Gambling Addiction - Need Help, A Chat - Read This!

[stripeyfox]

On 25/06/2019 at 14:31, howlinmadmurfdoc said:

It’s good. I’ve been four times now I think. It’s shocked me just how many people go, but it’s also really good to hear other people succeeding with it. I know it’s early days but I can’t see me gambling again at the minute. 

My life seems loads better for not gambling. I think with GA aswell everyone else is either in or has been in the same boat so it’s almost like a team effort for everyone.

Well done mate. I'd keep going. Even once you feel like your "past" gambling, you can continue to go and help support the others. 

[howlinmadmurfdoc]

16 minutes ago, stripeyfox said:

Well done mate. I'd keep going. Even once you feel like your "past" gambling, you can continue to go and help support the others. 

Thanks, yeah I certainly don’t see myself giving up on it for a long time. If 2 hours a week helps to keep me gamble free then it’s more than worth it. It’s refreshing to see loads of people that have gone years without gambling. Hopefully I’m in the same position of them in a few years and helping people who are like I am now.

Edited 28 June 2019 by howlinmadmurfdoc

[davieG]

They really are bastards

 

Gambling, Africa’s new child plague
British betting companies and football clubs are “luring” hundreds of thousands of African children into an illegal gambling craze that Kenya’s government says is “destroying” their lives. Using techniques banned in the UK, the companies appeal to youngsters by using cartoon characters and free branded merchandise.

 

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/

[Ric Flair]

On ‎14‎/‎07‎/‎2019 at 10:05, davieG said:

They really are bastards

 

Gambling, Africa’s new child plague
British betting companies and football clubs are “luring” hundreds of thousands of African children into an illegal gambling craze that Kenya’s government says is “destroying” their lives. Using techniques banned in the UK, the companies appeal to youngsters by using cartoon characters and free branded merchandise.

 

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/

Despicable, makes me want to cry that does. BASTARDS

[Wortho]

On 23/08/2018 at 10:34, Ric Flair said:

It's a harrowing read and something I've been through. I lost £10,000 in less than 30 minutes a few months ago and finally hit rock bottom. I'm now doing everything humanely possible to abstain from gambling long term, it's not going to be easy but I'm very serious this time. It's no longer something I'm keeping to myself, they call gambling the secret addiction and it is. You can just sit at home or whilst your waiting for your missus in a shop, gambling your head off and causing untold misery to yourself and everyone around you in seconds. A lot of these online bookmakers don't have any limits either, unless you start winning a wedge and they'll soon restrict you.

 

I lost a significant amount of money back in 2013 and remember at the time posting on here about how I needed to stop gambling but truth be told, I didn't want to know. I was just hurting that I'd lost all that money and needed the pain to go away, you'll agree to anything to try and stop the agony. I didn't do anything other than tell myself if I ever gamble again i'll devastate myself, I didn't tell anybody close to me who could help put barriers in place, I didn't tell my now wife how much I'd lost and what I'd been up to. So I ploughed on, on my own and managed to go nearly 2 years through determination not to bet or gamble on anything. But nothing changed in my mindset, I was still only one bet away from falling back in to the heinous habit that I had. After a while, if nothing has changed to your thought process or character, then the pain of what you did previously will subside and the exciting feelings of gambling and the holy grail of a big win will come back and fill your every waking thought. That's where my problem has been since early adulthood, I'm immature about money and life. Any problems or stress and the release of gambling and the potential to win big money would make everything better, when what a load of bollocks that is. A) I had/have no regard for money anyway so why would a load of it suddenly make everything right in the world and B) I am a compulsive gambler and any big win would only lead to bigger problems later down the line. But I'd always daydream about winning big as a way of coping with mundane life, unfulfillment at work and general day to day worries about money etc. I wasn't living in the real world, it was all fantasy as a way of escaping from whatever problems I had under the surface. It was a childish way of dealing with things, in fact that's being unfair to children. It was a moronic and warped way of life and mentality, only now that I'm learning about the triggers and how I've got to this point do I understand what needs to be done to permanently change for the better in my life long pursuit to a gambling free life.

 

I go to GA and have recently started counselling through Gamcare (who are brilliant by the way) and it's still early days but I'm quietly confident i'll beat this. I no longer keep all of this to myself, I've been brutally honest to my wife, my best pals and my family and although they were horrified and it didn't make much sense, they have all been brilliant. I believe in honesty 100%, as a gambler you lie constantly. You lie to yourself, you lie to others, you're a selfish bastard and nothing gets in the way of that roulette wheel or that horse or dog shit conference south team you're waiting on 10+ corners for. I am open and speak about how I'm feeling and this is key for me to change, as soon as I stop being honest and keep all of this to myself, it's easy to slip back in to the world of gambling. I have banned myself from all online betting sites, I have software on all devices that add a further barrier just in case, I've cancelled credit cards, overdrafts and am banned from bookies, casinos, the whole nine yards. My wife has access to all my finances to ensure I'm not being a complete cretin. There's no going back.

 

Truth be told, I still miss the buzz of gambling which is scandalous, given the sickening feeling that I can barely describe from the obscene losses I've had. But it's a twisted addiction and the anarchy and chaos of being thousands of pounds down and staring in to the abyss of financial devastation only to win it all back is a scarily powerful and alluring feeling. I can deal with any brief and fleeting twinge of missing gambling because I've built up a resistence to it's very being. I can never allow that to change, I view gambling as evil and I'm disgusted with the way I was living my life. I've got a son who's 2 and a half and I was risking his future by being a stupid idiot. I am aware it's a disease of sorts but I'm allowing myself no excuses for it, it just fuels my focus on changing the future. I can't change the past, the damage I've done, the money I've lost is gone, there's no point even going over it. It's the absolute pits of a thing to be caught up in.

 

Anyway, if anyone else is suffering from the grips of gambling and haven't yet been able to reach out for help, please do before you cause yourself and your loved ones a lot of pain. Send me a DM if you want any advice on where to go for help, there's some amazing people and organisations out there who care. The government are finally having to accept this epidemic that the gambling industry is causing too. FOBT's in bookies are soon to be, if not already reduced from £100 spins down to £2 spins. Addicts will find their fix from somewhere but at least it's making it harder to do severe financial damage at the click of a button.

 

Life is worth more than this. Don't be a pleb like me

I'm sorry I've only seen this recently, and I just want to say how brave you are in posting this. I really hope you can beat this.

[Ric Flair]

2 hours ago, Wortho said:

I'm sorry I've only seen this recently, and I just want to say how brave you are in posting this. I really hope you can beat this.

Thanks mate, I'm 14 months now without any form of gambling and life is very good right now. Even if life gets shitty, which happens to every one then it will still be infinitely better than if I were still gambling. Abstaining from gambling and committing to a long term recovery which becomes a ritual and way of life now gives me a chance of being able to deal with the stresses and pressures of what we all have to go through, before I'd have used it as an excuse to fcukin escape and blast all my dough up the wall and devastate everyone and everything around me.

 

I will do everything humanely possible to continue my path of a healthy and positive way of life. I'm currently reading an incredible book by Dr Gabor Mate called In The Realm of Hungry Ghosts. It's about close encounters with addiction and is a fascinating, compelling and powerful book. I immerse myself in trying to improve and just be the best possible me, fcuk gambling and fcuk every life it destroys. It's not having mine or my families for one more moment.

[Wortho]

I will certainly look out for that book. You sound as if you are determined to beat this and I really hope you can. 

 

As has been said the betting companies use any method to recruit new punters, it is really appalling.

More power to your elbow in beating these demons.

 

[davieG]

Wayne Rooney's Derby shirt number 'exploits loophole in betting rules protecting children'
By Andrew Aloia

BBC Sport

From the sectionDerby

 Wayne Rooney at Derby press conference
Wayne Rooney will move from US side DC United to Championship club Derby County as a player-coach in January 2020
A "loophole" in the regulations protecting children from being targeted by betting firms has been exploited by Wayne Rooney wearing the number 32 when he joins Derby County, according to a gambling industry expert.

The Rams have secured "a record-breaking sponsorship" deal with their shirt sponsor, online casino 32Red, "off the back of" the former England captain joining the Championship side.

Rooney's squad number at Pride Park will be 32 when he joins Derby in January, but the company denies it has anything to do with their sponsorship arrangement.

Although 32Red will not appear on any replica children's shirts, as prohibited by regulations, they can have Rooney's name and number 32 printed on the back of their kit.

The betting company said their agreement "complies with FA regulations".

However, Professor Jim Orford - a psychologist from Birmingham University who studies gambling - said: "It's obvious what it is there for, isn't it?

"It won't say 32Red, it will just be 32, but it clearly is meant to be a link to 32Red and people will start to associate the number 32 with gambling and gambling on 32Red.

"It is a loophole in the law.

"A lot of children won't understand it to start with but advertising is like that. A lot of people will understand it, while for others it will just be in the back of their minds and be subliminal.

"They are trying to just slip it in and get around that very sensible aspect of the regulations."

Rooney move raises more football & gambling questions
Derby move 'not just about coming home'
'You need picking up?' - How the world reacted to Rooney joining Derby
A spokesperson for 32Red said that it "wouldn't matter what number" Rooney plays in at Derby.

"As Wayne Rooney said himself during his press conference, the squad number means nothing. The number is a separate issue to the logo," the 32Red spokesperson added.

"The number is not important. Other players also wear the number in the Championship - 32Red don't have a trademark on the number 32."

Derby County and Rooney's representatives declined to comment when contacted by BBC Sport.

'A fuss should be made to the FA'

Derby role 'too good to turn down' for Rooney
The betting firm also rejected the notion that they have taken advantage of a "loophole".

"Responsible gambling is at the heart of our business," the spokesperson said.

"We will next week talk further details about the deal that will have a wider impact on the Derby community, with Wayne Rooney involved in community initiatives. Our additional investment will also include responsible gambling initiatives."

The Football Association declined to comment as Rooney is yet to come under their jurisdiction because England and Manchester United's all-time leading scorer does not move back to the English game from Major League Soccer side DC United until January.

Orford, who runs Gamble Watch UK - an independent organisation that questions gambling policy in Britain - said the FA and Gambling Commission should both look at the arrangement and whether the number on the shirt is a breach of regulations.

"One of the basic principles of the Gambling Commission is that they protect children and young people," he said.

"It should be making a fuss about this, to the FA in particular."

In a statement, the Gambling Commission said "sponsorship arrangements must be undertaken in a socially responsible manner", with its rules adding that deals should not "be likely to be of particular appeal to under-18s" or "associated with youth culture".

Dr Alan Smith, the bishop of St Albans and the church's gambling spokesman, told BBC Radio 5 Live that he hopes Rooney adds gambling awareness work to his charitable causes.

"I'm puzzled because Wayne Rooney does such a lot of good work, he is a great role model for so many people and yet he doesn't seem to be aware of the other side of this issue - and that is the really, serious public health issue that we have got going on in this country," Smith said.

"Why doesn't he stand up and talk for victims and protect people that are vulnerable?"

BBC Sport also contacted the Remote Gambling Association but has yet to receive a response.

 

 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/49297120

[davieG]

Gambling companies see huge rise in complaints
5 hours ago
 

Media caption"If I hadn’t gone online for a day, they were quickly on the phone or sending me an email."
The number of gamblers complaining about British betting firms has risen almost 5,000% in the past five years.

There were a record 8,266 complaints last year, Gambling Commission figures obtained by BBC Panorama show. That compares to just 169 in 2013.

The rise follows a sharp increase in UK gambling over the past decade.

The big betting firms have already promised £60m a year to help problem gamblers and say they are working on a plan to reduce gambling-related harm.

'Good sign'
Neil McArthur, chief executive of the Gambling Commission, said there were complex reasons for the rise in complaints.

Image caption
Neil McArthur says the industry must know its customers
"We are pushing the industry to know its customers, and part of this is actually, possibly, a good sign because it's suggesting that consumers are demanding more of the gambling operators. And I would encourage them to continue to do that," he said.

The industry has expanded rapidly since the government relaxed restrictions on betting and advertising in 2007.

Rooney move raises gambling questions
Ladbrokes Coral fined after customer lost £98,000
Gambling firms pledge £60m to help addicts
Gamblers are now losing almost twice as much to the betting companies as they were a decade ago. Last year, punters lost a record £14.5bn.

The biggest rise has been in online gambling, where new games and products have attracted new customers.

Amanda doesn't want to be identified. She was in her 50s when she started betting on an online site called Jackpotjoy.

She gambled away all her money from the sale of her home. When her father died, she inherited a share of his house, and she lost that on Jackpotjoy as well.

'Bubble world'
In total, Amanda lost £633,000. She made her last bet on the day she was made bankrupt.

"I was in a complete sort of lost bubble world," she said. "To me it was just escapism and I would just sit online and I would just be pressing the button on my computer.

Image copyrightJACKPOTJOY
Image caption
Jackpotjoy says it always acts in accordance with the relevant regulatory requirements
"It's horrific what I've done to myself really. Everything that I had worked for. My children looked up to me and now I have blown their inheritance."

Jackpotjoy said it always acted in accordance with the relevant regulatory requirements and that it had encouraged Amanda to use responsible gambling tools.

"This included the use of deposit limits, cooling-off periods and alternative withdrawal methods; tools which Amanda was aware of and used during the time she played with us," the company said.

High stakes betting machines have been banned from the High Street, but there are no legal limits for online games. That means customers can lose thousands of pounds in just a few minutes.

Campaigners say that the government needs to do more to protect the most vulnerable gamblers.

'Problem'
Daniel Clinkscales took his own life at the age of 35 after struggling with a gambling addiction for years.

He was a well-paid sales manager, but he took on two extra jobs just to fund his betting habit.

His mother, Jo Holloway, said Daniel hid his gambling for many years.

She said: "I think he found it so hard to really come to terms with the fact that there he was - clever, intelligent, largely successful at almost everything he turned his hand to - and he'd got this one problem. Gambling."

Image caption
Jo Holloway says gambling has been normalised
She thinks that the burden of responsibility should be placed on the betting companies, because some gamblers simply don't know how to stop.

"Gambling has been normalised. It has been made to look like something that everybody does innocently. It's not. You can lose your house in an afternoon. How serious does it have to be before people will act?"

The Gambling Commission said it had no plans to introduce maximum stakes online because operators already have enough information to keep players safe and to ensure they are playing with money they can afford to lose.

The major betting companies have already agreed to increase safer gambling messages and to review the tone of their promotional material.

Watch BBC Panorama: Addicted to Gambling on 12 August at 8.30pm on BBC One and on the BBC iPlayer afterwards

Action Line: If you or someone you know has a gambling problem visit: https://www.bbc.co.uk/actionline/

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-49284169

 

[Ric Flair]

The tide is turning at last, still a long way off much being done about it but it's coming. The programme tonight will be of interest, there's also one on on Thursday with Ross Kemp I believe.

 

I would love to see the stunt Derby are pulling be heavily slated, what Derby are doing with FFP is very naughty anyway but this is just highlighting the murky relationship football clubs and betting companies have, there's also no consistency either.

[Ric Flair]

I watched the Panorama programme on Monday and wish I hadn't as it made my blood boil. Listen to this for a statistic... 4% of gamblers account for 78% of total revenue gambling companies make in the UK and yet the CEO of the gambling commission doesn't think there's a problem. STAGGERING!

[davieG]

1 hour ago, Ric Flair said:

I watched the Panorama programme on Monday and wish I hadn't as it made my blood boil. Listen to this for a statistic... 4% of gamblers account for 78% of total revenue gambling companies make in the UK and yet the CEO of the gambling commission doesn't think there's a problem. STAGGERING!

Whilst they're making big profits they'll never admit  to anything  even the warnings they give are just lip service to stop any legislation that might damage their profits. It's just like the tobacco companies behaved.

[TamworthFoxes]

2 hours ago, Ric Flair said:

I watched the Panorama programme on Monday and wish I hadn't as it made my blood boil. Listen to this for a statistic... 4% of gamblers account for 78% of total revenue gambling companies make in the UK and yet the CEO of the gambling commission doesn't think there's a problem. STAGGERING!

I saw the same programme and was amazed by that fact. Explains why they roll out the red carpet for their vip clients. It was pretty sickening to hear the phone calls to the elderly lady who lost her money on them online fruit machine type game. She was obviously out of control and struggling and they simply kept putting £100 bonus in her account to keep on gambling. Makes you wonder how even the people making the phone calls sleep at night, let alone Denise Coates and get 260 million a year wages.

[Ric Flair]

9 hours ago, TamworthFoxes said:

I saw the same programme and was amazed by that fact. Explains why they roll out the red carpet for their vip clients. It was pretty sickening to hear the phone calls to the elderly lady who lost her money on them online fruit machine type game. She was obviously out of control and struggling and they simply kept putting £100 bonus in her account to keep on gambling. Makes you wonder how even the people making the phone calls sleep at night, let alone Denise Coates and get 260 million a year wages.

Yeah it's shocking mate, I lost £11k when I hit rock bottom in 2018 and I knew that was the point of no return and I needed to do something about it. I reached out to Gamcare first to find help as I was at my lowest ebb and they were really good but before I could sign up to GAMSTOP and various other self exclusions I was called by PaddyPower and emailed to tell me they had credited my account with £1100 worth of free bets. I am a compulsive gambler and at that point had zero self control, the urge to try and chase back my horrific losses was too much and although I knew I needed to stop and I had reached the pits of despair I logged back on and very nearly did claw back an obscene amount of money which thinking about it would have been the worst thing to happen to me as i'm not sure i'd be in the position I am today. Anyway, I lost it all and a few more grand off a credit card to add to everything else i'd blasted. I managed to then carry through with what Gamcare had told me and put lots of blocks in place. These bookies are nothing more than crack dealers or bogus con men.

 

Fair enough have a gambling platform that's reasonable but right now there's no limits online and these bookies can do what they want, ringing up vulnerable people and pressuring them in to continuing the devastation is just as disgusting as getting little old pensioners to sign away their life savings on some hoax pyramid scheme or property portfolio that will never ever materialize. That's classed as fraud and illegal but knowingly encouraging compulsive gamblers to lose everything and then other peoples money until they potentially kill themselves isn't on a par? It's horrifying.

[HighPeakFox]

2 things to add here - I was addicted to one form of gambling (betting on horses etc never bothered me) and I've been clean since Jan 8, 1988.

 

Reading some of the above makes me sad and angry, but we live in a society where the entire economy is predicated on a gambling mentality/theory, so I am afraid that nothing will properly change until we change the way we conduct society. Which I fear isn't about to happen.

[Col city fan]

I’ve taken quite some time thinking about how I wanted to write this post so here goes:

1. I concur with everyone on the thread. Gambling addiction is the Devil’s work and it can be all-compassing. Like many, I was finding myself betting (football) every evening. I was getting in from work, sitting in front of my PC (or on my phone), ‘just to have a look’ and finding I was depositing a tenner or twenty quid (saying to myself I won’t miss it) and then typically losing a tenner or twenty each night. I wasn’t interested in tele, wasn’t talking much, wasn’t going out etc etc etc

2. Something inside me made me think this was utterly fookin ridiculous. It wasn’t about the money actually, it was about ‘being right’ (lol) and ‘beating the bookies with my intelligence’.

However, Lady Luck usually didn’t shine on me and of course, I didn’t beat the bookies.

3. So I’m going to tell you what I now do. It’s based on three main pre-requisites. Firstly, that you can afford it. You must NEVER gamble if you can’t afford to lose. Secondly, that you don’t work weekends (this is imperative). Thirdly, that you NEVER break the rules.

4. So, what do I do? 

a. I only gamble at weekends (Fri eve till Sunday evening). I work hard in the week and have completely stopped mid-week betting

b. I deposit 50 quid for the weekend (I don’t drink or go out that much) so I can afford this, at least unless anything drastic happens.

c. I research and place ten bets of five pounds each. Five are placed on Fri eve/ Saturday, five on Sunday.

d. On the first weekend, I DON’T place any more bets than the ten, win or lose.

e. If I win (If I’m ‘up’ on the Sunday evening) then leave this in my account and on the following weekend I can place more bets of five pounds. Eg if I end the weekend with 60 quid, then the following weekend I can place twelve bets of five pounds. If I ever reach the hundred quid mark, then I withdraw.

f. If I’m ‘down’ on the Sunday evening, I don’t chase bets by going bigger. I simply ‘top up’ to the original fifty when the next weekend comes.

eg if I end up with thirty quid, I’ll ‘top up’ with another twenty come the next weekend.

g. If I’m doing something on a certain weekend, I don’t bet. I like to concentrate which I can’t do if I’m off out somewhere or away for the weekend.

e. I try to do this with most aspects of my life when I can. Eg. Eat well in the week, pig out if I wish to at weekends.

 

What I feel this does for me is to enable me to retain control. Gambling is like anything, it becomes a problem when you are out of control. I like to gamble on football so waiting for weekends gives me something to look forward to. I’ve regained the element of excitement to my betting, rather than feeling almost compelled to ‘have to do it’!

 

The rules MUST be adhered to. No sneaky bets on the Champions League, no little flutter on Thursday night Europa League, no having a five in the Lithuanian League on a Tuesday evening.

 

This has worked well for me. Keeping control on your gambling isn’t only about ‘what’ you bet on, it’s ‘how’ you gamble that’s the main issue imo.

 

Anyway, I emphasise completely with those guys who have become victim to this compulsion. It’s fookin horrendous. But I just thought I’d share this to see if it can help anyone.

 

I’d also add here that if you haven’t started betting and are thinking about it....DON’T START.  It’s as addictive as smoking fags.. believe me.

Edited 20 August 2019 by Col city fan

[Guest lcfc80]

I wrote about the GamStop service here https://online-bookies.org.uk/blog/gamstop-all-you-need-to-know-about-the-gambling-self-exclusion-scheme/ due to some unscrupulous websites advertising casinos not part of the scheme, they were basically preying on problem gambling. 

If anyone is struggling and wants to block more than just sites working with the GamStop service check out https://betblocker.org This service currently will block over 6000 gambling sites so even the blacklisted casinos that are unlicensed and accepting UK players are blocked

[Ric Flair]

On ‎20‎/‎08‎/‎2019 at 14:56, lcfc80 said:

I wrote about the GamStop service here https://online-bookies.org.uk/blog/gamstop-all-you-need-to-know-about-the-gambling-self-exclusion-scheme/ due to some unscrupulous websites advertising casinos not part of the scheme, they were basically preying on problem gambling. 

If anyone is struggling and wants to block more than just sites working with the GamStop service check out https://betblocker.org This service currently will block over 6000 gambling sites so even the blacklisted casinos that are unlicensed and accepting UK players are blocked

Great work pal!!

[howlinmadmurfdoc]

On 20/08/2019 at 14:56, lcfc80 said:

I wrote about the GamStop service here https://online-bookies.org.uk/blog/gamstop-all-you-need-to-know-about-the-gambling-self-exclusion-scheme/ due to some unscrupulous websites advertising casinos not part of the scheme, they were basically preying on problem gambling. 

If anyone is struggling and wants to block more than just sites working with the GamStop service check out https://betblocker.org This service currently will block over 6000 gambling sites so even the blacklisted casinos that are unlicensed and accepting UK players are blocked

The App only has six reviews and they are all one star. And the only comment says it doesn’t work. 

 

[Guest lcfc80]

On 23/08/2019 at 13:20, howlinmadmurfdoc said:

The App only has six reviews and they are all one star. And the only comment says it doesn’t work. 

 

try it pal, seen plenty of other people praising it. It isn't anything to do with me either btw, just trying to help people

Edited 24 August 2019 by lcfc80

[Russell sprout]

I am a recovering gambling addict,

and on a holiday to Benidorm this summer slipped up,

across from our hotel was a pub where u can place bets,

i popped out to get the kids some drinks and my curiosity got the better of me,

having euros on me it seemed like Monopoly money and I foolishly put 20 euros on a greyhound at 4/1 and it won,

All of a sudden it felt easy again and having gone so long without a bet it was almost like the first ever time I won in terms of the buzz,

i went back to the Mrs and gave her the money and told her I just won it betting,

but she didn’t seem pissed off to my surprise,

instead telling me she doesn’t mind me popping across the road for an hour here and there,

im a greedy gambler and would go and have a bet for the whole 11 days whilst we was away,

somedays 20 euro others 50,

our kids money,

the mrs thinks it was 5 and 10 here and there but it still started to piss her off cuz it was every day,

i even gambled 50 euros on that stupid potato game they play on the streets,

mrs was fuming and we sat down for a drink in silence,

my kids looking sad at mum and dad arguing in holiday😞

i told her I know it’s getting silly and will knock it on the head,

shortly after returning we went away in England for a week,

we played bingo 1 night and I won £125,

but was also putting any change from drinks in the fruit machine,

my mum joined us on this holiday and i openly told her about the bingo,

she said that’s stupid of me and I made my excuses that it was only a one off,

then one night I asked my mum for some change to get a drink as Mrs was on the fair with the kids,I was also with my mother in law who knows of my past gambling,

as I headed to the bar I went on a fruit machine,

then I see my mum standing next to me giving me the evils,

she was watching where I was going,

’get off it now’,she said,

and she walked away,

upon my return to the table she was disappointed and fuming,

and told me this,

then the mrs and kids arrived who knew something had gone off,

when the kids went to play I confessed everything to my mum,

mother in law and wife who knew I was betting but not how much,

and as understanding as they were I could still see the disappointment in them,

and I had never seen it like that before,

im now 23 days into my recovery and feel ashamed at what I’ve done but feel a better person now everyone knows my dirty little secret,

my mum catching me was the best thing to happen to me and sometimes having to keep looking over your shoulder isn’t a bad thing if it stops you gambling.

[ketteringscott]

32 minutes ago, Russell sprout said:

I am a recovering gambling addict,

and on a holiday to Benidorm this summer slipped up,

across from our hotel was a pub where u can place bets,

i popped out to get the kids some drinks and my curiosity got the better of me,

having euros on me it seemed like Monopoly money and I foolishly put 20 euros on a greyhound at 4/1 and it won,

All of a sudden it felt easy again and having gone so long without a bet it was almost like the first ever time I won in terms of the buzz,

i went back to the Mrs and gave her the money and told her I just won it betting,

but she didn’t seem pissed off to my surprise,

instead telling me she doesn’t mind me popping across the road for an hour here and there,

im a greedy gambler and would go and have a bet for the whole 11 days whilst we was away,

somedays 20 euro others 50,

our kids money,

the mrs thinks it was 5 and 10 here and there but it still started to piss her off cuz it was every day,

i even gambled 50 euros on that stupid potato game they play on the streets,

mrs was fuming and we sat down for a drink in silence,

my kids looking sad at mum and dad arguing in holiday😞

i told her I know it’s getting silly and will knock it on the head,

shortly after returning we went away in England for a week,

we played bingo 1 night and I won £125,

but was also putting any change from drinks in the fruit machine,

my mum joined us on this holiday and i openly told her about the bingo,

she said that’s stupid of me and I made my excuses that it was only a one off,

then one night I asked my mum for some change to get a drink as Mrs was on the fair with the kids,I was also with my mother in law who knows of my past gambling,

as I headed to the bar I went on a fruit machine,

then I see my mum standing next to me giving me the evils,

she was watching where I was going,

’get off it now’,she said,

and she walked away,

upon my return to the table she was disappointed and fuming,

and told me this,

then the mrs and kids arrived who knew something had gone off,

when the kids went to play I confessed everything to my mum,

mother in law and wife who knew I was betting but not how much,

and as understanding as they were I could still see the disappointment in them,

and I had never seen it like that before,

im now 23 days into my recovery and feel ashamed at what I’ve done but feel a better person now everyone knows my dirty little secret,

my mum catching me was the best thing to happen to me and sometimes having to keep looking over your shoulder isn’t a bad thing if it stops you gambling.

As you say it's probably best you got caught as you will remember that look of disappointment every time you think of gambling again. It is so easy to slip back into even years after quitting.

[davieG]

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Samaritans’ work in the gambling industry and with Paddy Power Betfair
Comment
Posted 27th August 2019
All
One of Samaritans’ priority issues this year is addressing and gaining a greater understanding of gambling related harm. In July, we announced that we are working with the Gambling Commission and the gambling charity GamCare to develop guidance for gambling operators on responsible action in response to suicide risks. This will strengthen the existing requirements on the gambling industry to identify those at risk and to take action to address and reduce harm.

We are also working to review the tools and resources available to operators around suicide prevention, with a view to establishing a toolkit that includes a training module for the industry that will sit within GamCare’s existing suite of resources. As a priority issue, we are also looking at undertaking more research on gambling related harm in order to be better informed on what needs to be done to protect and support people.

Separately to this, PPB (Paddy Power Betfair) selected Samaritans as their Charity of the Year in April after members of its head office staff chose to support us. As well as their dedicated fundraising for Samaritans until April 2020, we will be working with PPB to share our insight and expertise to inform their activity on reducing gambling harm and supporting vulnerable customers.

We will be supporting the development of existing PPB vulnerable customer training, and their Customer Activity & Awareness Programme which looks at interventions with at-risk customers which include self-exclusion policies.

Samaritans is also helping to improve the mental wellbeing of Paddy Power Betfair’s head office staff through our Wellbeing in the Workplace training and resources. These promote wellbeing, boost resilience and will equip their staff with the skills and confidence to support anyone in distress.

We believe our work in the gambling industry will contribute towards our vision of reducing the number of deaths by suicide, and will help Samaritans continue to deliver our vital service which provides support to anyone struggling to cope, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

 

https://www.samaritans.org/news/samaritans-work-in-the-gambling-industry-and-with-paddy-power-betfair/

 

 

 

 

 

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Samaritans criticised over Paddy Power Betfair partnership
By Dan Whitworth

Ryan (centre), pictured with his dad and brother, took his own life aged 27 after becoming addicted to gambling
The charity Samaritans has come in for criticism over its links with the betting company Paddy Power Betfair.

Staff at the group chose Samaritans as their Charity of the Year.

But critics - including relatives of people with gambling problems who took their own lives - say it is risking its reputation by working with the firm.

Both organisations say Samaritans' insight and expertise will help Paddy Power Betfair improve how it helps vulnerable customers.

The partnership involves activities such as fundraising, corporate donation and volunteering.

Samaritans says it will also help it continue its work "to try to reduce the number of deaths by suicide".

"Appalling"
But John Myers, who lost his son Ryan five years ago when he took his own life aged 27 after becoming addicted to gambling, said that was not a good enough reason.

"I'm extremely disappointed in the Samaritans.

"They're a charitable organisation so they need to get money from other people, wherever they can. But to throw yourself in with the devil I don't think is right.

"This industry has destroyed families and destroyed lives.

"To even think about lying in bed with these people is wrong and I think they should rethink it and stop taking their money."

Ryan's gambling problem meant he got into debt with payday loans, his bank and a pawnbroker as well as often gambling all his wages on payday
Carolyn Harris, chairwoman of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Gambling Related Harm, told the BBC she had concerns about the tie-up.

"At best this is distasteful and at worst it's appalling," she said.

"When you see them [Samaritans] aligning themselves to an industry with a reputation for being responsible for suicides through addiction to gambling - it troubles me.

"For me it legitimises this business. I've met so many people who've lost loved ones, livelihoods and homes through addiction to gambling.

"Everything Samaritans does is to try to solve the problems that all gambling companies have a role to play in creating.

"[Samaritans] should get back to basics and keep doing what's it's been respected for doing for years - its fantastic work."

In statements both organisations said the partnership will not just help Samaritans' fundraising efforts, but its insight and expertise will also help Paddy Power Betfair look after vulnerable customers and develop and strengthen its policies in this area.

Paddy Power Betfair added it is "keen to learn from the fantastic work the Samaritans already do, in order to continually improve our responsible gambling tools and interactions".

 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-49511611

 

 

[StanSP]

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Gamblers Anonymous saved my life

 

It seems like a lifetime ago that I was last attached to a fruit machine, my mind switched off, the plug pulled from the bottom of my bank account. The fingers of my left hand brown from nicotine, the palm of my right turned green from holding pound coins for hour after hour. It’s a strange smell, the smell of sweat and coins, perhaps unique to gamblers and, I dunno, people who work at the royal mint?

 

There’s metal in there for sure, a whiff of sour milk, and then something else, grime, grunge, gunk. A tiny fragment of every hand, wallet, purse and fingernail they’ve come into contact with. I’ve never really written about the years I spent gambling, it’s had much more of an influence on who I am rather than the comedy I create or the work I’ve done. But a few months ago I was asked if I would be willing to be interviewed for a BBC Three documentary called Can You Beat The Bookies?. I have to admit, more alarm bells rang than the time I was asked to do a 40 minute set at a wedding (I didn’t in the end, thank god). My hesitations were numerous, was it a programme actually encouraging people to gamble?

 

Was it some nonsense about tactics to beat the odds (fun fact: you can’t, and if you find a legitimate way to they’ll either ban you or make it illegal). Was my interview going to be chopped to bits and make me sound like some sore loser or a teenager who made a fuss over nothing? In the end, after numerous reassurances, I thought it would do more good than harm, and the responses I’ve had since it aired have suggested it did. Hosted by comedian Lloyd Griffith, ex-‘gut truster’ from those noxious Ladbrokes adverts (‘Once is luck – twice is talent… This is the Ladbrokes life’), he was genuinely interested to find out if he’d done the wrong thing by appearing in those ads, what the truth was behind the gambling industry’s promotional imagery and why I’d complained about the advert at the time. Let me take you back. I’ve always been someone who sought to turn their brain off as often as possible. I never had a games console as a kid, and looking at my various top scores on countless inane iPhone games, that was definitely a good thing.

 

In my mid-teens drink was yet to fully provide that service, but when I first started going to pubs I was enchanted by the flashing game in the corner. The lights! The mystery! The fun! Not thinking for half an hour! Bliss! It was a match made in hell. Ironically my first obsession was collecting coins, old farthings to be precise. I took such joy in displaying them, grading them, looking them up. It seemed strange for coins to now be something so much more sinister, they were fuel. Anyone whose addiction or compulsion has ever been one that costs a lot of money will know how dread sits at the corner of your mind, it wears you down, the sum, the debt, the horror and shame, and the only way to keep that dread away is continuing to burn that fire, plumb that depth, increase the size of the mountain of sh*t you hope never to have to climb.

 

This is what keeps so many countless people from seeking help, the shame of the problem they will face when they finally stop. For alcoholics it is the fear of sober nights, of no more oblivion, of taking responsibility for life. For gamblers it is the fear of owning up, of admitting the scale of the problem, of letting go. All addicts fear the one day they will have to stop and face up to what they’ve done. And this fear costs careers, relationships, and ultimately lives. I was one of the lucky ones, I didn’t ruin a marriage, I didn’t lose a house, I didn’t kill myself. I spent all the money I had, and some that I hadn’t. Not a lot compared to some of the people I met along the way, but a kings ransom to a 21 year old.

 

Some older gamblers used to turn their nose up at fruit machines, scratch cards, the lottery. ‘Well it’s not what I call proper gambling’ they’d say, ‘When you’re a proper gambler like me..’ It’s all ego. Gambling addicts often have to face up to their own ego. How they needed to be the best, flaunt their successes, gamble the hardest. The same ego that destroys their lives suffocates their recovery. If you can’t be a successful gambler, then being the worst might be some warped comfort. In the years I attended Gamblers Anonymous I met the very people the gambling industry need the most. Compulsive gamblers. People who will not, who cannot stop. These people are the lifeblood of companies like W88, M88, LoveBet, ManBetX, SportPesa, Fun88, Dafabet, Betway, Sportsbet.io, (and those are just the ones sponsoring Premier League teams). Let me use a very simple illustration to show you why. Any fruit machine will have a percentage on it, it will say ‘this machine pays out 80 per cent’, or something like that. So in theory for every £100 you put in, you should get £80 back. Firstly, if, as the gambling companies would suggest, they just want you and your mates to have the odd flutter walking down the street, holding chips and bantering like no one I have ever seen, then that 20 per cent return is not a viable business model. Try pitching that on Dragon’s Den!

 

What they need is someone who will put the £80 back and get £64, then put that back and get £51.2 and so on and so on until it’s all gone. Secondly, that figure is a deception, it’s worked out over a large period of time, say every £10,000. No gambler get’s £80 back from their £100, it comes in rare jackpots, a ballpark stat would be 90 per cent lost then 300 per cent back once in a blue moon. They need people who will chase that jackpot to the end of the road, and put it all back in again. The reason I illustrate this is to show that these companies need you to get addicted to survive. Heineken don’t need you to be an alcoholic to make money, the profit is the same on 10 people drinking a pint as it is on one person drinking ten pints. The profitability of gambling companies is fundamentally reliant on addiction. The complete opposite to the lifestyle they portray. I’ve never in my life seen anyone gambling occasionally with a group with friends like on the ads, that’s not to say it doesn’t happen, but go to your local Ladbrokes on a Monday morning see what their advert would be like if it featured the majority of their returning customers.

 

Beaten people, grey skin, hands shaking, sudden flashes of anger, the guy I once saw run out of a Ladbrokes in Oxford, punch a bus stop and scream at a passing car ‘Why can’t I have a f**king BMW?!’ And that’s not to mention the untold thousands sat in front of their computer gambling online, playing games, watching numbers in accounts move around until there are no more numbers left, so they lose their job, their relationship, their house, their life. That’s why I complained about the advert. The people it showed were people I have never seen. It was grievously irresponsible to portray gambling as an aspirational lifestyle, and an affront to the gamblers, and the families of gamblers, who’s lives and mental health have been torn apart. Ladbrokes Life: The first time it’s boredom, the thousandth time it’s suicide. But that is not the end. It does not end there. I will not allow it! There is hope. People are starting to fight back and it will change. Fixed odds betting machines are being more tightly controlled, costing William Hill nearly £100,000,000. (Suck it assholes!) Charities like The Big Step are taking the message to football teams that the proliferation of gambling advertising in sport is, indeed ‘gambling with lives’.

 

 

 

[Ric Flair]

On ‎31‎/‎08‎/‎2019 at 10:03, StanSP said:

 

 

A very good piece that is, one I think bookmakers would find very hard to wriggle out of.