Stopping playing bookies & house games

[aaron1867]

This year has been truly terrible poker wise and the fact I am hitting the house games and bookies is making an even bigger loss.

Whilst poker has seen me make a small loss this year, the loss at bookies and house games has ben x10 that and I actually really want to stop.

So wanted to see what people's suggestions are to doing this? I can imagine you all saying to go to GA, but I don't want too. I am a bit snobby and can only imagine that these places are full of well weird people.

So to add to this, I tell you of my stakes. I can throw a grand a day at the machines and not to mention a grand or so at BJ (only really play when had a loss at cash or waiting for table). SO as you can see it's very important that I get away from these ASAP. I enjoy a throw at BJ (in casino), so not to fussed by that, probably need to lower stakes, but the machines are doing my nut in, as you know, the bookies are everywhere, so an hour or two spare and I could throw £!k/£2k at them within that time length.

I have probably lost around £6k this year gambling (non poker). Whilst £1k at poker. But the year before was around £20k gambling (non poker) after £10k of poker profit last year.

It's very much frustrating me.

[Horneris]

Excellent display of honesty.

Not much you can do bar constantly reminding yourself that the reason we gamble is to try and win and the machines in bookies are the biggest turnover makers for them nowadays by an absolute mile so they are clearly impossible to beat even in the short term.

Bet on sports instead, much more fun and if you put the work in you will win.

[horseplayer]

brave post

for some reason the machines / casino have never appealed to me but when i was a lot younger i certainly could do rather to much a day/week online

the only solution i took was to implement deposit/loss limits they are not set that low but are at the top end of what i can cope with losing per week/month.

[millidonk]

Ban yourself (voluntary exclusion they call it), thats what I did from like 10 online bookies last year.  If you only play the machines in the bookies you can tell the staff to ban you and they have to adhere to it.

Once you ban youself and stop doing it for a week or so, you just forget about it. Its the same as breaking any habit.

I used to smash roulette and all sorts of online slots. I still do a bit of sports betting on the 2 sites I have left, but never touch online casinos or that.

Must admit I do miss the sound of MegaMulah though.

[nirvana]

If you won't take help from people trained to help then you have to put up with people like me just saying .. get a grip. If that doesn't help then go to GA.

[aaron1867]

I enjoy sports betting and I am pretty sure I am in the black with sports betting as a I am a football fanatic and stats mad, so works out both ways.

I could perhaps self exclude, but will stop me of course betting on the footie at the weekend and odd horse race (I know fook all about horses). Is it possible to self exclude from the machines, without barring yourself from the shop in general? Seems like the best way?

I just perhaps at this point would be more impressed with myself to stop me from going in the bookies on my own, without having to self ban, etc?

[nirvana]

The trouble with having a gambling 'problem' is that using selectivity in the forms of gambling chosen is a zero sum game. If you have a problem then the question of how to address it becomes binary - you gamble or you don't.

If one doesn't see one's gambling as a problem then it becomes very easy to be selective and only choose to punt on what you enjoy punting on. Good luck with addressing any issues you think you may have.

[redsimon]

press the self exclude button . saved me loads on skybet and betfair casinos when i've had a swingy day on sports or poker

[aaron1867]

I think some of you might have got the wrong end of the stick - I definitely don't use casinos online.

[redsimon]

I think some of you might have got the wrong end of the stick - I definitely don't use casinos online.

ahh machines in bookies?

Only advice is don;t go in. Do shops have self exclusion too? Not been in a bookies for years

[horseplayer]

so do you go in there originally to place a sports bet then resort to the machine after your bet?

i rarely go in bookies these days but when i do the machines are always 5 deep and the counter empty so even if i wanted to i would not be able to get to them!

[millidonk]

I enjoy sports betting and I am pretty sure I am in the black with sports betting as a I am a football fanatic and stats mad, so works out both ways.

I could perhaps self exclude, but will stop me of course betting on the footie at the weekend and odd horse race (I know fook all about horses). Is it possible to self exclude from the machines, without barring yourself from the shop in general? Seems like the best way?

I just perhaps at this point would be more impressed with myself to stop me from going in the bookies on my own, without having to self ban, etc?

Not sure it is possible tbh. I would just ban myself from the bookies fullstop and do my sports betting online. (online you can just ban yourself from the games and casinos)

Great article about a guy who excluded himself here:  http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/2012/apr/20/gambling-hell-betting-addiction-debt

[aaron1867]

Just read the article, good read.

Made me laugh when reading the quote "I showed her the bank statements, there was no anger" - Then later on he was getting chased with a knife!

I think like in that article it might be an idea to self exclude, my problem with online is that it is there 24 hours a day. I could do £20k, no problem, that is why I have never ever got started online.

It's a little frustrating that I have said I'm doing to tackle the problem plenty of times, but never do! But this isn't taking over my life and I am not skint, but annoying that I can't go into a shop, put £20 and that be it!

[millidonk]

Just read the article, good read.

Made me laugh when reading the quote "I showed her the bank statements, there was no anger" - Then later on he was getting chased with a knife!

I think like in that article it might be an idea to self exclude, my problem with online is that it is there 24 hours a day. I could do £20k, no problem, that is why I have never ever got started online.

It's a little frustrating that I have said I'm doing to tackle the problem plenty of times, but never do! But this isn't taking over my life and I am not skint, but annoying that I can't go into a shop, put £20 and that be it!

Not if you set deposit limits you can't mate.

btw not remotely thin about the amount of disposable you have.

[aaron1867]

Just read the article, good read.

Made me laugh when reading the quote "I showed her the bank statements, there was no anger" - Then later on he was getting chased with a knife!

I think like in that article it might be an idea to self exclude, my problem with online is that it is there 24 hours a day. I could do £20k, no problem, that is why I have never ever got started online.

It's a little frustrating that I have said I'm doing to tackle the problem plenty of times, but never do! But this isn't taking over my life and I am not skint, but annoying that I can't go into a shop, put £20 and that be it!

Not if you set deposit limits you can't mate.

btw not remotely thin about the amount of disposable you have.

LOL. It wasn't meant to be thin, but suppose it can be seen that way. JUst with it being 24 hour, would be pretty easy to keep reloading. I just think with the money I have lost, it could have been span up on cash or decent sized tournaments.