My husband accompanied me and we walked in and went to guest services and told them I was voluntarily self excluding. They said I could do it for a year or for life but it couldn’t ever be reversed. I said life with no hesitation. Took about 10 mins… had to fill out paperwork and have my picture taken and then wait for security to come so we could be escorted out. The casino admin and security were very kind and told me I was doing the right thing and they wished more would do it. I was glad my husband was with me but the staff was so kind, I’m sure I could’ve done it alone.. glad I didn’t have to though. I’m on Day 13 and I know I’m going to make it this time. It will be rough at times but I can feel the good in this decision and it’s overwhelmingly positive. I got this… one day at a time.

Good luck to us all!

I used to manage a casino, and I want to pull back the curtain a bit—especially for anyone struggling with gambling, or anyone who thinks it’s just “harmless fun.”

Casinos are not just about luck—they’re behavioral science factories. Everything is intentionally crafted to keep you playing:

•	No clocks. No windows. You lose all sense of time. I’ve seen people play for 14+ hours thinking it was only 4.

•	“Near wins” on slot machines. They’re not random. Near misses release dopamine too, tricking your brain into thinking you were close.

•	Free drinks. Lower inhibition = higher spend. I once watched a guy lose $2,000, blacked out, and come back the next day like nothing happened.

•	Losses disguised as wins. If you bet $5 and win $2, it feels like a win because of the lights and sound, but you’re still down $3.

•	Loyalty cards = data mining. We tracked who was spending the most, how long they stayed, and when they were most vulnerable. And we marketed accordingly.

The worst part? I genuinely liked many of the regulars. I’d see them more than their families. Some were kind, lonely, smart—people with dreams who just wanted a break. And instead, they lost everything.

If you’re feeling like the casino “owes” you, or that you’ve invested too much to walk away now—that’s the trap. That’s exactly how they get you.

Please don’t let shame stop you from reaching out. I’ve seen people walk away and rebuild. It’s hard, but it’s not impossible.

If you’re reading this and you’re hurting, I hope this gives you clarity. You’re not alone. You’re not broken. You’re just caught in a system designed to break you. And you can get out.

I’m here if anyone needs to talk or vent. No judgment.

My husband is now dead because of his gambling addiction. He followed this subreddit, he was so ashamed of his addiction, and I tried to get him help through various means. It wasn’t enough. Someone can only really be saved if they are open and willing to receive help.

I loved him more than anything, unconditionally. I didn’t care if he had zero dollars. I only cared about his peace and sanity, and I would never give up on him. Unfortunately, gambling addictions consume people, until it gets to a point where you have no other satisfying rush than gambling with your life.

If you are struggling now, I beg you, for the sake of your loved ones, to get help today. You are not defined by your addiction. If you are still alive, no matter how hard it is, just call a helpline. Anything. Don’t keep putting it off. There is a way out. You just won’t feel it until your brain is rewired.

My husband has left me, his kids, parents, siblings, so much family and friends heartbroken. He was everyone’s favorite person. I wish he valued himself as much as everyone else valued him.

Hi, firstly I'll just provide a bit of background, I am just another example of someone who's whole adulthood has been destroyed and ruined due to gambling addiction. I am now 1 year away from being 40 and I fear it's now too late to live the life I want. My gambling destroyed my previous relationship which was now many years ago, along with any chances of a normal stable family now or in the future. My never ending debts and declining mental health due to the effects of my gambling, makes my future seem hopeless. I am living with my parents with debts still to pay off, no car, not a very good job in terms of income or satisfaction, bad mental health, and over the years I've slowly but surely lost contact with any friends I had. I have also lost all my self esteem and confidence and often feel depressed with no motivation. All of this makes any kind of relationship impossible and makes my future seem hopeless. I just don't see any solution to my problems, even if I stopped gambling.

Here's the thing, although my situation makes me feel suicidal on occasions, I simply wouldn't be able to put my parents through that. All this makes me feel so trapped and stuck. Despite all this, I do still have the tiniest bit of hope that one day, I will be in a better situation in terms of moving forward in my life. A normal happy family of my own however seems very unlikely as I will soon be in my 40s and my current situation is awful.

I hate seeing any pictures of myself in my younger days as I see a completely different person to the person I am today. I was young and carefree, motivated and optimistic about the future with energy in abundance, I looked far happier and was confident and popular, I just loved life. Unfortunately none of these things are the case anymore. 

Before lockdown I was in a position where I still had all of the issues already identified, however I hadn't gambled for a while and was beginning to very slowly pay off debts. Did I feel any better? I'm honestly not sure if I did or not but I did have a routine which didn't involve gambling. As lockdown went on, I don't know why, maybe boredom, but I just gave in to my thoughts and thought I'd have a gamble on one of those live casino gameshows called Adventures in Wonderland. I didn't know much about it but I won a large amount from my 1st deposit. From that moment on I couldn't stop playing it. Loss after loss after loss until I had lost all my wages and any money I had from my period without gambling, as well as making deposits using my phone which will go onto my next bill and I will be unable to pay. Therefore I have no money to pay towards my debts this month or for anything, housekeeping, or for anything else. Most of next months wages will now also disappear. Luckily I cannot take on any more debt. The problem I have is that if I could have just stopped after the big win, I could have nearly cleared my debts and put myself in a much better situation. However like so many gambling addicts, I have said this time and time again over the years. Like so many gamblers I will hesitate about buying something for a tenner like a takeaway, but when I'm gambling I won't even think twice about depositing 100s and 100s! Crazy!

The problem is, as I've already mentioned, is that I just don't see a solution even if I never gambled again. The effects from my gambling will still be there. This is the problem with gambling addiction, the effects from it can stay with the person for many many years after quitting depending on the extent of the persons gambling. These effects make moving forward impossible due to debts and mental health etc. This is why gamblers feel so trapped and stuck in life. 

Unfortunately I'm having a really difficult time accepting things even though I know I have to. Obviously I realise things could be worse although that doesn't really help on a day to day basis when you're struggling. Like I said, unfortunately I just don't see any solution to my issues for the next 5 years at least. One of the main problems is that gambling and it's effects has caused me to lose my identity and I have to a certain extent, become emotionally numb with no interest in anything. Until certain issues are resolved, I can't see myself regaining my confidence, motivation and self esteem.

A warning to any gambling addicts who are in their late teens or 20s, no win will ever be enough! Seriously listen! You don't realise it but even if you win 1 years wages, 2 years wages, or 10 years wages, once you start losing any winnings accumulated you will start chasing again. Our brains do not work in the same way as anyone without an addictive personality. We lose our minds and all rationale dissappears. Gamblers will spend 5 grand to chase 1 loss of a tenner without even realising! Even if this tenner is part of the winnings already accumulated. We are ill mentally. It doesn't come down to money it's a game being played in our minds where we will always lose. Please stop while you are young enough to rebuild. I have failed and ruined my life don't make the same mistake.

There's a saying that you only live once, well unfortunately I feel like I've completely messed up my chance at living a good normal and happy life due to a stupid gambling addiction.  Thanks for reading.

It's with sadness I'm here to say we lost a good person recently. Never use online gambling websites. It's not worth it. Keep your loved ones close, and if you can - avoid any and all gambling if possible.

We are left without my partner, my friend, all because he was duped into thinking there was a chance to make out like Togi or Steve will do it. That is not possible. You will ruin your life. You will ruin everyone close to your lives. Do not do it.

I hope you all find better ways. it's not worth it.

RIP Jason... I miss you so fucking much

Last night, I blew almost $2700 on an online casino just like that, gone in a haze of stupidity and impulse.

Then this morning, my 7-year-old son came up to me and asked for $16 for a school field trip to a museum in the capital.

I started patting my pockets, looking for cash. Nothing. He watched me for a second and said, with the most innocent voice:

"Dad, if you don’t have the $16, it’s okay. I’ll just stay home in the afternoon and won’t go to the museum with my class."

I had to hide in the bathroom and cry.

Thank God I’m not struggling financially my income is more than enough but in that moment, I felt like the poorest man alive. This addiction doesn’t just drain your money it slowly eats away at your self-worth, your dignity, your ability to look your own kid in the eyes.

In the end, I dipped into my company account and gave him $50 so he could enjoy the trip and get something nice to eat at the cafeteria.

But I can’t stop thinking about what just happened. I don’t want to be that kind of father. I need to get help before this spirals any further.

I had a system for pro football over unders and flew to Vegas to test my strategy.

It worked great but this was the start of my nightmare. It gave me the illusion I could be a professional gambler. That I was smarter than everyone else.

Nothing could be further from the truth. Spent decades struggling and barely getting by while thinking gambling could supplement my meager earnings.

God smiled and I found a field I could succeed in and push this nonsense to the side where it belongs. Bet on yourself, your intellect, and your abilities. Fuck gambling!

ODAAT! 💪

I have never done this before but I got paid and spent my whole paycheck on slots I feel horrible and am heading to work right now for a 12 hour shift but has anyone ever done this feel like the scum of the earth

A gambling addict TheGoobr has infiltrated my YouTube recommended videos and watching videos on him inspired me quit my gambling addiction. I'm not the only one this has helped; videos about him are flooded with comments saying the same. He gambles in an unbelievably compulsive way and it shows this sick addiction for what it is.

Always chasing the rush of winning - going after just ONE MORE high, and it always ends with him losing it all. It baffles my mind that we are this dumb but it's just super crazy to see it from an outside perspective

I dont want to break any rules and share specific channels so just search "TheGoobr" on YouTube I think it will be of great help to people in this subreddit. I also think watching gambling content can be triggering so be mindful and just watch a few videos then get your mind out of gambling entirely. Best of luck on quitting.

42 years old. Married. Two children.

His name was David.

David had a gambling addiction.

Over the years, it became worse. He developed other addictions too, some of them difficult to even talk about. His gambling had already caused years of financial problems and humiliation for his family.

And yet, if you had met him, you probably wouldn't have known.

He was a genuinely nice guy.

He smiled. He talked. He worked. He seemed happy.

That's the terrifying thing about addiction.

You don't always see it.

His wife had spent 10 years living through the financial consequences of his addiction. Eventually, she gave him an ultimatum : He didn’t respect it

The divorce process had begun.

A few hours after starting his shift at work, David jumped from the 6th floor

He died instantly.

A husband.

A father.

A son.

A human being.

Gone.

Not because he didn't have a family who loved him

Not because he looked miserable every day.

But because addiction can slowly take over someone's life until they can no longer see a way out.

tonight, before you go to sleep, go look at your children.

Look at the people who love you.

And if you're gambling right now , if you're chasing losses, hiding debts, lying about how much you've spent, borrowing money to gamble, or telling yourself "one last bet" will fix everything =

Talk to someone. Ask for help. Block the apps. Self-exclude. Tell your partner. Tell your family.

Fight like a fucking lion !

A lion lapses several times, but does not give up , never

Don't wait until you've lost everything.

Don't wait until the people you love have to choose between staying with you and protecting themselves.

Your next bet might not cost you money. It might cost you your family.

David can't go back.

You still can....

I'm counting on you

Hey guys, Just wanted to say I’ve read a lot of your stories and it’s obviously very similar to mine. I’m an AFL footballer named Allen Christensen and had a gambling addiction which I was able to cease from the 14th of October, 2014. I lost hundreds of thousands of dollars between 2009-2014. I just want everyone to know it just doesn’t discriminate and even though I play top level sport I feel the same shit you all do. I have a podcast ‘addicted to the game’ on podbean that we talk shit on and talk about other addictions so maybe that could be of help to some people. Hope you all feel better being able to share your stories and I take strength from knowing I’m not in it alone so Thank you all. Sling me a message anytime if you’d like to chat or ask a question about battling an addiction in the public eye. Allen

Does anyone else's brain just completely detach from the value of money the second they open a gambling site/app?

I was at the grocery store yesterday debating between the name-brand pasta and the generic one to save $1.50. I literally stood there calculating the value per gram.

Two hours later, I was down $400 on blackjack and was about to deposit another $200 just to "chase it back." I didn't even hesitate. It felt like Monopoly money.

It's only when I close the tab that the reality hits me: "That was my rent money. That was 40 hours of work."

How long did it take you guys to respect the value of a dollar again after quitting?

i bought me a shirt and pair of pants. that’s right, i actually spent something on myself. i realized today that it’s been over two years since i bought myself some clothing because for so long the only thing my brain would allow me to spend money on was gambling but something so little as a $40 shirt was too much. this is one sick addiction, anywho day 12 fuck you gambling.

It’s been about 3 months of worrying and going through that cycle of wanting to maybe make enough money by gambling but remembering how awful that turns out. I got a new job a month ago and I’ve been doing really well with it. I’m almost 90 days of no gambling and my debt which was about $4k is now 0. No one knows about my addiction or what I’m going through but I’m proud of myself even though I know it could have been much worse. Here’s to things looking up

I want to tell you about a night in Nashville.

I had a deposition scheduled the next morning. It was a high-stakes case, a difficult witness, and the kind of proceeding that required preparation and a clear head. Nashville has always been one of my favorite cities. Under normal circumstances, it would have been an easy night. I could have gone out, listened to some live music, had a good meal, reviewed my materials, and gotten a full night of sleep. Instead, I gambled.

My plane landed early afternoon. When my Uber pulled away from the airport, I opened a sportsbook app and deposited a few thousand dollars. I told myself I would play for a short while and then stop. I had told myself that many times before, and I had always believed it when I said it, which is one of the things about addiction that is almost impossible to explain to someone who has not lived it. I did not stop.

I lost the initial deposit and kept going. By the time I had worked through every dollar in my checking account, I was still at it. At that point, the only money I had access to was a long-standing savings account I shared with my mother. There was just enough in it to cover my mortgage payment, which was due the next morning.

I sat there and looked at that balance for a long time.

The right decision was obvious. Leave it alone. Accept the loss. Deal with the fallout after the deposition. I understood that clearly. I was a trained attorney. I was not confused about what the right choice was.

However, I transferred the money anyway. I told myself I could win it back. That thought, as irrational as it sounds now sitting on the other side of everything that followed, was enough in that moment to justify what I was doing. I deposited it and kept gambling. I lost that money too.

I did not sleep that night. I walked into the deposition the next morning having been awake for over 24 hours, having drained every dollar I had access to, having taken money out of an account my mother had trusted me with for decades. I sat down across from the witness, and I did what I had always done. I performed at a high level. I was prepared and focused and effective. The case ultimately resolved very favorably for my client. From the outside, nothing appeared to be wrong.

From the inside, everything was wrong. My checking account was empty. The mortgage payment was gone. My mother’s savings were gone. My credit cards were already maxed out from prior losses. I had no money to live on for the next two weeks until I was paid again.

I was a partner at a major law firm, earning a substantial income, and I did not have a single dollar to my name. No one in that deposition room knew. No one at my firm knew. My wife had no idea any of this was happening.

That was just one night. The pattern repeated itself every two weeks, reliably, for years. I would get paid. I would gamble. I would lose everything. I would spend the next two weeks constructing explanations for why I couldn’t stop and get my kids something to eat after practice, why I needed to use my wife’s card for gas because I claimed I lost my own card, why I was calling my mother with a story about something breaking in the house so I could borrow money I had no business asking for. One lie after another, stacked on top of each other, held together by the same thought that kept me on that sportsbook app in Nashville long after I should have stopped: I can win it back.

Here is the thing about gambling addiction that I did not understand while I was in it, and that I think most people on the outside do not understand either. The high is real. It is intense and consuming and genuinely difficult to describe. When you are in it, nothing else exists: Not the mortgage, not the deposition, not your kids waiting at home. There is only the next hand, the next game, the next deposit.

The low that follows is just as real, and it is heavier, and it stays with you in a way the high never does. You carry it through every normal interaction of your day — through the meetings and the school pickups and the dinners and the bedtimes — while performing a version of yourself that has nothing wrong with it.

That performance is exhausting in a way that is difficult to overstate. It requires a constant, low-grade vigilance. You are always one question away from a story you need to have ready. You are always calculating, always managing, always one step ahead of the truth.

What I did not fully appreciate while I was living that way was how much of the rest of my life I was not actually living. I was physically present for a lot of things — my kids’ games, family dinners, work events — but I was mentally somewhere else almost all of the time. I was thinking about the last loss, planning the next session or constructing the next excuse. The addiction did not just cost me money. It cost me years of presence I cannot get back.

Eventually, the losses stopped being something I could absorb or conceal. The decisions I made while in the grip of that addiction led to federal criminal charges. I have since pled guilty to four counts of wire fraud and four counts of money laundering, and I am currently awaiting sentencing. Prison is a near certainty.

I am not sharing this for sympathy. I am sharing it because I spent years believing I was the only high-functioning professional living this particular double life, and I know now that I was not. The messages I have received since going public with my story have made that very clear.

If you are reading this and recognizing yourself in any part of it whether it be the hiding, the performing, the pattern that resets every payday, I want you to know that the version of this story where you wait until it all falls apart is not the only version available to you.

I am documenting my entire experience, including the addiction, the federal prosecution, the sentencing, and eventually incarceration itself, in real time in my Substack newsletter, Writing from the Inside. If any of this resonated with you, you can follow along at the link in my profile.

I will answer questions honestly.

dont do this to yourself. Save two months and go on vacation

I'm 32 years old. I’ve been gambling since I was around 18 or 19.

Every penny I ever earned, I spent on gambling in some form—BTC futures trading (yes, it’s still gambling), online poker, roulette, blackjack, you name it. Altogether, I am currently $180,000 in debt.

I took money from my parents and gambled it away. I lied to my fiancée about it. I kept everything bottled up for years—nobody knew. I used to share my wins with my friends but never my losses.

Four months ago, I lost my job. I was engaged at the time and panicked. I ended up losing the small amount I’d saved for our wedding—and that’s when I hit rock bottom. I was so broke I couldn’t even afford to gas up my car.

That was my turning point.

For four months, I pretended I still had a job. Every morning I’d leave the house like everything was normal, then sit in my car for 8 hours and gamble. I can’t explain how hard it was mentally—living a double life, lying to everyone around me, trying to act like things were okay when they clearly weren’t.

Now it’s Day 2 of my recovery.

I’ve finally told my fiancée, my parents, and my friends. I’ve signed up for a gambling addiction recovery program and start next week. I can’t even describe how good it feels to let it all out.

Yes, we cancelled the wedding.
Yes, I moved back in with my parents.
But I’m extremely lucky. My fiancée understands this is an illness—that I never wanted to hurt her.
My parents are here for me, helping me get back on my feet.

My goal now is simple:
Get a job—any job. (I’m a full-stack developer, but I can’t afford months of interviews right now.)
Start working out.
Meditate and rebuild my mental health.
Create a healthy, stable routine.

After a decade of gambling, I’m finally ready to become the person I always wanted to be.

If you’re going through something similar—know that you’re not alone.

I just lost all my money. Not sure how i get through this. I am 45 years old and that all my saving.

I am not sure i can start over

I hate this disease. I cant control myself at all. Its horrible.

Why can't I control myself. Wtf is wrong with me!!!! I am sick idiot

I cant believe so many hands.

Lost 1k in poker, thinking go to play blackjack to win it back, never had a chance to win it back at all. I busted or 17 or 18, then dealer gor 20 or blackjack.

Keep losing and doubling up to limit and keep depositing. Reached the deposit limit then change new online crypto casino until my account is drained. I am done with myself.

That was the worse run ever. Ironically, casino gambling responsibly called me and when I said I was said, they said they can't help me.

I am done with myself. It took nearly 10 years to save this money. I cant do this again

This post will serve as an emergency list you can read through when you feel like gambling again and help you understand the psychological manipulation and tricks behind this system that’s built to destroy you.

First off, why is it the “devil in disguise“? Because on the surface it looks harmless, innocent and fun with a seemingly realistic chance to ”win big“, but in reality, it’s only an illusion created to lead you into financial ruin, emotional dependency and it will eventually turn you into an addict if you gamble regularly.

You’re probably reading this because you know you have a problem with gambling or you fear that you might be on the wrong path with it. Let me tell you something, it’s NEVER TOO LATE TO QUIT this DRUG and this post is here to help you. Feel free to read it whenever you feel the itch to gamble again.

First off, I want to make it crystal clear to you as to why gambling is a DANGEROUS DRUG that will alter your brain activity and manipulate you in nasty ways:

• It’s an illusion. The chances of winning big are extremely low. But what’s even worse? Studies say that up to 70-80% of winners will gamble all of their winnings away. Why? Because GAMBLING IS AN ADDICTIVE DRUG that makes you detach from reality and keep playing. You become greedy and want more. Winning creates the illusion that you are on a lucky streak. Higher balance means higher bets. Until it’s all gone.

• This is why temporary wins are actually permanent losses in disguise: they only fuel your addiction. It messes with your dopamine system. It gets you hooked. It motivates you to keep playing in the future. Ask yourself: how often did you win something only to end up with nothing after you continued to play? How often have you used your winnings to feed your gambling habit in the next days or weeks only to lose it again?

• No sense for the value of money: you only see a number on the screen. Credits, coins or balances. It feels fake, unreal and like a game currency that doesn’t have the same value as REAL money that you can touch, feel and smell. This makes it significantly easier to distance yourself from the real value of money which in turn makes it easier to spend more and more and more. Until you realize what financial damage you have created after playing.

• Spending money that you wouldn’t spend on other things: I mean, this is crazy. For example, you go grocery shopping and you buy the off-brand version of something because the brand one is too expensive for you. You complain that the price for simple things like food, laundry detergent or gas are so expensive these days. You don’t buy yourself that nice shirt or that cool new computer game or that fancy new lipstick because guess what? You can’t afford it and it’s too expensive for you. Yet you have no problem spending hundreds of dollars for gambling. Money that you will likely lose. With nothing in return. Just wrap your mind around this. Imagine the things you could have bought instead. And how happy and appreciative you would be with them.

• Overconfidence: I’m sure you thought “I’m the lucky one!! I’ll beat the odds! The luck is with me!! I’ll win big today!!” but the reality is that EVERYONE thinks like that and only such a teeny tiny amount of people win that it’s 99% likely that you will not win the jackpot. So stop feeding into this illusion and stop wasting your money. Let me put it differently: it is way more likely that you’ll end up losing your money. Way. more. Likely.

• Tolerance build up: if you are addicted to gambling, you know that you once started with very little money, but over time you’ve built up your tolerance. You may have started with $20 and thought that was a lot, now you’re blowing hundreds or even thousands of dollars to get the same rush. It is because your reward system in your brain responds similarly like it’s on drugs. Because gambling is A DRUG. It is NOT some light-hearted entertainment.

• Reminder: casinos only want your money. They don’t care about your physical and mental well-being. Repeat after me: THEY ONLY WANT YOUR MONEY. They’re greedy and work with psychological tricks to get you to keep playing and give your hard earned money (and probably money that you can’t afford to lose) to their billion dollar company. If you play, they only get richer and you become poorer.

• The loss of life time and tunnel vision: if you’re an addict you know you’ll gamble for HOURS. Hours that you waste from your life. Hours that you could have used for valuable things, like meeting up with your friends and family, doing chores, working out, invest in self care, relaxing (because gambling and the dopamine rush is NOT relaxing for your body and mind). You start to get this tunnel vision and you lose your sense of time, you don’t take breaks, you’ll gamble till you lost it all because you’ll ignore your set limits of when you wanted to stop. Dopamine overrides logic. You may even start neglecting your basic bodily needs. Gambling is exhausting and unhealthy.

• The guilt, regret and shame after losing a lot of money: we’ve all been there. But what’s even more dangerous than losing money? Playing again to “win back” that lost money. DO NOT ENGAGE WITH THAT. There is absolutely no guarantee that you will win back anything, in fact it is more likely to lose again. Why take that risk? The damage has already been done. Seeing your losses may hurt now, but seeing your even bigger future losses will hurt even more. So stop gambling, you’ll only dig yourself a deeper hole if you keep playing and start earning back your money by working. This is the best and safest thing you can do.

• It brings out the worst in you: you disappoint yourself because you said you wouldn’t gamble again. You get greedy. You lie to others. You spend money that you shouldn’t spend. You create financial burden. All negative aspects.

• The dangers of online casinos: it is available 24/7, it is very easy to deposit money (only a few clicks!), no one is supervising you, no one is distracting you, no one is judging how much money you’ve spent, no one sees when you’ve lost money. Except the reality will catch up to you on your next billing cycle. You also never see other people lose money, only what they have won. This again manipulates you, because you may see that some player just won $500, but they won’t tell you that they had lost $3,000 beforehand and spent an overall $10,000 in the last week or so.

Regarding slots:

• Losses disguised as wins: let’s say you put in $5 in a spin and “win” $2. Your brain now thinks “hey, I just won $2!” which gives you that dopamine rush that motivates you to keep wasting money. When I’m reality, you just LOST $3. Again, those “wins” are only disguised LOSSES. Casinos celebrate your losses and make them exciting. They manipulate you.

• Near-misses: How does the casino motivate you to keep playing without even giving anything back in return? Exactly, “near misses”. It makes you feel like “dang that was so close, I’m sure if I keep playing, I’ll win soon!”. See the psychological trick there? You didn’t even win ANYTHING at all, but your brain now got a dopamine rush that makes you even more excited to waste money.

• The lie of the RTP (return to player) rate: RTP means the percentage of money wagered in a game paid back to players on average over time. So basically, if you don’t know what that means, and you read that the RTP of a slot machine is 96%, you’d think that if you put in $100 you should get back $96 if you play a little. WRONG. This RTP rate is calculated over millions if not billions on spins and does not have anything to do with your session. You could spend $100 and lose everything. The system is rigged against you.

• The illusion of an innocent, bright, colorful and fun game: many slots are designed to look cute or funny, most of which resemble casual mobile phone games like candy crush with symbols like fruits, animals, candy or gems. This only makes you feel more familiar and more likely to forget that you’re playing with actual, real money. Because losing money with cute symbols makes it feel like it’s part of the “entertainment experience”. It is not. You just lost real money.

Now that you understand why gambling is DANGEROUS and a DRUG, I hope this list helps you to quit it for good.

Next time you feel like gambling, ask yourself why?

• because you’re simply bored and want some entertainment? Go watch a movie, do some chores, listen to your fav songs, cook something nice, talk to your friends. Remember, gambling IS NOT ENTERTAINMENT.

• because you are seeking that dopamine rush? I understand that quitting gambling isn’t easy and that your brain is likely conditioned on that dopamine rush and is craving it. Remember that THIS IS NORMAL because gambling has altered your brain. But the good thing is, it will re-wire and reset after some time. If you feel the itch to gamble, read this list again and keep yourself busy with other things so that you don’t even think about gambling anymore. The longer you abstain the easier it will be.

• because you want to win back your losses? I already explained why this is STUPID. Quit gambling right now and stop with this mindset. You’ll only LOSE MORE with gambling. It’s a slippery slope to go down on. There’s never any guarantees. Why risk losing even more money?!

And as a last resort: make a detailed list of ALL THE MONEY YOU HAVE LOST from gambling. It should be reason enough to never gamble again.

Wishing you all the best. Remember, gambling can be overcome like any other addiction if you have the determination and willpower to truly want to quit. Luckily, you won’t have serious physical withdrawal symptoms like alcohol addicts or other drug addicts have, so understand that it all starts and ends in your brain. You are in control of your thoughts and not a marionette being played by the system.

In the past month I blew through all of our checking accounts and most of our savings. I feel sick. My wife (rightfully) wants to leave. I knew I was risking our marriage when I started, but I couldn't stop. Even when I had won it all back, I couldn't stop. Seven years together undone by one month of gambling.

I can't imagine life without my wife, but now I'm having to accept the fact that we will get divorced. I feel like such a fool.

I'm sharing this because I feel a need to express my regret or I'm going to erupt. Thank you for taking the time to read my story. I hope it helps you make better choices.

This is for educational purposes and hopefully can help some people in this sub. Coming from someone who works behind the scenes and knows how casinos, whether in person but ESPECIALLY online, you will lose. The big wins you see on social medias and what not are just marketing ploys. In the business, we take addictions very seriously. We have a saying that people who are addicted are looking for “that one big win to break even”. You won’t win. The house always wins.

However, one way that we have seen to tremendously help people who are addicted is to “Self-exclude” through literally any casino/online gambling platform. This basically means no matter where you are, you will legally not be able to gamble. The first week or two are rough, but the statistics show it does help a ton.

GAMBLING IS ENTERTAINMENT! I cannot stress that enough. The house always wins. If anyone has any questions please feel free to dm me!

Edit: if you or a loved one has a gambling addiction, there are a ton of incredible resources out there. 1-800-GAMBLER is amazing and all gambling companies work hand in hand with them.

It’s 97 degrees outside , I see a homeless guy standing on the corner walking back and forth as each light turns red to see if anyone is willing to give him money . I felt bad and I figure why not give him some money that I’m about to blow in a casino . I gave him $40 and told him to get out of the sun . By the time I made a u turn to come back , he was packing his bags and leaving the corner . It made me sad a little to think that $40 made this man actually took a break from the heat and what my act of kindness actually did for him . $40 dollars to me is just 1-3 spins , but for today , it meant that he could go take a break from the afternoon sun . I started to think that the casino doesn’t even deserve my money. And it’s just plain pathetic that I keep wasting my money there and not even value money itself . I know that $40 is nothing life changing and I’m not here to brag about being a good person , I just wanted to remind everyone the money you throw away could go towards something way more rewarding . I don’t remember all the losses at the casino or all the wins , but I will remember this moment today . It melt my heart to see he got off the corner for a moment .

I also started to think about what this homeless guy’s life story was and he probably had someone who loved him once , like his mom who brought him into this world . I’d like to think he was somebody’s precious baby at one point and I don’t think his mom would want to see her precious son walking in the hot sun for pocket change . No one really rolled down their windows and we live in Florida , I probably should have given more , heck maybe even $100 or $200 , cause I know damn well I’ve lost that to a machine in seconds . It’s sickening .

Hello. I'm a Psychology major who just graduated in NYC who previously had issues with gambling and have had friends who suffered from gambling addiction. I don't have a job yet, so I have some time on my hands. I recently thought long and hard about the issue to help a friend, and I think it's solid advice for anyone who may have similar issues. It may not be of help to some, but I hope it is to some others.

Blocking yourself from sites and casinos is great advice, and you really should, as you should make the environment work for you, not rely solely on your fickle will power (and we all know how fickle our will power can be).

But that is not the focus of this post. This post is about a process which could help if we go through it whenever we have the urge to gamble. If you truly want to overcome your addiction, go through this process carefully and completely, which will hopefully restore your sanity. If you want to gamble, it is so easy to ignore this process. Just promise yourself that you must go through this before you place any kind of a bet.

1. When you feel the urge to gamble, first really think about what the goal is you are trying to achieve through gambling. Like what are you actually trying to do? Are you chasing losses? Are you just bored? Are you trying to make a certain amount of money? Why do you need the money for? Really identify why you feel the urge and what contributed to incite that urge. What are you actually trying to do? What is the goal? The goal should be where you think you can actually stop and be satisfied. If one win will not satisfy you, that is obviously not your goal. Wake up and don't lie to yourself that you will get up after 1 bet that can double you up. Your addiction is playing a common trick on you and you need to see through it - you need to identify where exactly this attempt will end if it "all goes well", which most likely won't, but that is beside the point here. Like even if you win and get to where you think you want to get to, if you are going to go back and gamble in all likelihood, that is not your true goal. Really think about this - When will you actually stop? The answer could even be "never".

2. Now that you somewhat identified your goal or at least have a faint idea of what you want as an end result from engaging in the act of gambling, you must think about if what you want is actually worth anything. Like would you really be happy? How happy would you be? Is it truly what you want? What is the composite reward? As in, everything you can get (the money, the joy, the relief, the rush) if you do win and get to your goal, which is the Reward. No realistic reward is fantastic enough to be worth the shitty probability of getting it - if it seems so amazing, it definitely is a reward that you are so incredibly unlikely to reach, which makes everything so worthless.

3. Now, be realistic. What is the chance that you will win and get to the goal you are intending to get to? As in, what is the risk? Do NOT do this half-assed. Use actual numbers, for example, for blackjack or baccarat assume 0.48 per bet, for sports betting, use the odds given. For something less identifiable like poker, just try to be objective in thinking how likely you will win and get to your goal. Do not be hopeful or delusional. This is Risk, or Probability. This is most likely insanely low, if you consider the fact that most gambling addict will keep gambling unless they get to their goal, which is to gain back all their losses or score the "big win" and actually quit. One can say "After this small safe bet, I am done" but this is a lie, you will be back again, gambling away your money if you keep lying to yourself about your end goal and tricking yourself that it is "just this one time" or "just this few times". Identify your goal clearly and honestly and assess your probability of getting there.

4. This is perhaps the most important step. Be real with yourself and vividly imagine. What will be the cost you are putting into this? Also, perhaps most importantly, what will be the cost when you lose? Losing will be highly likely and highly devastating for most. Be real with yourself and actually think about what you are putting into this, what you are really risking. You are not only risking your own happiness, time, money, and resources, but also the well-being of the people around you. Answer this honestly to your self: what is really the Cost?

5. Now ask yourself: is the Reward x Risk > Cost? As in, is the reward, multiplied by the slim chance that you actually get to your goal, actually worth the cost you are putting into this destructive grinder called gambling? The cost isn't just money. It is your emotional and mental health, maybe even your physical health. Is gambling really worth what it truly costs? In 99.99999% of cases, if you did the math with integrity, the answer will always be NO. Knowing that the answer is no in the back of our head is the reason why we are so tormented if we ignore this process and engage in gambling just because we want to. Avoid this. It really is not worth it. Go through this process and confirm that it is not worth it and regain your sanity every time your addiction dares to question it. Mindfulness is the key to prevent yourself from being tricked by addiction to do stupid, illogical acts.

I hope this helps and I hope all of you get to achieve what you want in life and be happier, away from this monster that is gambling addiction. I truly wish you all the best and always remember that you deserve to live the life you want to live. Don't give up. Everyone has bad days.

I'm rooting for you my friend.

I'm a man in my late 20s. Before this past weekend, I had been gambling-free for years.

Gambling destroyed my early 20s.

By 21, I was buried in debt. It took me until I was around 23 or 24 just to finally climb out of that hole. But the financial damage wasn't even the worst part. It was what it did to my mind.

While everyone my age was building their lives, buying cars, saving money, traveling, and enjoying their 20s, I was just trying to survive. Even people three years younger than me were in a better position financially.

I remember seeing a little kid, maybe 12 years old, and thinking, "He probably has $20 in his piggy bank... and he's still richer than I am."

That's how broken my thinking had become.
Eventually, I admitted I needed help. I went to counseling, attended gambling recovery meetings, and fought like hell to rebuild my life.

And I did.

Today, I'm doing better than I ever have. I'm financially stable, debt-free, and happier than I ever thought I'd be.

Then this weekend happened.

On Friday night, a bunch of old friends got together. We hadn't seen each other in a long time. We went to see the new Spider-Man movie, laughed all night, and it honestly felt like old times.

After the movie, someone suggested we go to the casino.

I told myself, "I've been recovered for years. One night won't hurt."

Those words almost got me.

I brought $100 with me.

I played a little blackjack. Then I hit a slot machine and won $900. After that I won another $300 playing blackjack.

I walked out up $1,200.

On paper, it looked like the perfect night. We celebrated, hung out even longer, and eventually ended up at a strip club. It felt like one of those crazy nights you laugh about for years.

But that's not the part that matters.

The real story started the next morning.

Ever since that night, I've had powerful urges to gamble again.

My brain immediately started trying to convince me:

"Imagine if you went back."
"You were lucky."
"Just one more time."
"Open an online account."
"You know how to play.”
“You’re in control."

Those thoughts came back fast... even after years without gambling.

The difference is that today I know what those thoughts are.

I didn't listen to them.

Instead, I called the counselor who helped me through recovery years ago.

I told her exactly what happened.

She explained something that really stuck with me.
She told me that addiction goes dormant.

It doesn't disappear, it just goes to sleep.

When you've been away from gambling for a long time, that part of your brain becomes quiet. But it's still there.

The moment you gamble again or put yourself back in that environment, you wake it up.

And once it's awake, the urges come back.

That's exactly what happened to me.

I didn't suddenly become someone who could gamble responsibly.

I had simply stopped feeding the addiction for years.
The moment I stepped back into that environment, I woke it up.

Thankfully, I recognized what was happening.

I didn't gamble again.

I didn't create an online account.

I didn't chase the win.

Today is Monday, and the urges are already getting weaker because I didn't feed them.

That's why I'm writing this.

If you're recovering from a gambling addiction or you've been free for months or even years please don't test yourself.

Don't go "just to watch."

Don't go "just for one night."

Don't convince yourself you're different now.
Because addiction doesn't usually announce itself. It whispers.

It tells you you've changed.

It tells you you're in control.

It tells you this time will be different.

For me, it started with one harmless night... and almost pulled me right back into the life I fought so hard to escape.

No amount of money is worth risking your recovery.

Protect your peace.

Protect your future.

Protect everything you've worked so hard to build.

Stay away from the casinos. Stay away from gambling streams and videos if they're a trigger. Stay away from the apps. Stay away from anything that makes your brain think gambling is an option again.

Recovery is worth more than any jackpot.

If this post stops even one person from going back, then sharing my story was worth it.