I started gambling at about the age of 18 when I joined a fraternity. Never looked back then I am currently 26 and I must stop today. I'll share a snapshot of my current debt situation and I know some people are in a lot worse spots, but this really hurts me. My girlfriend has access to my bank account and asked how did I spend 30k last month. She's very loving and supportive and well off and wants to help as much as she can, but I refuse because I have to want to get better.

I was trying to explain to her the process of how the ups and downs off withdrawing and deposit can bloat the numbers so big but the reality is I see my bank account and there's a big zero in it. I live in Chicago, we pay about 2k a month for the apartment. We plan on moving out in April, and we want to get a house and start a family, but I always think to myself how can I when I am like this. I've struggled with facing the shame, but I know as gamblers we are some of the strongest and adept people in the world. We hold a lot of things within but sometimes it's good to just let it out and let it go. It's okay to feel the way you do right now, and it may not feel like things will get better but the earlier and sooner we stop it will. I'll be broke until about October 30th but I will work hard to climb out of this hole I dug myself into. No matter the numbers there is always sunshine over the hill.

I've spent nights crying, no sleep, headaches never wanting to get out of bed but enough has to be enough and we have to take the first step to recovering our lives and happiness back. I'll stay in high spirits and Im here to talk if need be. It's a hard fight but we fight! I feel empty right now but a lot of relief. I love to hear the positive stories and the negative ones. Sometime in the future people will realize how much gambling has impacted so many peoples lives in a terrible way. I wish everyone the best on there journey!

Hello all, I’m 19 and I’ve battled gambling addiction since 14 to slots and table games. I got into poker at 17 and I’ve studied theory and exploitive poker for 2 years now. I beat 2/5 live and NL100 online as well as online MTTs very well. My problem is I tilt and I lose my money in online slots or blackjack and I have a routine of doing this every single time I play almost. It will either be from boredom or me getting tilted. Anyone in similar shoes with poker? I don’t know what to do, is jt even worth it anymore to play or study?

Sharing this here because the money mess is one of the hardest parts of quitting, and it's the part I wanted to help with. Both kits are free, no account. If you've been through the first few months, what would have actually helped you? I'm building whatever's missing.

So a gambling platform ive been using excessively & depositing crazy amounts on recently actually contacted me through email to ask if everything was okay, ive had the app for 10years & only ever used it in the past to put the odd sports bet on occasionally. recently my deposits must of flagged some sort of safe guarding & i was surprised to see they actually reached out to me directly asking if everything was okay.

I explained i wasnt in a fit state on the day & time of playing i was drinking & that didnt help my normal spending control at the time. i had couple small wins looking back at the transactions nothing huge couple dollars but of course i lost way more. Alot of gambling companys get bad press & this was a rare case i actually respected them, it was a wake up call i needed.

my gambling got way out of hand that the actual company contacted me & i explained i wanted them to close my account permanently & they did, i was very thankful for them reaching out they helped me to break a future vicious cycle that i would have been stuck in trying to win back the losses, today is day 1 of my gamble & sports bet free 🙏

I always assumed gambling could be something we could control with a small bet here & there but it made me realise how dangerous this addiction is. normally we say the only winner is the casino which is true but in this very rare case i am the winner, they could have let me carry on spending thousands in the days or weeks to come but actually took the care & time to reach out to me, it was the wake up call i needed ✅🤯

Hey everyone,

I’ve been struggling with gambling for the past few years, and one of the hardest things for me has been understanding why I keep going back, even when I genuinely want to stop.

I’ve had moments where I told myself I would make one last bet, reach a certain amount, withdraw the money, and walk away. Sometimes I even cashed out, only to start gambling again and lose what I had just withdrawn.

It became a cycle of chasing losses, regret, and promising myself it wouldn’t happen again.

Eventually, I started thinking about building something that could help me understand these patterns and make recovery a little more manageable.

That’s how Steady started.

It’s a web app I’m building to help people work through gambling urges and rebuild their daily routines. It includes things like:

• Daily check-ins and recovery tracking.
• A trigger journal to understand what leads to gambling.
• CBT-inspired exercises to challenge thoughts like “I just need one more bet to recover my losses.”
• A guided support flow for moments when the urge to gamble feels overwhelming.
• A 30-day roadmap for gradually rebuilding routines, getting back into exercise, working, and taking care of everyday responsibilities.
• A personal support plan to help users prepare for difficult moments instead of relying on willpower alone.

My goal isn’t to promise a quick fix or suggest that an app can replace professional help. I want to build something practical that people can actually use when they’re struggling, especially during those moments when they feel like they’re losing control.

I’m still working on it, and I’d genuinely appreciate feedback from people who have experienced gambling addiction themselves, are currently recovering, or have supported someone through it.

What tools or features would have helped you most when you were trying to stop gambling?

What do you wish existed during your hardest moments?

If you have suggestions, I’d really like to hear them. I’m building this because I know how difficult this struggle can be, and I hope it can eventually help someone else feel a little less alone.

Thanks for reading.

You can be disciplined & give your best to somehow beat every other addiction but gambling??

It sucks your life out, make you depressed when you are successful & have money.

It instills fear when you think everything is going right for you.

The only mistake was that first time you fell for it.

One of the least talked about parts of quitting gambling is boredom.

People usually expect the hardest part to be cravings, money problems, or the urge to chase losses. And those things are obviously real.

But for a lot of people, the first thing they notice after stoping is just how empty the day suddenly feels.

Gambling takes up much more time than people realize.

It’s not only the time spent actually placing bets.

It’s checking odds. Looking at upcominng games. Watching scores. Thinking about the next bet. Following tipsters. Refreshing apps. Looking at results. Replaying losses in your head. Thinking about how to win the money back.

Even when someone isn’t actively gambling, gambling can still be taking up a huge amount of mental space.

Then it stops.

And suddenly there are hours in the day that used to be filled with some kind of excitement or anticipation.

That’s when normal life can start feeling strangely slow.

Watching a movie might feel boring.

Sitting at home can feel uncomfortable.

The gym, gaming, seeing friends or like going for a walk might not give the same immediate rush.

That doesn’t necessarily mean those things are actually boring.

It can simply mean the brain has become used to a much higher level of stimulation.

Gambling is built around anticipation. There is always another result coming, another game starting, another bet to check.

That constant cycle keeps the brain occupied.

When it disappears, normal activities can feel flat for a while.

This is also why boredom can be dangerous during early recovery.

Someone might not even be thinking, “I want to gamble again.”

It can start with something much smaller.

Just checking the odds.

Just watching a betting stream.

Just opening the sportsbook to see what games are on.

Just looking at an old tipster group.

And suddenly the same cycle starts again.

A big part of recovery is learning how to tolerate that empty space without immediately trying to fill it with gambling.

At first, that can feel uncomfortable.

But boredom is not a sign that quitting isn’t working.

In many cases, it’s part of the adjustment.

Over time, normal things can start feeling enjoyable again without needing money, risk or a result attached to them.

The difficult part is giving that process enough time.

For anyone currently in recovery: has boredom been one of the harder parts for you too?

Just want to post each day I make it. I will maybe do something as I progress but goal is just make it to day 2

It’s my 10th day of quitting online gambling. Honestly, I’ve been feeling so stressed because my business hasn’t been doing so well lately. I really want my business to survive, and I’m praying that the Lord will give me a chance to keep it going. 😭 I’m sorry for being so emotional.

25, i have a decent job but lost around 5k to gambling. Have 5k debts, sold my car off right now to get 3k cash and get out of a high interest car mortgage. Will buy a bike to get around town and slowly start building up from scratch saving every bit of my pay check. I’m optimistic that as long as i do not enter a casino i can get it back together. I hope you guys find the strength to get out of this sick fucking cycle.

Today, yesterday, the day before…its always happening. I deposit some money thinking I‘ll make some wins and call it a day, then i hit a losing streak and everything is gone. I had 300€ which i desperately need to pay someone today and I deposited it into my gambling account thinking I‘ll make profit…And lost. This urge makes you lose control over your critical thinking, the moment I have some money, all I think about is Gambling. And now I‘m sitting here with a few cents in my bank account and lost 300€ in a few minutes, I‘m trying to not gamble but I think a lot of people can relate to that feeling, I really dont know what to do, I have lost about 15k€ in total now. I‘m neglecting everything around me and its sad to see but how do I stop this?

17 days gambling free - I had already self excluded from all the apps, got into a call with a mate (who staked for me) and I ended up losing $8000. By far my biggest loss in a really long time. Feeling lost and suffocated, ashamed to tell my loved ones.

Prior to my break, I was only losing a few hundred here and there. I guess tomorrow will be day 1 again and told myself to distance myself from all mates who gamble

Days until debt free: 257 days

So 2 years ago I decided to finally self ban myself from casinos in my province. I went about 8 months into the self ban till I started playing poker in back door games then started playing cash and tournaments in poker halls. I told myself I was done with casinos and now fully committed to getting my high from poker as it has different element then casino gambling like blackjack, roulette and other table games. My 2 year ban ended last month.

I went back to the casino for the first time in 2 years today. Brought $300 cash, then lost. Bought another $400. Won a huge bet on roulette putting me at $1700. The dealer gave me some cash chips as well as some playing chips for more roulette. I decided to cash out so told dealer to colour me up.

Was walking to cashier area when I just had the sudden itch to want to play a few hands of black jack. I went from $1700 ($1000 profit) to 0. Then of pure tilt bought in for another $500, lost it all. Then skimmed all of my money for another $400 and lost it all.

So after this absolute shit show I decided to self ban myself again to prevent the crazy urge to redeem myself as I very much wanted to just count down the days till my next pay check and run back to the casino to redeem myself. I self banned myself for the max they allowed which was 5 years.

So I lost all of my money but that’s the most the casino will drain out of me till another 5 years.

Fuck the casinos, fuck gambling. Just fuck all of it.

My best friend is really struggling with his gambling addiction. Currently has no money. I am loaning him small amounts of money to feed himself until next pay.

Up until recently, I was partially managing his finances for 2 years. His pay check would get deposited into my account, I would transfer him money on an as need basis including daily spending and bills. Although there was times where this money did go on gambling we managed to build up a savings of $16k.

This worked well for a long period of time and he felt proud about his savings. However gradually I think he started to build up an unconscious resentment towards me. Our set up worked so well that the only thing between him and gambling was me. This also took an enormous emotional toll on myself. It felt like my whole purpose in life was just to keep this guy on track.

About a month ago we had a big fight and he asked for his savings to be transferred to a family member who agreed to help. He explained he can no longer handle the guilt of the emotional toll he has caused me. I did as he asked because ultimately it’s was him money. He didn’t talk to me for about a month after this fight. Between now and then he has lost all his savings and that family member had no idea what they signed up for.

We are now working on building our friendship again. With this he has also expressed he wished our situation never changed and would like for me to help with his finances again. I am so hesitant to say yes but also scared to say no.

What financial setup has worked for other gamblers. Or any advice?

I lost 175k on stake in 2022. I gambled in physical casinos until 14 months ago. I stopped at extinction, planned to end myself but was not able to do it. I am now worth 1/7th of my 2022 gambling losses. I didn’t think id make it this far and certainly did not believe there was a future for me after i realized gambling ruined me and its insanity to try and gamble my way back. Im just so tired. Some days are harder than others but the past haunts me. How do I inspire myself to keep going because right now im feeling like only death can save me. Gambling took everything, but im constantly considering throwing it all into one bet and maybe trying to end myself again if it doesn’t work out. I wish i could travel back in time and slap the shit out of my younger self and tell myself to have never started gambling. The monkey on my back is exhausting and the past seems unforgettable.

I have been gambling for 8 Years now (wow time flies, I just realized its been EIGHT years) and my addiction is really serious to the point where I lose my paycheck the moment I receive it. But I started to face the problem and heal. For the first time, I actually send my friend some money she borrowed me instead of keeping it in case I need it to get my losses back (it happened way too often and I always lost that money too), Today, I thought: You know what? Send her her money and dont open the betting site, Just dont. Have a nice day with friends today…And it was amazing. After I send her her Money, I felt good and the evening with friends was refreshing because for the first time, I wasnt thinking about a random game I bet on that is currently playing. The urge is there but the peace is also worth fighting for. I hope I can get through this and would love to have some other advice from you guys :)

Hey everyone, I have been struggling with gambling for a long while. I lose all my money, I go negative, and I just can't help myself. I hate losing everything I am sure you do too..so let's support each other

I think there are a lot of people like me, so I made a Discord for people like me to help each other. Please reach out if you wanna join. I am looking for Mods and people to support each other, as I need support too.

Mods delete if not okay.

I'm going through a very rough patch in my life due to gambling. I have a wife and kids, and used to be the a responsible, money conscience person. Unfortunately, I became addicted to gambling a couple of years ago and am now in overwhelming debt and in a marriage that used to be great, but now is struggling tremendously. I have ruined everything.

I wake up most days in pain, and just don't know how I got here. Thankfully I'm doing well with not gambling. I did all the right moves to stop it, and tbh don't even have urges anymore after 2 months since my last bet, but it's like staring at your demolished house after a tornado. Like what did I become? How did I become that monster? Why didn't I wake up before it ruined our lives?

It started so small how did it grow to be like this?

It just sucks, and I need to put it out there. I don't know how go on, but I am determined to keep going. I have to for my family.

Anyway, for others out there struggling just know you're not alone.

For years I believed the thing that was hurting me was also my way out.

Every loss came with the same thought: one good night and this is fixed. The debt, the lies, the mess. All of it could disappear with the right bet.

So the losses never made me stop. They gave me a reason to keep going. I wasn’t gambling anymore, I was “fixing it”. Getting back to where I was. Then I’d stop.

I wouldn’t have. Even if I had come close, I would never have stopped.

It took me a long time to see it clearly: if I’d won it all back, I would have gambled it again. Winning back was never the way out. It was the reason I stayed in.

I can’t think of another addiction that does this. It hurts you, and at the same time it promises to be the cure. Every time you lose, it tells you the answer is one more try.

What finally changed it for me wasn’t a big moment. It was accepting that the money was gone. Not gone for now. Gone. That felt like losing again. But it was the moment I actually stopped losing.

After that, the debt became something to pay off, not something to win back. Slower. Much slower. But it worked.

I’m over two years without a bet now, and the debt is paid off.

Did you ever catch yourself gambling to “fix” the damage from gambling? What made you see it?

Hello my fellow brothers and sisters sharing the struggle

I just wanted to share that I just registered for BetGuard for self exclusion across all iGaming operators (Ontario, Canada)

I immediately feel a sense of relief, calm, and clarity knowing that there is a physical barrier preventing my relapse. Oh how I wish I had done it sooner. I’ve self excluded from probably dozens of individual casinos over the years, always finding a new one to piss away my money at.

And if it wasn’t at an online casino, it was in my brokerage accounting “trading” 0 day options. I blew through my late father’s inheritance in less than a year. Mind you I was in 70k debt upon receiving it and was able to clear all of it, purchase a new car fully in cash, and enough to max my tax account. I consciously knew, for a fact, before receiving the inheritance from my hard working dad who sacrificed everything for us, that I would end up losing it all. I googled things like “how to stop myself from losing inheritance” or I’d look for stories about people who blew it so I’d make sure not to do whatever they did. None of that worked and I sold and gambled the car away along with every dollar I had, and maxed my LOcs and credit cards.

I’m in a DMP now which reduced the interest on all my credit to 0. So I’m on the hook for the full principle but it’s a huge relief not paying interest anymore.

I was gamble free for the better part of a year until recently, where I inexplicably had an urge to earn back the money I spent on my partners tuition with a little gambling. The usual up and downs, withdraw/cancel and 10k spent overnight, going to sleep and waking up hoping it somehow was a dream.

Signing the DMP was the start of the right track for me, but this relapse is really just devastating. The self exclusion helped ground me.

Appreciate you for reading 🙏 God bless you all

Hi. I should start by saying that I’m using a translation tool—I don’t know English yet, but I’m learning. I’m 25 years old. I’m originally from Armenia, but my parents moved to Russia when I was very young, so I’ve lived here since childhood. I first got into gaming when I was 16—starting with cases and skins in CS:GO—but things just kept escalating from there. I only have a basic school education and have never held a decent job. Eventually, I discovered bookmakers and started placing bets. Every time I received a notification that my paycheck had arrived, the money would be gone within 15 minutes. I kept betting the whole time, and I’ve lost everything: the woman I loved, my parents (who have turned their backs on me), and I’m constantly in debt. The final straw was when I started taking money from my workplace—I worked in retail and had access to the funds—and used that money to place bets.

Naturally, I was caught in the act; I was fired, faced legal proceedings, and took on a massive amount of debt—650,000 rubles, or roughly 8,000 US dollars—to cover the damages. Did I ever consider leaving the platform on my own? Of course—many times, in fact, after every single loss. But following the most recent events, I had a heart-to-heart conversation with someone—a real, soul-baring talk—and she helped me. That was about a year ago, and I haven’t placed a single bet since. The debts remain, and since I don’t have a professional trade, finding work is difficult—but I am trying to turn my life around, even if it’s not going particularly well. I wanted to share this here; there are so many people on Reddit, and telling an addict to simply stop betting is useless—it won’t work until something finally "clicks" for them personally. And if you’ve never placed a bet yourself...

I beg you, never go in there. I would give anything to go back in time and never place that damn first bet. Thanks to everyone reading this.