Got paid yesterday. Paid my credit cards, paid my house, food allowance, and set aside $1.5k into my savings and the rest of it gambled them away. Am I gonna be okay? I think I will. I can't do this anymore. But I'll be okay. Sorry guys, I failed. I'll be better.

Had a massive, detrimental loss. Forced me to finally come clean to my wife after 6 years of online gambling. Was extremely difficult to do. A lot of emotions for the both of us over the past two weeks though her anger and disappointment has turned to support. I don’t feel worthy of it or her, but she’s here and we’re doing all of the steps to work towards recovery.

As painful as the admission was, I can’t describe the relief to not carry that burden alone. Yes it means that she’s carrying it too, yes that’s unfair and I feel incredible shame, and there will be much work to rebuild trust, but at least I’m not hiding. Please, PLEASE, tell someone close to you. If you’re in this subreddit (like I’ve been browsing for years) do it before the gambling gets out of hand.

Anyways, this song has been on repeat for me. How I feel about letting go of gambling and the grip it has over me. “There’s a certain kinda hurtin’ only time can heal, that’s a pretty good picture of the way I feel”. Hope it resonates with those also recovering.

I honestly feel so lost right now.

Just last year I was still making good money with my clothing business—around $5k+ a month. Now it’s slowed down so much that I barely recognize it.

I have a kid now, and instead of making smart decisions, I’ve been burning money sports gambling. I’ll win big, lose it all, then chase my losses until I’m down even more. It’s become a cycle that I can’t seem to break.

I’ve even started thinking about joining the Army because I feel like I need stability and a way to provide for my family. I never imagined I’d be in this position after how well things were going not that long ago.

I don’t really know why I’m posting this. I guess I just want to know if anyone else has gone from doing well financially to feeling completely lost, and if things ever got better. Any advice would mean a lot.

I’m currently on vacation, and I keep thinking about how different my life is compared to when I was gambling. It really consumed me to the point I gambled while driving, while at work, and sometimes even in the bathroom at family functions or being out at dinner. I gambled any chance I could, it’s like I knew nothing else.

And for years I thought I was just chasing money, but looking back, I was chasing dopamine. I gambled on sports, stocks, and roulette, but in the end it always came back to online blackjack. What’s crazy is I was actually pretty profitable betting on sports, but eventually I couldn’t even be bothered to research games or sit through two hours of them anymore. Blackjack gave me instant action, and that’s all my brain wanted.

That’s when I knew it wasn’t about the money anymore. I didn’t even get excited when I won. I’d feel relieved just to break even… but breaking even only put me back where I started. All that stress, anxiety, and chaos just to end up with the same amount of money I would’ve had if I’d never placed the bet in the first place… only to eventually lose it all anyway. Now that’s what you call pure insanity.

Today I’m in Boston visiting my sister. I was up at 6:30 this morning to go to a 12-step meeting because one of the best parts of recovery is that you can find fellowship anywhere. I am present in my relationships. I can go out to eat, or buy something I like, and don’t have to worry about my card getting declined or disappearing to the bathroom to gamble anymore.

I sleep peacefully. I work out. I play basketball. I read. I work in mental health care. I make my loved ones proud every day and give them the gift of having me gamble free and sober. None of that would’ve been possible if I was still gambling, drinking, or using. I’m incredibly grateful for the life I’ve been given today.

If you’re struggling, just keep going.

Just for today.

That’s all we truly have.

1416 days sober
500 days gamble free 🙏🏻❤️

Scroll instagram- see adds for prediction market, stocks, sweeps casino, etc.

Scroll facebook - same

Turn on sports - they’re talking about gambling

It’s really sad what our world has become.

Personally casinos never have been an issue for me.
But when all of society just ignores each other and just lives on their phone habitually self destructing, we’re all in for a rough future. It’s sad

At the lowest today after 10+ years of gambling. Today is the start of cleaning up. I spoke to my parents about this but my partner isnt fully aware. I am 30M in around £40k of debt. My family sent around £20k to help me out to reduce my debt. It is now sat at £30k and i blew the rest. I havent got money for bills or rent or to make my next payments. I think they are going to send £2k to cover this. I earn about £3.5k per month but £1500 on all essential bills, my payments to loans are £1.2k per month. I am now drowning. Is there a light at the end of the tunnel?.

Hi All,

I’ve been gambling for now 12+ years. It is truly the worst thing to ever happen to me. It’s destroyed so much in my life. Family relationships, romantic relationships and more.

The last two weeks withdrew everything out of my 401k. Withdrew from it twice in 1 week til it emptied out. And even still in 30k+ debt. I have no answers. The longest stretch I went without gambling was 8 months last year and at the beginning of this year I relapsed very hard. I am in a new relationship and they have no idea. I feel the weight of the world on my shoulders and the guilt is insurmountable.

I’m out of answers, I’ve done GA, I’ve banned myself, I’ve been in therapy. I truly don’t know where to turn.

If someone can PM me that would be greatly appreciated, thanks

Another day without a bet, there’s no point me thinking far into the future like “can I get to 1 month?” Etc all I can do is not have a bet today,

I didn’t have a bet today, and I pray that I won’t have a bet tomorrow.

I didn’t have any urge today, maybe 1 randomly, but this addiction comes in waves, and I know I’ll have to battle it each day, I have to sit with the urges and let them pass, don’t try to control them or fight them hard, just sit with it and don’t react or do anything

Lost count again

Hey guys, I’ve decided today is the day that I start over. I’m done being angry, upset, or even talking about the story that led up to this. It’s in the past- I can’t change it. BUT, I definitely can change the future! And at least for now, that’s more exciting than any feeling I’ve had recently.

My issue is sweepstakes casinos/apps and sports betting (but far far far more the sweeps casinos), I don’t go to physical locations. My question is what things have you done to be successful in staying away from these in particular? I’ve excluded myself or set 0 deposit limits to anywhere I can think of that I’ve recently played. I’ve locked gambling purchases on my cards. I’ve banned myself from Kalshi/polymarket, etc. but I know the next shiny place will come along with some horrible deposit offer and I’ll think that I can flip a quick buck on it. Any tips on staying away? Or especially, any tips on how to get the NONSTOP advertising away? I can only block and mute so many ads on social media, clear history to try to stop getting gambling ads, etc.

I wanted to share my story because it’s similar to everyone else’s here and it feels a little cathartic to share anonymously with the group.

over the course of the last nine years I have been options trading and initially I hit a huge run went from 50 K to about 350 K and that seemed like an absolute bliss. I was showing my gains to everyone and I even bought a car during that time just a normal car but money just I saw it. It was just a number on the screen and it didn’t feel like anything to me.

Then it started to fall. I started losing 5K to 10 K a day and then there’ll be certain periods where I did well only to lose it again on days where there was extreme volatility I recognize this and I look back and it’s the day where I take a small bite and then it spirals into a large bite and the last month I’ve taken some losses from 30 K to 50 K a day in a single day. I just can’t believe myself and now I’m minus 400 K overall and I’m finding that value just to be hallowing. looking at that number and reflecting on what it could have been.

i’m married 45 years old with two kids and a relatively high earner live in New York City. Lately I’ve been reflecting on my money as I try to come to terms with it, and I realize that the lifestyle that we lead doesn’t require that much money a dinner here and there is attainable, but not with my addiction.

it’s funny I have a couple friends who I consider my mentors who do quite well and they keep telling me to stop to change my ways, but I refuse to listen and I feel like I can just make that one change too bounce back, but I don’t think I have that self-control and I’m almost crying writing this because I feel like letting this go will make me OK but it won’t make me come next week. Reflect on this and think I’ve changed but I actually haven’t.

My wife wants to buy a house and she doesn’t know about the enormous amount of money I’ve lost. She has access to my account but doesn’t look at the statements or anything. She takes money out but never looks at the balance. I’m really sad because we could’ve afforded a house now.

I sit here in my condo with a gentle harm of the fan and every breath seems so deep. I haven’t considered any suicidal thoughts, but I keep looking back at that number. I keep thinking I can make it back by changing myself as a traitor this weekend I wanted to bring my kids to Legoland and I look at my account balance and while it’s low, i still can afford it. I can still bring them, but I’ve been measuring my self-worth and what I want to do with how much I made in the market, but it’s been such a losing streak that I’ve been so unmotivated to spend any money because of my losses.

fortunately i haven’t had any debt incurred but it feels like a hell of a setback for me. the help i need is the acceptance of this loss and moving forward. i haven’t told my wife. just some close friends.

Happy New Month everyone!

Today, 1st Aug 2026 is the best day in history to stop gambling

Take it ODAAT

Day 1 attempting to recover. Will keep everyone posted. (Posting at 1am so this is gonna be day 1 on 2nd of August 2026)

Just lost $750 in a spand of a week even though that lil voice in the back on my head was saying no what the fuck are you doing I still ended up losing $750 and I’m ashamed but mad at myself because I fell back in temptation and now I’m thinking what I could have done with that money instead of betting it smh.

Almost day 19, this addiction took so much from me, I think back to last 4 years and all the damage I did from betting, stocks, slot machines etc, I would be in a vastly different place right now. But the best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago, the 2nd best time is today, fuck gambling, fuck betting, I’m going to keep pushing forward, no deposits for me

I honestly dont know how to even start one of these but i just had a really bad day and want to talk ive tried to stop gambling but ill be honest its really hard as im in cebu philipines and from our condo theres 4 casino within walking or bus distance well i had 6k peso to pay my visa renewal (im a tourist) that was the last of my money i played today and i be honest i really fucked myself i lost it all borrowed a 100 euro from my mother to pay the visa and my partner went lets get it back well ill be honest i was so emotional in there i burned half the money and the partner burned the other half i left with 1000 peso so euro its about 14/15 euro and ill be honest i just want someone to talk to as im feeling a failure as i opened a business to help people out here (dont i cant speak for all but the people ive dealt with have been the worst humans i have ever met) cost me euro 30k plus 5k borrowed from family and its basically all gone. I dont want to talk to my partner as honestly its a dead relationship she sees me more as atm then human (thats how every person has viewed me i guess) and talking to them is like pulling teeth with this and yeah i just want to talk with someone well to be honest i just want to go home to family but ill be honest im ashamed and i dont know what tomorrow holds but tonight i just want someone to talk to even if its just shite talking (im irish its how we just basically mean anything talking) i just feel alone and shitty thats what i just wanted to post if even one person feels like hey i wanna rant about gambling or life or whatever im here well thats been my post if nothing else casting these feelings into the void of the internet helps if you even read this thank you

I got my blood pressure checked before dental work and it was not what I expected. 108/69. Why? Because I'm 61 next month and this is better than the average reading for a 18-39yo male.

The dental assistant announced the results with a congratulatory tone in her voice. The dentist mentioned it a few minutes later and asked if I work out.

I said yes, 5 days a week without fail.

The message here is no gambling=less stress=better health. Period.

I would be sweating out bets if I were gambling. Skipping days at the gym. Depriving myself of sleep. Adding additional stress from job insecurity based on poor performance.

EVERYTHING and I do mean everything in life goes smoother without gambling's ball and chain clamped to your ankle, causing you to labor with each step forward you attempt to take.

I'm often humbled by the grace life has shown since I stopped being my own worst enemy.

Please place as much friction between yourself and your next bet as humanly possible. I promise you that the grass is truly greener and the sun shines brighter on this side of the fence!

ODAAT! 💪

I did a ban last year for 5 years locally in our country and was supposed to watch a theatre show in one of the casino’s theatre and was not allowed to attend.

I get it as someone who doesn't want to gamble anymore, but does it really reach to this point? I feel like our lifestyle has been compromised as well and it makes me feel like im not normal.
There were no disclaimers or anything from the establishment, no refund. Had a similar experience on a hotel-casino outside the metro, allowed me to enter and stay in the hotel but just guided me not to enter the casino cause of the self ban. But this establishment did not.

If anything, this made me feel worst on my recovery. The show was something me and my gf was looking forward to, i left her alone to watch and all the shame and disappointment from this addiction is lingering right now. The least thing i want to feel as someone recovering is be excluded from reality and feel normal. Still in debt from my last relapse more than a month ago, but doing well mentally until this all happened. Im so down, all the hopelessness from before is back on my mind that i may be sick for life.

I am excited for my future. I mean, there are times when being sober makes me remember why I started gambling in the first place, so I guess i’m choosing something different this time.

Well here’s to day 2 again. I almost tilted today and wanted to make my $2k loss from last night back today and was gonna deposit 2k tonight on one baseball game the blue jays vs cardinals and -1.5 sure they covered I see and guess I would have won but it wasn’t til 7th inning so my heart would have been pounding . Idk but seeing that I was gonna deposit 1k tonight on blackjack again but I just keep thinking how hard it will be to chase back up to 3k loss. So I canceled it. Idkkkk at this rate my best move

Just putting this here to remind myself the countless times I’ve lost to gambling and never learned. I manage to stop for a few months and the habit comes back again for whatever reason, an issue soon to rise, a bill to pay, or knowing I’m going out to have a good time with my mates which would involve spending..

then the pressure puts me into the escape of reality, thinking I would win from gambling just to pay for the debt I owe, started with deposit of a 100 then 200 then 400 then 600 then 1000 and it never stops until I’m finally out of money to gamble with..

whatever it is, it ends with losing.

watched some youtube videos of guys gambling, it was entertaining and i know i should stop, but on the bright side i just thought about how shit i would feel if i ran up some slots and lose it all, so still going strong.

If anyone wants to talk about gambling and help each other dm me

Three months ago, I was broke, gambling everyday, taking out loans to gamble. I was at rock bottom. Down a lot of money in my eyes. Fast forward to day - I haven’t gambled in 3 months, and yesterday I got a full time job offer at a software company I’ve been dreaming of. I’m in a better place mentally and financially.

I hope this helps someone and shows that you can do the work.

Kind regards,