Gambling
I got nothin'
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: My house.
Posts: 4,890
Gambling Hello everyone. I was hoping to start a thread where people can come to share stories and wisdom about gambling problems. Feel free to talk about how gambling functions in conjunction with your substance abuse problems (or someone else’s problems if you do not gamble and/or use). If you don’t have a substance abuse problem but have a problem with gambling, please do not hesitate to reply. All are welcome to contribute. I DO NOT want this thread to be about my specific problems. I’m not that important and I really want to hear what others have to say, so post away!
I got nothin'
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: My house.
Posts: 4,890
I’ll start it off with a little info about myself:
I am an alcoholic who sometimes during periods of sobriety substitutes gambling for alcohol. I’m currently having a moment of clarity in another attempt at sobriety. I’ve been drinking for about six years now, but I started gambling somewhat regularly about a year ago. Winning is such an incredible rush--you keep playing for the next win…at least I do. I know plenty of people who think that gambling is a waste of time and money, but try saying that to someone who thinks the experience is fun and hasn’t lost enough to think otherwise. I last went about three weeks ago and lost money that I borrowed from someone else. About a week before that I blew about 1/3 of my paycheck in two hours. I have about five U.S. dollars left in my account and ten in cash at the moment due mostly to drinking and gambling. Right now I’m disgusted with myself and how I’ve been spending money lately, so I currently have no desire to go back to the casino (I live about 20 minutes away from one). I tend to gamble more during periods of sobriety, so right now I’m in the danger zone. I’m such a weak human…replacing one addiction for another sometimes.
I am an alcoholic who sometimes during periods of sobriety substitutes gambling for alcohol. I’m currently having a moment of clarity in another attempt at sobriety. I’ve been drinking for about six years now, but I started gambling somewhat regularly about a year ago. Winning is such an incredible rush--you keep playing for the next win…at least I do. I know plenty of people who think that gambling is a waste of time and money, but try saying that to someone who thinks the experience is fun and hasn’t lost enough to think otherwise. I last went about three weeks ago and lost money that I borrowed from someone else. About a week before that I blew about 1/3 of my paycheck in two hours. I have about five U.S. dollars left in my account and ten in cash at the moment due mostly to drinking and gambling. Right now I’m disgusted with myself and how I’ve been spending money lately, so I currently have no desire to go back to the casino (I live about 20 minutes away from one). I tend to gamble more during periods of sobriety, so right now I’m in the danger zone. I’m such a weak human…replacing one addiction for another sometimes.
Knucklehead
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Davenport, WA
Posts: 4,005
I can relate to that for sure. My worst gambling occurred while living in Montana, where every bar has gambling machines and they all provide patrons with free alcohol while they are playing. My intentions were usually to spend a few bucks gambling while I drank a few beers and then go home. Sometimes this happened, but I more often than not ended up waking up the next morning with a horrible hangover and nothing to show for all the money I had wasted, and sometimes couldn't even remember getting home. At it's worst, I overdrew a bank account chasing checks and it was quite sometime before I was able to get another account. Here in Washington we don't have electonic gambling aside from the Reservations, and I'm not comfortable with table gambling. The bars do have pull tabs and I have on occasion spent money on them that I shouldn't have spent, but nothing compared to my experience in Montana. I don't think I have a problem with gambling by itself, but if I combine it with alcohol I'm off to the races!
Awaiting Email Confirmation
Join Date: Jul 2008
Posts: 482
My ex was addicted to gamling. He also used meth and those were the worst times. He would regularly spend his entire pay cheque in the machines. It was horrible. I hate gambling now. Sometimes I'll spend some money in the pokie room (pokies are slot machines I think), but if I put $50 in and lose I feel ill!
(Small background - not sure how it is in the states, but over here poker machines (like slot machines) are in just about every single pub).
I know it used to tear him up. He always spoke about hanging himself as the only way he could stop gambling, but he on'y spoke like this when he was coming down and he'd lost a couple thousand. I remember we went away one weekend. He had been up all night because he was off tap, and it was around 9 in the morning. He woke me and asked if I wanted to visit a near-by town. Sounds nice I thought. We got there, pulled up at the pub and I watched him put $1000 in one machine. I found out that there were no pubs open before 10am in the town we were in and that's why we drove to the next town over.
There were times when he would spend $1000 on a machine, then we would go home. He'd wait until midnight and we'd drive into the city to his favourite pokie place and he'd put the rest of his bank account in (his account had a daily withdrawal limit of $1000). He would get me to take money out of my accounts, even my credit card so he could keep playing. I lost my cam-corder (that was a gift from my presents for my 18th birthday and meant a lot to me) because he pawned it. he pawned it saying he'll take it back out and that he needed the money to buy Christmas presents for his nephews. He spent it at the pokies.
It used to be that I couldn't even give him money to buy something from the shops - if he had money in his pocket he was at the pokies.
He was bankrupt when I met him. He didn't like to talk about it, but he'd basically spent all his money on drugs and pokies and could't make his car re-payments. I am not clear of the details, I think there was more to it than what he said, but he had to declare bankrupcy.
I haven't really thought about this for a while. I remember so many horrible times sitting next to him while he was at a machine, pleading with him to go home, to hit "collect" and leave. Telling him that he wasn't going to win more than he'd spent. We went to five different pubs one day to try the different machines. I always felt guilty when he lost because I never made him take it out - not that I could have. He used to throw some of the blame on me also - why didn't I make him take it out? Why did I "let him" play?
He used to draw out the bets too... if he was down to $10 he'd start doing 20c bets... then if he was down to $5 he'd start doing 10c and 5c bets, even though he wouldn't win anything on those, he couldn't leave the machine.
He had some big wins - all big gamblers will have some big wins, but never enough to make up for what was spent. I think pokies were made with drugs in mind. They are so appealing when you're off-tap. I do feel some guilt about it all. There were times I encouraged him to go because I wanted to drink (that's my addiction). But then, he knew that about me also, and would use that as a way to get to the machines (why don't we go get a beer? etc).
Nasty times. I hate the pokies. Sitting at the machines, bright lights, flashy music - it always reminds me of sitting next to him, feeling ill and tired and miserable while he pushed "one more spin". Watching the credits go down and down.
Sorry for the long post!
(Small background - not sure how it is in the states, but over here poker machines (like slot machines) are in just about every single pub).
I know it used to tear him up. He always spoke about hanging himself as the only way he could stop gambling, but he on'y spoke like this when he was coming down and he'd lost a couple thousand. I remember we went away one weekend. He had been up all night because he was off tap, and it was around 9 in the morning. He woke me and asked if I wanted to visit a near-by town. Sounds nice I thought. We got there, pulled up at the pub and I watched him put $1000 in one machine. I found out that there were no pubs open before 10am in the town we were in and that's why we drove to the next town over.
There were times when he would spend $1000 on a machine, then we would go home. He'd wait until midnight and we'd drive into the city to his favourite pokie place and he'd put the rest of his bank account in (his account had a daily withdrawal limit of $1000). He would get me to take money out of my accounts, even my credit card so he could keep playing. I lost my cam-corder (that was a gift from my presents for my 18th birthday and meant a lot to me) because he pawned it. he pawned it saying he'll take it back out and that he needed the money to buy Christmas presents for his nephews. He spent it at the pokies.
It used to be that I couldn't even give him money to buy something from the shops - if he had money in his pocket he was at the pokies.
He was bankrupt when I met him. He didn't like to talk about it, but he'd basically spent all his money on drugs and pokies and could't make his car re-payments. I am not clear of the details, I think there was more to it than what he said, but he had to declare bankrupcy.
I haven't really thought about this for a while. I remember so many horrible times sitting next to him while he was at a machine, pleading with him to go home, to hit "collect" and leave. Telling him that he wasn't going to win more than he'd spent. We went to five different pubs one day to try the different machines. I always felt guilty when he lost because I never made him take it out - not that I could have. He used to throw some of the blame on me also - why didn't I make him take it out? Why did I "let him" play?
He used to draw out the bets too... if he was down to $10 he'd start doing 20c bets... then if he was down to $5 he'd start doing 10c and 5c bets, even though he wouldn't win anything on those, he couldn't leave the machine.
He had some big wins - all big gamblers will have some big wins, but never enough to make up for what was spent. I think pokies were made with drugs in mind. They are so appealing when you're off-tap. I do feel some guilt about it all. There were times I encouraged him to go because I wanted to drink (that's my addiction). But then, he knew that about me also, and would use that as a way to get to the machines (why don't we go get a beer? etc).
Nasty times. I hate the pokies. Sitting at the machines, bright lights, flashy music - it always reminds me of sitting next to him, feeling ill and tired and miserable while he pushed "one more spin". Watching the credits go down and down.
Sorry for the long post!
I got nothin'
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: My house.
Posts: 4,890
Thanks for the replies, people.
Where I live, most of the bars have machines. There are even parlors that cater specifically to gamblers. Each of these parlors can have a maximum of five machines (state law). Some of these places serve alcohol and free food (some don't), but in every one patrons are allowed to smoke. That's funny because it is against the law to smoke in bars here. Special exceptions have been made for the gambling joints (figures, huh? Anything to bring them in). These gambling places have sprung up like weeds. They continue to be popular because the economy sucks here and there isn't much else to do.
Where I live, most of the bars have machines. There are even parlors that cater specifically to gamblers. Each of these parlors can have a maximum of five machines (state law). Some of these places serve alcohol and free food (some don't), but in every one patrons are allowed to smoke. That's funny because it is against the law to smoke in bars here. Special exceptions have been made for the gambling joints (figures, huh? Anything to bring them in). These gambling places have sprung up like weeds. They continue to be popular because the economy sucks here and there isn't much else to do.
Member
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Littleton, Co.
Posts: 3,317
I have a friend that is going to lose her home do to gambling, she borrowed the money to pay a house payment, it was her last chance. She went up to the casino and gambled all away. Breaks my heart.
Member
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: on the moon
Posts: 944
Originally Posted by Bamboozle 
I’ll start it off with a little info about myself:
I am an alcoholic who sometimes during periods of sobriety substitutes gambling for alcohol. I’m currently having a moment of clarity in another attempt at sobriety. I’ve been drinking for about six years now, but I started gambling somewhat regularly about a year ago. Winning is such an incredible rush--you keep playing for the next win…at least I do. I know plenty of people who think that gambling is a waste of time and money, but try saying that to someone who thinks the experience is fun and hasn’t lost enough to think otherwise. I last went about three weeks ago and lost money that I borrowed from someone else. About a week before that I blew about 1/3 of my paycheck in two hours. I have about five U.S. dollars left in my account and ten in cash at the moment due mostly to drinking and gambling. Right now I’m disgusted with myself and how I’ve been spending money lately, so I currently have no desire to go back to the casino (I live about 20 minutes away from one). I tend to gamble more during periods of sobriety, so right now I’m in the danger zone. I’m such a weak human…replacing one addiction for another sometimes.
I am an alcoholic who sometimes during periods of sobriety substitutes gambling for alcohol. I’m currently having a moment of clarity in another attempt at sobriety. I’ve been drinking for about six years now, but I started gambling somewhat regularly about a year ago. Winning is such an incredible rush--you keep playing for the next win…at least I do. I know plenty of people who think that gambling is a waste of time and money, but try saying that to someone who thinks the experience is fun and hasn’t lost enough to think otherwise. I last went about three weeks ago and lost money that I borrowed from someone else. About a week before that I blew about 1/3 of my paycheck in two hours. I have about five U.S. dollars left in my account and ten in cash at the moment due mostly to drinking and gambling. Right now I’m disgusted with myself and how I’ve been spending money lately, so I currently have no desire to go back to the casino (I live about 20 minutes away from one). I tend to gamble more during periods of sobriety, so right now I’m in the danger zone. I’m such a weak human…replacing one addiction for another sometimes.
i'm much the same. recovering alcoholic/benzo addict. i stopped drinking almost a year ago and since then i've started gambling. as you say, replacing one addicition for another.
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