Public Service announcement from NoLuckNeeded.com

Holidays can be a tough time for a lot of people, a trigger to do things they know they really shouldn't do, but do it anyway, just to feel better!

Have a happy and safe holiday season........

I have been playing at 3 dice exclusively but have stopped depositing as much. Went from depositing a little when i first started to depositing a lot later on to almost nothing again. I lost an income but also after almost 6 yrs of playing there my biggest win was a little over 1200 and that was when i first started playing. Kind of realizing i will never be a big winner there and also i do not want to keep throwing my money away. Getting tired of playing. Need a new hobby lol.

I was going to start a new thread, but I think this is the place to post. First of all, thank you TDTAT for starting this thread. I read the stories and they are beyond scary to me. Gambling, both land casino, and online casinos, has been a hobby of mine (and my husband's) for years and years. We have always set a budget and stuck to it because we know how quickly we could lose control of it. There have been many, many times where it's time to quit, or time to go home, and we REALLY don't want to because there is a "pull" you feel to continue and keep playing...especially if you feel bad about the money you've lost (I can win it back! haha) But we have been good about sticking to the budget.

Well, I recently found myself in an out-of-control situation for which I feel terrible. I feel like I can be honest here without judgement, so here it is: I don't know what triggered it. I have been stressed with a new job, the holidays, and my son getting ready for college, , etc...maybe that's just an excuse. So, I started about 3 weeks ago gambling online without telling my husband. I lied to him about what the purchases were. I felt so guilty, and then got panicked and tried to win the money back. I have never crossed this line of feeling totally out-of-control before, and I felt terrible. Finally, today, I sat him down and told him the truth. I had gambled over $800 in 3 weeks...far above our budget (the amount is probably irrelevant...to some, that's a lot, to others, that's nothing. The point is that I lied and was out of control.) He was, and still is angry, understandably. This is a really crappy feeling, and I want to make sure it never happens again.

So, I'm asking advice - was this a one-time slip-up that I can reign back in? Or, is this a sign of a problem? Does the fact that I came clean and realized it was wrong mean I recognized it and won't repeat it? Can we still gamble responsibly? Or is that off the table now? (No pun intended ha)

I would love to hear from anyone who has had a similar experience. I certainly did NOT like that feeling of being dishonest and out-of-control. Once this happens, can you go back to just gambling responsibly?

Thanks for reading, and I appreciate any advice you might have!

kaymast, , just the fact that you posted here and are asking for help, means a lot. We have all "fallen off the wagon" from something at sometime, but that does not mean we are not capable of control. Maybe you should print out the above post and if you have that urge to go beyond your limit, get it out and keep reading it until you remember how unhappy you are right now. I really think this was a case of too much stress for you from all that was going on and you were looking for some means of escape or distraction. $ 800 is a lot of money, but it could have been worse, I have fallen into that trap of trying to win back what you've lost before too, as probably every gambler has. I say, don't beat yourself up any more. Tell hubby you are banning yourself from online gambling until the $ 800 would have been spent per your usual gambling budget. It's not our mistakes that show who we are, but how we handle them, and I think you can handle this one. I'd say, "Good Luck" but don't want to trigger any impulses. and a sense of humor about our mistakes helps too.

kaymast24, Hi Kay! I really appreciate that you feel like you can share this with us, because you can. I personally know the feeling you experienced very well because I have felt it myself. I lose control in Las Vegas, and in the past, to a lesser degree online. I can say that in my personal experience, I was able to see my problem and restrict myself. I do not go to Las Vegas any more at all and I truly follow my online budget, whereas before I was playing more than I should. I do not know your situation, so I would suggest some distance and time.

I actually quit gambling for several months to get my mind right and in that time I did not deposit at all. I played freerolls and tournaments, but some people might find it easier to avoid casinos and "triggers" altogether. I am not an expert, but I think the stress of your life situations caused you to use gambling as a bit of an escape. Maybe you can take a break and try something like meditation or walking to reduce your stress levels. After that, if you're feeling well and strong, and want to try some gambling, discuss it with your husband. Then you could see how it goes and how you feel. I still gamble and enjoy it more now even though I gamble at a much lower bet and less often. Anything that's as much fun as gambling can be addicting. I would relate it to alcohol.

I hope I didn't ramble too much here. I am always around for chats, either here or via private message.

FYI

I'll just add for anyone reading here, not for Kay directly, most good casinos will limit your monthly deposits if requested. So if you only want to deposit $100 in a month and don't quite trust yourself, you tell them to restrict your deposits to $100 in a month. If a casino does not do this, they are not following problem gambling procedures and you should avoid them because they are not ethical. You may have to email (add the subject manager help needed or something similar) as opposed to live chat, that varies from casino to casino.

Thanks for the encouraging words! I am going to take a break from online gambling for a while. I definitely think it was an escape from things that are going on in life right now. Also, this time of year, boredom sets in....just a bad combination of circumstances. The good news is my husband, after venting quite a bit, has forgiven me. No more lying and sneaking, though. We have a 2-day casino trip planned with some friends in late March, so we decided no gambling until then. I can always control myself better at land casinos because I am with my husband, who never strays from the budget, plus I leave my debit card at home!

Thanks again for the encouragement. I'm glad to be part of NLN!

kaymast24, That sounds like a great plan to me!

I'm so glad things have worked out, especially with Hubby. Now I can say it:
on your casino trip.

How do i got back to the post i made anybidy

Vitto32212:
How do i got back to the post i made anybidy

See the little button below your post that says profile? Click that and then you will see a link to all the posts you have written.

Or you can click here: https://www.noluckneeded.com/search.php?show_results=posts&search_author=Vitto32212

Thanks to this post, I went ahead and put a cap on one my accounts through customer service. Losses recently have been more considerable and while not a financial issue, it’s best to take a step back with exception to free play/tournaments.

Funny but True

CoraBets:
OK I needed help, but now I need money. How's that?

this is the problem of all who gamble