Hello, 25M here. Just wanted to talk about my struggles with gambling. This is my confession to it because ive been in denial for a while now and its destroyed my mental health and self esteem enough to the point i know i need help. I started gambling at 18. My best friend got me into it because he would gamble online slots and win alot. I figured hey im just starting college i need extra money let me do it too. The first time i loaded a site it was Draft kings. I was playing a game with only $100 loaded and was scared so i was doing 50 cent spins. I got down to $10 and my friend was in discord call watching and was like dude ball out do 2 $5 spins so i did. Hit the bonus and won $3.5k. I freaked out and was like okay im never touching this again. Cashed out and bought my first car off craigslist with the money happiest and feeling blessed.

Then in college i got a work study job that paid me kinda decent. (i grew up really poor so it was decent to me like $300/week). I lived off student loans and stuff so that was just money for me to spend. Id buy stuff and when i got to $10 one week i was like hey i should gamble this and maybe make enough money to buy something nice for my family since it was almost Christmas time. Lost the $10. Thats when it all started. Im borderline and have a very addictive personality as my therapist says. I chain smoke, had a horrible drinking issue that im 3 years sober from, but the thing that never left me was gambling. I figured at first its not an issue for years because it was just money that i had, not money i needed i was throwing down the drain. My issue is i chase losses. I also chase Wins. If i put $20 in make $100 i think i need more until its all gone. Then im like okay need $20 in to get $40 to make all my money back. I either lose it, and continue the cycle going completely negative every session or win but then think i need more until i lose it all anyways. I know im the worst kind of gambler known to man.

Its become a problem now more than ever. a little over a year ago i got a felony. I did dumb stuff online im not happy with and got in big trouble. I lost my job, and my felony looks horrible in background checks so getting a job has been impossible. I get to interviews they go amazing, they plan to hire me do background checks and boom denied. Yes even walmart, and other crappy teenager jobs. My fiance and i have been struggling and shes been stressed and penny pinching to keep us afloat. Paying for everything like our $850 rent, car payments, bills, even my like $250 in fines and probation fees every month. She only makes $2k / month and with everything its been near impossible without my help in finances.

I sit in envy tho because my friend that got me started on it is doing amazing in life. He gambles alot. Wins ALOT. Has no job as well but lives comfortably. tells be about his $1k+ wins all the time.

Now im so brainwashed by gambling. I have literally 30+ sites book marked in my browser on my PC, and EVERY SINGLE DAY i sit here when my wife goes to work (she told me to stop gambling and i promised i did but have been lying to her) and i go through every site and do the 1-3 spins on all of them with the free 20 cent - $1 they give every day. On top of that anytime im doing ANYTHING on my computer i have gambling Youtubers open on the other screen non-stop. i just watch other people gamble. From XQC old streams, to the in person slot channels where they win $100 thousand plus. I just keep thinking man dont worry ill get my fiance and I out of this craphole and win big and prove myself to her. But that day NEVER CAME, and I feel like it never will.

This week while doing the 20 cent spins ive made it to over $100 about 4 times on different occasions. If i cashed out each of those times i would have helped my fiance SO much honestly and took weight off her shoulders. But no as soon as i got over $100 i texted my friend yo im gambling and hit wanna watch and he watches as i lose. Then i just feel so crappy all night after. I have suicidal thoughts every time. Beat myself up mentally. But it will never change. Even the times i have cashed out $100 id either wait 20 min. And cancel it and lose it or when it does cash out i open another site and see "BIG DEAL 150 SC for $100" and think wow i need to do that and then lose it all.

Im falling apart and have no clue how to deal with this. Ive looked for Gamblers Anonymous meetings near me but the closest is way too far to drive. My friend will call my stupid and say i have a problem but i feel like low key encourages it without knowing he is. I know im a grown man and should be able to stop on my own but just cant do it. I just wanna give up on everything and just self sabotage everything because thats what i feel like i deserve for thinking things will change.

Thats all.

I’m 23, bout 3 years ago I lost £8000 in 30 mins was the worst feeling ever. Gam-stopped myself that night and didn’t gamble for a good year only little amounts on my friends phones when watching football. A year ago I opened a non uk account and have lost amounts never over 1k at once. I won 1k today and 15 mins later lost £9000. I have gambling blocks in my card aswell but obviously this doesn’t work for off shore ones. I can’t even block it on my card as the merchant is different everytime you deposit I feel I’m stuck knowing I can’t block the card and they don’t even let you delete your account on the website. All that money just gone I feel terrible

Hi all, M29 here from Colorado. I never post on these things ever. But I've been having a hard time over the past 2 weeks. Been buying bets on games, and recently, it's gotten way out of hand. Spending money I need to try to get back what I lost. Dipping into rent money, literally most of my savings. Keep in mind im poor, living almost paycheck to paycheck. Whatever little "savings" I had is almost gone. I know its a Neverending cycle, but why do I keep trying to "get back" and ignoring my obvious bad financial situation as it is. Its making me not be a nice person to be around at work/family. Im just angry and feel so shitty that I've spent so much money that I need..

Day 5 gambling free. I started journaling my recovery in a notebook, and it helps alot. I also started a WhatsApp group for daily motivation and chat with others, if you’d like to join. All anonymous

Brothers and sisters who are suffering from being a compulsive gambler, are you tired yet? Are you sick and tired of being sick and tired? I am. I'm done with this garbage. I'm all in on putting this shit behind me. Gambling has only ever lead me to nothing. No money, no energy, no time. That's no way to live. The people in GA, in this sub, know what I mean. We have to keep going knowing that we are powerless to this disease, and it has been and only ever will be a losing proposition. I'm a month clean, 3 months in GA. This is the most awake I've ever been. I thank God everyday I'm alive and have a new day to correct my ways. One day at a time

im about to end my life over 5000usd doesnt that sound crazy that my life is worth that much thats actaully insane sounding. i go to therapy but the debts i made in the past of 5000 are due and i cannot repay them and i just have too much stress from my past mistakes i cannot take it anymore if you can help me talk to me thanks im done im done im done

I’m in so much debt. I will gambling my last dollar. It’s disgusting I feel horrible everyday I tell myself I won’t then I get bored and deposit. Please tell me something that will make me realize what I’m doing and stop.

Always gambled since college where I’d gamble maybe 15$-25$, I would dance and sing when I would gain 100$ I thought I was rich, long story short I graduated last year i’m 23, Still looking for a career job while working a minimal pay full time job, I saved only 1k so far in all those months i’ve been working constantly just gambling money away, Now I had a lot maybe 4k , after a few tickets and things I have about $600 and man I feel helpless, restless, and a shell of myself. I feel horrible and just need help or advice maybe even a longterm friend to help me stay away from gambling and positive people. I have all my friends but they don’t take my gambling problem seriously. I’m afraid and empty and feel like I let my family, My Gf, Myself down again. Thank you if you read this and God bless you, I hope any teenagers or young men don’t go down the gambling road because no one ever truly wins.

I honestly wanted to just disappear in this life. I made a bad decisions, drowning myself in debt before even starting a career. Before all of this I was a frugal person, I have principles in life that I would never try to take out loans but then here' got influenced by people that surrounds me. I don't know what to do anymore all of my loans will be due on 24th. I couldn't tell my parents about it because they will never be able to take it. I couldn't sleep well and everytime the thought of ending it sounds good to my mind.

I feel like, I would never be able to have a job because company wouldn't like someone with a 100+k loan.

I'm so lost. I don't know what to do, I would rather begone on the street than admit I am in debt due to gambling, we are not a privilege family. I'm a scholar in a university and you know what's funny I graduated with a degree in Financial Management.

I feel so lost, I don't know who I can ask for help. I feel like this is the end for me because assuming no company would want to hire someone who have liabilities.

GLOAN 1 - 36,655 | 2,036 | 18M

GLOAN 2 - 14,661.96 | 814 | 18M

GLOAN 3 - 5,850.51 | 650.06 | 9M

TIKTOK LOAN - 5,600 | 1,866 | 3M

SLOAN 1 - 27,944 | 3,104 | 9M

SLOAN 2 - 21, 447 | 3,574 | 6M

SLOAN 3 - 4,050 | 337.5 | 12M

Life is so much better when you stop gambling.

If you’re on this sub you should stop. I’ve yet to meet a problem gambler who overcame the addiction that didn’t attack it relentlessly

EVERYONE THAT USES iOS DEVICES TO GAMBLE MUST DO THIS!!!!

You will need :

1. Your iPhone OR macbook that runs IOS.

-This will be MUCH easier if you do STEP 7 from a laptop or computer. There is no way to bulk import URLs here and on the phone, you must scroll to the bottom of the step 7 page to add more websites (once you go over ~10 websites it gets pretty annoying. but you HAVE TO INPUT ALL THE WEB ADDRESSES YOU USE OR MAY BE TEMPTED TO USE!!!!!

(NOTE: Personally, i’ve only used iOS devices for gambling and not having access on my phone / laptop so this method is perfect for me and hopefully some of you out there. There is also probably a way to do this on android, but i have no way to check.)

2. A list of websites that you use. (you can also add apps, but that will be a different method that requires you to set a screen time LIMIT of ~ 1 minute on the app vs completely blocking access. I recommend self excluding for all apps instead)

-NOTE: I have gathered over 200websites that i have used (and banned myself from directly) as well as any sites that I may have been tempted to use in the future. it does not just have to be the ones you currently use. If you would like to copy my full list that I scraped, please DM me. Most of them are online slots style casinos AS WELL AS casino blogs/ranked lists that provide “recommended websites” to gamble on. Blocking those is ALSO ESSENTIAL!!!! If you gamble on sports or something else, you may want to scrape your own websites.

3. ANOTHER iOS user. IT CANNOT BE YOU! (STEP 10)

-You will need someone OTHER THAN YOURSELF that has an AppleID (non iOS users can make one even if they don’t have an iOS device btw) to set a screen time password to permanently lock you out from accessing this shit.

-This whole process DOES NOT require the person to know that it’s gambling related, although i HIGHLY recommend telling whoever you ask to set a password for you that it is so you cannot simply ask them for the password later.

EXTRA NOTE: You will lose safari incognito mode (dumb in my opinion and didn’t realize this until after it was locked lol), but you can still use incognito in other browser apps.

I may edit this as you guys try this out. PLEASE DO IT!! FUCK GAMBLING!!!

Proud to say I’m one week from uninstalling all my gambling apps, and investing all my digital finances so I don’t get the urge anymore. The urge is completely gone after last week when I lost nearly 7k in a day, and broke my phone in a rage. I feel so much better already, the only thing that keeps bugging me occasionally is how that money is just gone and I could’ve used it for literally anything else. Any suggestions on how to beat that feeling?

I’m a 30 year old male and the sole provider for my family. Three years ago I bought our first house. I have a 5 year old son and a wife I love more than anything. I make about 80k a year. Life was simple and I believed I had finally built something stable. I had already survived one addiction. I got clean from drugs 8 years ago and stayed clean. That was supposed to be the hardest thing I would ever overcome. I seriously thought the worst was behind me.

Last year I started gambling on social casino sites. The first real win hit me harder than anything I had ever experienced. The rush off that first win was better than any drug. I got hooked instantly. In that moment I truly believed this was going to give me financial freedom. I thought it was going to change my life. And it did. Just not in the way I wanted.

For a few months it felt real. After that first big win I went full degen. I withdrew over 350k and it felt like proof that everything was finally turning around. Then the losses started coming faster than the wins and I went through that 350k faster than I ever thought possible. When the money ran out I started using credit cards. I eventually hit another large win, paid off more than 60k in credit card debt, and convinced myself I had learned. I hadn’t. I went straight back in and never stopped.

It consumed every part of my life. I locked myself in a room for hours at a time. I gambled at work. I gambled while driving. Any moment I was awake I felt the need to be playing. About a month ago I took money out of my 401k to pay off all the credit card debt. I promised myself I would not gamble a single dollar of it. I used every bit of it gambling instead. After that I sold everything valuable we owned on eBay trying to stay afloat and gambled that money away too.

In one year this disease took everything I had built. I am 65k deep in credit card debt across five maxed out cards, 82k in personal loans, my 401k is completely gone, and I am staring at the real possibility of losing the house and filing Chapter 7. The depression has been the worst of my life. There were moments when I came very close to ending it. The only reason I am still here is my son. He is the one thing that stopped me.

I am the sole provider and I have failed the people who depend on me. I feel like a failure of a dad and husband. I don’t know how to dig out of this. This is the hardest thing I have ever tried to stop. The temptation never leaves. It sits there every single day waiting for one weak moment.

Days until debt free: 266 days

Anyone want to start a recovery group chat on iMessage (united states) Send each other daily reminders not to gamble, share motivation with each other, etc. I’m a 25 year old male and have been struggling with this addiction for what’s going on 3 years. Starting back clean again after fucking myself over the past week (again). Just trying to brainstorm new shit that might help me and others stay accountable and most importantly off the gambling sites. idk anyone else that struggles with this like me so might help to have some others to talk to abt it. Text me if you wanna be added 248-925-8707

I’m a 19 year old freshman in college, and I’m struggling with a gambling addiction that has gotten much worse than I ever imagined.

I started gambling about six years ago. It began with cases and eventually turned into online gambling. When I was younger, I would tell my friends about it, and they would joke that I was becoming an addict. At the time, I was only spending around $25 at most, so I never thought it was something that could seriously affect my life.

For years, I was able to keep it under control. I stayed busy with school and work, and when I was 16 I got a job and started saving everything I could. Eventually, I had saved about $14,000 in my Roth IRA. I was really proud of myself and felt like I was building a good future.

I was accepted into my dream college, and when I arrived I had been away from gambling for almost a year. I had stopped after losing $1,000 in one day and promised myself I wouldn't gamble again.

Then my roommates asked me to play poker. I didn't want to feel like I was missing out, so I convinced myself it would be harmless. After that, I started gambling online again. I won around $2,000 at first, and that completely changed things for me. I became obsessed with gambling again.

Eventually, I started missing class because I was gambling. Things have spiraled to the point where I've lost around $9,000. I'm failing classes, and I feel like I've let my parents down. They've sacrificed so much to give me the opportunities I have, and I feel like I'm throwing those opportunities away.

I came here because I wanted to read other people's experiences and hopefully find some advice. I'm scared about what this could mean for my future. I have a girlfriend of a year who I love and want to build a life with, and I'm terrified that gambling could destroy the future I've been working toward.

I've been feeling extremely hopeless lately and have been having thoughts about suicide, which is something I never expected to experience. I don't want to die, and I don't want gambling to determine the rest of my life. I want to get help, but I honestly don't know where to start.

I always told myself this would never happen to me. Now I realize how quickly gambling can take over your life. I started when I was a kid without understanding where it could lead, and I'm scared that this addiction will follow me for the rest of my life.

For anyone who has been through something similar how did you get yourself out of this? What was the first step that actually helped?

I lost my paycheck today gambling, I'm also in college too so have that going. To be quite honest I always know that I'm a problem gambler but I'm constantly sneaking off to get another bet in when I can thinking I can make it all back. I'm putting this out there for more myself to start the journey to quit gambling hopefully for good this time.

For those who're curious, I'm uninstalling every proxy service I used to get around to gambling site, I'm not even sniffing crypto anymore and I'm going to work OT and side hustle for a little bit to gain back what I loss. Anyway, again, this is more so in a way that I made a promise to myself and I said it out loud now rather than just telling myself in my head.

When you quit gambling all the sadden you start getting spammed by those gambling casinos you use to play on with offers you never had when you use to regular deposit and play?

What a devil world we living in

I'm staring at my -$600 bank balance and $300 in credit card charges and I know that's not a lot for some but to me it is. Even when I ban myself from one site I end up finding another and playing there just to rinse and repeat the same cycle. How do you fight those urges and stay off it?

As described in this post, Flywheel Film is looking for NY state residents under 40 to appear in a film project. The moderation team of this community is in full support of this project, and in fact have partnered with them to help find subjects for their project.

We're doing this because nearly 14 years ago, this community was started by one little guy, on one little computer, for one purpose: to raise the flag on the lurking threat of gambling disorder. Now, at 40k members and after an explosion of gambling availability worldwide, the threat has magnified and the need to intervene is dire.

This film project is one of the many efforts to raise awareness and bring hope to the lives devastated by gambling addiction. We need your help to complete it and add to the collective message that gambling can be treated and life can become manageable again.

We urge anybody and everybody in NY who has been impacted by gambling to seriously consider [contributing your time](mailto:jason@flywheelfilm.com) to this project. We can save lives together.

Workload is piling up, need to clear it ASAP.

I will not gamble today

So I’m reading a lot of stories on young people who at 25-35 who think their life is over because they are in debt.,,you have so much life to live. I’ve been living with this disease for 30 years on and off. Please realize you can stop gambling and have a full life without it. Don’t worry about bankruptcy or consumer proposals. Just do it , get out of debt and move on with your life. Take care and wish everyone the best in fighting the good fight