losing everything. I make a few successful trades then bam I over-leverage and the trade goes against me and I get screwed. I told myself I wasn’t going to make the same mistake as last time and guess what? I made the same mistake. I got caught chasing and revenge trading. I work a warehouse job that I desperately want to escape which is why I started trading, but it ended up with me having to work here longer because I keep losing everything I save up. I keep having suicidal thoughts and have trouble eating because I can’t bear the thought of having to keep working this job just to get back to baseline again… I don’t have a college education, I only have 2 k left to my name after losing my last two years of savings. I feel like a failure to my parents ( still live with them) and I feel defeated. I think about going back to school and chasing a career but I don’t even know where to start because all I think about is how long it would take me and if it is even worth it but after losing everything AGAIN, it’s starting to seem worth it to go back to school. For those of you who were in a similar position, how did you recover and what do you recommend I do? I currently feel hopeless.

Im a gambling addict. Been gambling since i was 14 years old. Ruined like my whole life. Ive lost like 300k dollars over the years. Taken loans on my wifes name without she knowing. She still with me. My parents helped me a lot also. We have 2 kids together. Since 2023 i quit gambling and managed to get her out of debt and am paying mine month for month. The problem is ive last months gambled a lot because of o debt that was due to be payed or i would be bankrupt. Now i lost 13 k and need 8k to catchup with everything. I cant take a loan on my name and i dont know any friend that will lend me money. My wife told me that if i gamble one more time, she will leave me. Im really afraid. Shes my everything and our relationship has improved so much the last year. I regrer my relapse and now i have taken measures so i dont fall into gambling again (installed gamban on my samsung).

What should i do and how should i tell my wife about this? If she leaves me, i feel like my life is destroyed even though i have my children and will do everything for them i love them to death, shes my other half.

I really would love for a friends help because that would save my relationship with my wife and i kmow this time i would fall into the hole.

Day 5 without gambling, man its so hard thinking of the debts and the losses, i used to be a normal happy person before this addiction, i wish i can get myself back.

See you on day 6

It’s sad this is like the 4th in only 2 months I keep destroying my life. I just sport bet till I have absolutely nothing left. No food no gas nothing. I don’t know why tf I keep doing it. I’m sick in the head. Rent is due in 2 weeks even I don’t spend my next 2 work checks I won’t have enough. If I saved this $1000 or even left with $500 I would’ve been ok. But I kept canceling withdrawals it was taking too long what my mind would say. And nothing. Mattered until my account had no money in it. Where reality hits. I’m so far deep in. Up the whole night betting tennis game winners. It’s disgusting. I don’t know who i am anymore. I’m a shell of my self. In only 2 months I fucking went broke 10 times and each time is bad. Final couple weeks of the month left have to pay a lot of bill

my birthday is in 3 weeks beginning of may im down over 100k. This little money im losing is just to help me get by im super far down and still losing my last 300 and shit. Idk what to do I don’t want to kill my self but this addiction sure is pushing me to that level. I have no one to talk to about it Damm man I’m so fucked

day 5 of no gambling. sure, there’s no pain, aggravation, sadness, and etc., from losses throughout my day but the reality of life really hits.

please someone tell me I’m not alone. 0 in account, cards maxed out, nothing to my name and bills piled on top threatening to cut off phone lines, internets, water., and no way to pay. I’m waiting for my check this week, a most of it will be gone especially I have used so many apps to get cash advance. my CCs debts are about 6k. open loans totaling 9k. I just don’t know how to financially recover and get back on my feet, not including having to live today with food, gas, my kids. I can’t explain to my spouse where I am now or how I got here.

im just so depressed, I’m not going to lie, there’s a piece of me that feels the need to gamble to try and and win some additional money to help me out. does anybody else feel like this while working on being clean.

im so tired of this, my anxiety is through the roof im having multiple panic attacks the last few days. I just can’t go on.

Lost 5k in 3 days and I’m happy on it

22 yo lost over 100 k estimated in my 6 years gambling addiction I’m in debt of 20-25k , I won 5k which could help me minimize the debt, but I lost it in 3 days, Now I’m really happy that is happened and I’ll explain why, I am aware of my addiction I have all the time periods when I quit and back again, now, If I would won it and maybe cash it out I will probably be out for a couple of weeks , but it will strike again, so I decided to quit forever I hope I will stick to it, this addiction has ruined my life 20-25k debt is tons of money I wanted to move to a rent from my parents home, travel around the world, doing stuff, but I’m waking up every morning to pay my debt and it will be like that for the rest of the next month. Lost all of my savings, my whole bank account, took loans and stuck with big debt,I think I can manage it and keep going this debt is manageable and I can return it in couple of months,anyway Feeling sick, ashamed , no one knows about it, planning to go to GA next week Please, I beg you I really beg you , don’t put even penny into it, the raises are exponentially, this is the worst addiction in life, if you are into it, accept your losses, try to pay your debt, forget it, go outside see the world to get proposals. Thanks for reading, any advices for this period of time?

Hi,

Well that’s the title. I am currently 20 yrs old and started gambling in September 2024 and it’s honestly been a nightmare, wish I never started.

I gamble online, basically only on FanDuel. I sports bet and play casino but my losses are majority the online casino. I differentiated the losses from each section(sports and casino) and the casino losses are over 80% of my total amount being down all time.

No I am not rich, so I honestly don’t know why I would keep going to the casino knowing I could spend the money on more beneficial things. I love sports, and the betting isn’t the problem if I’m being 100% honest. It’s the fucking casino. I try to tell myself to stay out, and only gamble on sports but I still find myself ending up in the casino some way, somehow. I really want to stop gambling entirely, but at least first stop going into the online casino portion of FanDuel. It’s the fucking worst. I lose all my money each paycheck basically, go borrow money from my friends, lose it, wait til payday, pay back my debts, gamble and lose it again. It’s honestly so depressing and idk why I can’t control myself. If my parents found out about my addiction idk what they would say, but they wouldn’t be happy. I just feel like a disappointment and I really need advice on how to stop.

Thank you all for listening.

Where are you ?!? I miss that avatar and great advice !!!

I’m a 24M that has been gambling for about 3 years now.

It started as a home game of poker when I visited my friends and thought it was something I could excel at and believing I could beat the system, on my 21st birthday I went to a casino.

Fast forward to now, I got due dates that are not even in my name, and were took out of my brother’s name and GF.

My GF got sick of me and left me. She’s been chatting me about the dues and I have no money left.

I’m so sick of myself. I can’t believe that what started as an innocent love could be turned out like this. I can’t really say anything else anymore. I feel like alone and depress, I can’t even buy myself cigarettes

Lies. lies. lies. I am a thief and a piece of shit. I am sorry for who trusted me. I touched grandma's credit card.

I am sorry to my coworker, for leaving early. I wasn't feeling sick. I left you to work alone on the constuction site. Our boss trusted me and teamed us up together. The 50 dollars you gave me? that wasn't for food. The days i missed? nothing happend, the night before was just a losing streak and i had yet another slepless night wondering how i'll feed the people in my life.

I am sorry to my grandma, those 40 dollars weren't for the tram subscription. No, my paycheck isn't late, it was never late, it was just gone.

I am sorry to my friend, the 20 dollars weren't for food either. I'll pay you back in two weeks.

I am sorry to my girlfriend, it wasn't just a few dollars, it was just another of my paychecks. You called me a hundred times, i was inside playing away all of it. We are going nowhere this easter. I gave you the last money i had to keep secure. Last night in an argument you sent it to me, 15 dollars, gone in minutes. That amount was gonna buy me yogurt and oats until pay day. Now i'll have to eat boiled potatoes.

I have had an addiction to gambling for years. I finally have accepted defeat. I keep searching sites to find women that share this disease I can speak with. Society is basically saying mainly men go through this, but there are a lot of women like me suffering and not enough voices that represent us.

It's been easier than i thought, but the weekend was ROUGH. I was pretty busy but both mornings I had smiled real quick thinking there's a ton of playoff games plus the normal MLB slates to bet on and I'm sure I have bonuses and profit boosts in my account!...

No. No I didn't because I opted out of everything. I can't do that anymore. I got sad at times but I also remembered that the previous days I haven't lost a cent to gambling. Even If I profited this weekend, I'd still be down so much more and I would have lost it all by the middle of this week.

I did my first meeting last Friday. It was a phone conference but everyone was incredible there. I was welcomed in and answered my 20 questions. It felt embarrassing until it didn't. A few people chimed in afterwards with all positive feedback. I have another meeting tonight. I will continue this journey and look forward to tomorrow and being able to say 8 DAYS.

Day by day. Never gonna win in the long run.