r/GamblingAddiction

Hi guys, my brother's been dealing with a gambling problem for a couple years now.

Back in like February he finally seemed to turn a corner, was doing really well for months, then a few days ago he relapsed hard and lost a big chunk of savings in one night.

what's been messing with me since is I genuinely thought whatever he was doing was working, but it seems like a switch just flipped inside him.

for those who have managed to get OUT of gambling, what made you stop?

and for those that are still currently suffering with the addiction (im sorry) but what is still keeping you going?

I really want my brother back, i miss the old him.

Made it to 300 days. Ups and downs, but in peace with myself. Some lessons learned:

a) Biggest mistake people make is looking back and thinking about the money lost. The more you think about it the stronger the urge to "win it back". It's gone. No way to win it back. Accept it.

b) the most dangerous part of sobriety is believing that you are cured and you can easily play "just a bit" without becoming addicted again. No. You need to admit that you will be an addict for the rest of your life and there is nothing like a casual small play. This is what ruined all my previous attempts to quit and caused nothing more than more loses. This is the core message. We are addicts for life. One bet, one spin, one hand WILL NEVER BE JUST ONE. Your brain will spiral back. Always.

c) I have not attended GA meetings and have not told my wife, but have confessed to my best friend and shared all the small wins - 5, 15 days, 50 days. Weak? Maybe, but I wasn't ready for the addiction to compromise my marriage. First months I'd play a lot of demo slots to enjoy the games, and it helped to fight the urges. Maybe this wasn't the "ideal way" - my point is that there is no magical method. Each of us is different, with different life situation. Trust your own judgment and stick to the plan you make when you are at your lowest and when you decide to quit. Do not try to follow what others are saying if you think it will not work for you. Find your own way. Analyze, rethink, change means, be your biggest critic, but stay yourself.

d) relapse is ok, but can be seen as a truly helpful lesson only if you carefully analyze the reasons afterwards. I have tried to quit many times, same determination. But something has always ruined it. Only after several relapses I realized it was connected to point b) above. Feeling confident that addiction is gone. Nope. I get that many of us play because of boredom. But boredom is not the reason why we go back. It is the illusion that we have changed.

e) eliminating debt, step by step, is the biggest reward. Not having to think "how much I can spend tonight", or "how much can I still borrow". Freedom is wonderful. I was able to save money and take my family on an amazing holiday. I wouldn't have been able to should I still be playing. I'm proud of myself. I'm proud that I can provide and spoil them.

300 days is still just the beginning, but enough time had passed for me to understand the addiction better. Urges happen. And they will keep happening, I'm sure. That's ok - I'm an addict. But I enjoy life without gambling zillion times more than I did when gambling.

Used to gamble a lot, started with sports betting made an okay amount of money, than went to casinos, lost about 10k all around, saw bank statements, all in all, I’m done gambling just don’t start, just going to play poker with friends that’s it.

Today is the day I change my life. I WILL NOT lose everything to this addiction and it will no longer control my life

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I would play the Pokies a fair bit over the last few years, it really kicked up a gear in the last 12 months

I told myself I was going to stop because I just didn't want to do it anymore, it would consume me

The first few days were really hard, mostly because I was bored, I didn't realise how much time it took up

I was struggling a bit an ad popped up for one of those slot machine games. At first I didnt download it because I thought it would make me want to play it more.

Eventually I caved and downloaded it.

It's so bizarre, now I prefer to play the slot machine on my phone instead of the real one

I think I prefer the game aspect of it. Now this way I can play and not lose money.

It's been about two months now, I play the app a bit but I'm happy with it. As long as I'm not spending my own money

I will go long periods of time without gambling, and finally feel like I got my life together. Just to lose all the money I had saved and go full tilt at the casino on a random night and have to restart all over again.

I am in a cycle of self destruction and hate the person I have become. How do I stop?

So i came clear about my addiction not because i wanted but because some problems had occurred and someone knocked on my parents door asking for money i had lend from them (made 2 posts about this).

Now my mom has been telling this to my aunt and my brother has been talking about this to his wife and to his best friend.

i keep getting messages from people randomly on Whatsapp saying that my family worries about me. I mean i can understand that but the fact my brother and also my mom has been talking about this with other people is really boiling my blood.

Now thanks to them people are knowing i have an addiction and to be honest addicted or not, i don't want others to know about my problem especially people i don't have anything to do with.

Like yes i can understand that they are here for me (
my family) but the fact what they did is making it worse for me to walk outside now because i know very well how people are. He will tell his spouse, my aunt will tell her daughter and there you go before you know people i don't care about will label me as something they shouldn't even know about.

I am considering taking a break from my family and not visit them for a while like i did. Maybe they will realize the damage they have done this way. Genuinely i am really pissed off for the fact they haven't shut their mouth about this.

Am i wrong in thinking the way i am? Some insight would be amazing.

I’m sick to my stomach I’m lightheaded while doing uber deliveries. I woke up today only needed 250 to make rent today is last day. I usually make that on uber but it’s slow today my dumbass opened the app lost 50, 150, 280 and finally 220 I lost $700 in 2 hours. Now I’m down to 300 still need 1250 only have $100 on uber so far. Why am I so stupid bro. I swear I don’t want to live anymore last week I lost 1200 took a loan for $750 too which I owe soon. Like bro I can’t believe how dumb I am. Damm man. I literally don’t know what to do. I can ask my mom and cousin for help but $750 is crazy because ik I can make another 100 on uber I’ll have $500 Damm bro. I literally don’t know what to say. I’m a disappointment and don’t deserve to be here

Hello happy holidays everyone! So my issue with Betmgm as of lately is, the fact that I accidentally placed a bet for an amount of 1,500$ on EGYPT to win against AUSTRALIA in the FIFA 26 World Cup match. In reality I meant to put only 500$ but the quick deposit option literally just places it for you without confirmation! Now my issue is that I placed a bet for Egypt to win regardless of what happens now that they went to extra time and won through penalties shoutouts it says my bet is invalid because during the 90mins they were tied with Australia now every other App clearly tell you it’s either for 90mins or the full game however betmgm DIDNT DISCLOSE THAT INFORMATION!!! if I were to use say Polymarket like I usually do I would’ve had my mom no problem this is absolutely ridiculous to me is there a way I can get my money back at least? Please be kind and let me know thank you everyone.

Hi everyone, was wondering if anyone here could give me some advice regarding my husbands addiction. He’s pretty far down the rabbit hole, and we’ve tried some things in the past like gamban but he doesn’t seem to be bothered.

He plays poker games with his friends when i tell him i dont want him to. Anything that we try to do regarding a block, he circumvents it and then pleads for my acceptance after he loses money. I know traditionally the advice would be therapy or to have a hard talk, but its hard for me to tell him that. We’ve spoken about it before, just like any other couple facing a similar issue, but he always breaks his promises.

I feel lost and afraid, and the plans that we had to have children are now feeling unsafe in my mind, and i dont know if i can even trust him to keep money thats left for them safe.

If anyone has any advice on what i should do, whether that be some other technological solution, or an intervention that goes beyond therapy (he thinks its not masculine?), please tell me!

Went on a jackpot tear on slot 4 different machines playing on 10 cent denominations hit the jack pot 4 times walked out with 7500 bucks and I went thru Missouri and stupidly stopped at a casino to press my luck again lost it ALL in 2 hours on table black jack.
I bragged to my friends and family that with my winnings life is looking up for me and I’m gonna get a car when I come home(Otr trucker) and move forward with my life. If I tell them I lost it they’re gonna be extremely disappointed in me so I’ll have to lie for a few weeks I don’t even want to go home now. I’m so disappointed in myself and on top of that I didn’t get paid today because the last load I did was short and minus taxes and fees I end up with 0 dollars. I definitely jinxed myself telling everyone so that’s what I get I wasn’t trying to brag but to let them know I’m doin good
Definitely contemplating ending right now but I needed to vent.

I've spent a long time watching my partner suffer with this addiction, watching someone I care about go through it, hearing the same reasons after, the same calm tone like it wasn't a big deal, even that night.

So I want to ask directly, if you've been through it, what's actually going on right before you deposit or withdraw? Is there ever anything that gets in the way of that moment, a thought, a person, a habit, anything? Or once it starts, does it just have to run its course?

If you've found anything that's actually interrupted it for you, even once, I'd really want to know what that was, I really love him, but it's starting to get extremely draining, both mentally and financially. I'm seriously concerned about our future.

I am a F (24), just started her career last 2025 and has a bf (26) for almost 4 yrs.

I need your opinion because I am struggling mentally, because I didn’t know he was in DEBT like a million? Because of gambling addiction. He confessed last year, exactly our 3rd Anniversary, he said he couldn’t take it anymore and he wanted to break up.

I didn’t agree with it, without hesitation, I said that I will help him get through this, but how long will it take to get better? I OVERTHINK A LOT BECAUSE OF THIS. IS THIS WORTH IT? AM I JUST STAYING BECAUSE OF HOPING THAT HE WILL CHANGE? THAT HE WILL MAKE IT WORTH IT?

I am helping him financially, but sometimes it is tiring. He is kind, diligent in house chores and he never hurt me physically. It’s just, my mood suddenly changes because of overthinking.

I need your comment/opinion on this because I CANNOT TAKE THIS ANYMORE.

I have a lot of dreams, I need to achieve that license, but this happened.

Is this the life I want? But I want to build a life with him or should I just leave? I DON’T KNOW.

Has anyone here used BetBlocker? My husband has a gambling issue and just want to make sure he’s not betting on sports behind my back.

Does the software slow down your phone a lot? And does it actually work or were you guys able to find a loophole around it? Any reviews help!

I spent money on my credit card. Like before it was a small amount. Now its larger.. My husband found out after finding that I spent money on a card app. He said either I give up everything. My debit card and credit cards and no account access at all or we divorce. We have other issues as well but this. I have fucked up. I dont want to lose all autonomy. I am willing to get rid of every credit card I have and pay the amount back on my own. But he doesnt want that. What do I do?

Hi, I’m a 26 M who recently got into online casinos. I used to chip in and win a good sum of money. One night, I got so stressed out from work that I rage bet and lost all of my savings trying to chase my losses. I recently told my mom and asked for help and asked for money since I had bills due. I am a nurse who makes enough to support my own lifestyle. I feel so stupid and hopeless. I want to quit but I keep redownloading the app, betting hoping that by some miracle I win everything back. I have been having ideations lately and been reaching out to friends but I also don’t want to be a bother to anybody else. I am writing hoping that one day I read this again but in a better place in life. I know better days are coming, I just cant seem to see it yet. despite everything, I still feel hopeful and am 80% sure that I’m not gonna do it. Thank you for reading, some word of encouragement will help a lot.

Yesterday i made a post where i talked about how someone i owed money knocked on my parents door asking for their money because i wasn't responding to their messages.

My mom and i talked about 2 hours on the phone and i unfortunately had to let them know about my addiction this way. My mom knew something was going on but never would've guessed it was gambling untill what had happened with that person knocking on their door.

So the real experience was today where i had to walk in at work and face my dad (we work together / family business). I never saw my dad like this before, it really got into him what happened and he couldn't even get mad at me which for me was more painfull. He is really hurt deep and that feels so painful i can't even describe.

I told him everything. Literally everything. I acknowledged everything.

I don't know how to go from here on. Time will tell.

In order to stay gamble free i gave money away to random people in public i think they have better use of the money instead of gambling it. It felt bettef than blowinv away a month salary to the casino..

Anyone else did something similar ?

Hello everyone, I am usually not want to gamble because I know how I can get but I would like to tell you all the story because I feel so alone right now because I have no one else to talk to. I don’t even watch the World Cup like that but every time I sweat a game I love it so much. I have no idea why I don’t watch sports at all, but just knowing that the potential to win out there is something that I get so fired up about the other day I think I put around 2.5K on Brazil to win and I ended up turning it to 4.5K Something around there. I tested my luck and bet throughout the whole entire game just adding more and more 500, then 1k, then 500, just slowly increasing my bet on the Netherlands to win and I ended up losing all of the 4.5 thousand I was so mad and sad the other day that I decided to put $12,000 on Mexico I ended up cashing for $18.5 thousand and just today betting on the World Cup again and trying to predict the price of bitcoin for the next 15 minutes I’ve lost $6000. I don’t wanna tell my girlfriend I don’t wanna tell my mom and I don’t wanna tell my stepdad. I just need to hear you guys say that I need to stop before I end up putting what’s left in my Robinhood account which is $46,000 on a revenge bet to make it back. I wish this was a joke because literally yesterday I was so happy that I won that I told myself I wasn’t gonna be gambling on any more World Cup games and here I am I feel so stupid. I feel so retarded. I feel like such a disappointment and I just want to cry. ever since I found out, I can take money out from my safe investments and gamble it on Robinhood it’s been the worst choice I’ve ever done in my entire life. I ended up turning $15,000-$60,000 just in this year in investments on robinhood but from sports betting alone I’ve probably lost 10,000 of that. my revenge gambling habits are so bad that I know I can’t control them. I feel so alone right now and I honestly have no idea what to do for these next couple days because I feel terrible. I feel so ashamed…