Gambling Problem?

[moeee]

Bit of plagiarism from a reformed or possibly ex-gambler.

"I do not want to stop the gambling.I want to stop the consequences of my gambling."
Turns out,the only solution for him was to stop the gambling.

My consequences are that I have wasted a lot of living time and financially I am a lot worse off.
Any gamblerholics out there who can give me some advice as to how to make my gambling less painful?
Surely stopping can't be the only solution?

SPORTZ? You seem to be devoured by your pursuit of gambling.
How do you fit the rest of your life in?.Are you for example,wheelchair-bound?.Do you have a bottomless source of income?
What are you doing right that I am doing wrong?

[goldmember]

Moeee, for me it was how much money i had ,speaking from personal experience, years ago i was pretty well off and i use to go down the TAB nearly everyday and have $200 and $500 bets a race [before i was betting on sports] use to win some but in the end i lost badly, Now there is only a certain amount for me to punt with and its mainly on sports and [only the carnivals on the horses]ITS NOW REVERSED FOR ME and i have won on the footy seasons [NRL & AFL] for the last 4 years, i dont take short prices as i use to i dont try to get too analitical [not sure of the spelling]of games , if something doesnt feel right i pass,for me its about self control.

cheers.

[thefan]

I have a gambling problem...At one stage in my life namly this nrl season,i spent countless hours gambling due to online punting. I made money no doubt about it.. I also have a full time job as well. This keeps my head clear from the stresses of gambling. I did a big collect and planned a holiday as well as a shopping spree. One of the things that i have learnt is to collect your winnings and put it to good use,so you dont regret it later on.. I never found the time to buy an mp3 player,but finally a win i recall on charlton to bt some team payed $6..I placed $150 and that made my week. That was prob my most sucessful punt. Other than that Ive lost a few too especially in sports i know crap about,because i was bored and had nothing to do.

not having placed a bet for a week and regret missing out on adelaide -3.5 to bt nz in the nbl..great value that was...I dont plan to punt til next nrl season..might prob just wait til the big race.

Anyways Chelsea this week @ 1.40 is good value..my opinion..could b wrong.

dont let gambling control your life.. it ruins your relationship and affects those around you..long term 95% of gamblers will lose out..Ive never in my life heard a sucess story. take your winnings and run like a pig..

[moeee]

Moeee, Now there is only a certain amount for me to punt with.

cheers.
How does this part work?
Do you get someone to manage your finances.Do you give the pay packet to your missus?
I have often found that often the miserable feeling is in direct proportion to the amount lost on the day.

[moeee]

dont let gambling control your life.. it ruins your relationship and affects those around you..long term 95% of gamblers will lose out..Ive never in my life heard a sucess story. take your winnings and run like a pig..
2 things.There ain't no winnings and I can't run to save my life.

Actually I don't want to stop.
Many hobbies cost money to participate in.
I pretty much would like to pay a certain amount to keep my interest in Gambling.
HEY!
I think I have got to the root of the problem.
Set aside an amount and that's it!
Thanks guys.
Now HOW MUCH per week?
GOLDIE?

[Chuck]

mate you can only bet with what you are prepared to lose....

[Floydyboy]

I havent had a bet for a couple of months ,bought myself a camera and find that taking pic is lots of fun .....I found that youve got to get away from the win a million mentality ......if you can only afford $2 bets welll so be it get your money on and watch it go round ....Ive found a lot of it is down to ego ...wanting to be right when the others backed the fav.....but if losing makes you depressed or affects your family,then its not worth it ...you should do what makes you feel good not what makes you feel bad about yourself. The last couple of yeras Ive enjoyed myself ...Ive lost, but not much and its a small price to pay for the enjoyment I got out of it but then it all became a chor so I stopped ......But if I lost ...I never cursed, because thats punting ,but like they said dont let it run your life.

[thefan]

i agree with the saying,only bet what you are prepared to lose..In all honestly, i have no problem with losing $20.However I never look at the bigger picture..the long term loss. I bet a majority of punters can sleep good at night after a $2 loss..When we start adding up that loss which can accumulate to thousands of dollars our thoughts will definetly be different. Who looks at the long term loss. All we look at is the result within the next 80-90 minutes.

Go enjoy your winnings,yeh buy a camera,an ipod,a holiday,enjoy it..Because if you cant withdraw money from your account,you will prob never. I learnt it the hard way.

My question to all punters..

How much % of your bank needs to grow before a withdrawl?

[Oaksnaf]

Yes the "when is the time to stop" is a hard one. People who win think the winning can only continue. But over time they eek into their winnings, and they soon become lossings.

For me, i look at it this way. put aside $20 a week for gambling and thats that. Im not fussed at lossing $20 a week, but i would be fussed lossing $20 a day.

Basically, i bet throughout the week until i loose $20. So come Tuesday i could be $30 up. by Satday i could be -$15. Or i could loose it all on the one day. But with $2 bets it doesn't happen too often.

I follow a similar PPM tips (party poopers one's) i also have my harness racing too. Those tips are not time consuming, so im not loosing a lot of time, and as they say time=money.

If i was to loose $20 a week for a whole year. It might seem a lot when i stop and think about it. But the progressive loss isn't really a problem.

I think Chuck put it in a nutshell really.

And then thefan makes us wonder "when do you really stop" for me... it is an ego thing stated by goldmember, i enjoy being right. The money in itself wont make me a millionair, it wont win me a house. But it gives me my own personal enjoyment. I also play hockey, and its $250 for a stick, $30 for shin pads, $10 for socks, $150 for mouthguard, $50 for shoes, $10 per match, fuel for travel travelling around 2 hours including there and back, i also have to pay for my own injuries.... went to hospital. Registration is over $100 So in a season of 14 matches: It could well be $1000 in total for just one season.

Now $20 * 52 = $1040. For me, its the exact same amount of money gambling my $20 a week as it is playing hockey for a year.

Yet... you get all this niggling "you shouldn't be spending your money on horse racing, you'll end up broke"

Just keep record, and make sure you dont random bet.

[thefan]

oaksnaf ur actually correct. Well there aint too many punters like yourself. You see it as enjoyment and entertainment,true,in gambling you have to enjoy it as well. However a majority of gamblers wont put aside that $20 nor be disciplined enough to not keep chasing after losses. Ive had many losses and wins. There hasnt been a loss big enough so that id effect my life and those around me.
I actually enjoy watching the horses run now without placing a single dollar on the event. I really needed someone to tell me that,gambling wont make me a millionaire or buy me a house... I look at life and gambling as a lesson.Everything happens for a reason.. Im really glad i had a big loss on the dragons/tigers match... i withdrewl all my funds up 400% up already and knew it was time for quits.. I was always told by many punters that by withdrawing you could be missing out on more opportunites.. I dont see it that way now..I could of blown the whole bank on a bad week. In the end money is actually nothing,its just something man created,but its the most powerful tool in the whole world..It controls people and holds power to those who hold it. Losing isnt the worst thing to come out of gambling, making those around you suffer is worst and fuking your head up..
One thing ive seen alot of people do is that, when they started out gambling a small win was a great celebration.Over the span of gambling,their lossess accumulated even though they were winning.The winnings would either be invested back on gambling.It was a cycle. They might make $500 a week in wages working a fulltime job but winning $1000 in an hour on horses still isnt enough for these punters.Why? Because their losses over the lifetime of their hobby has accumulated to over $100,000.. I feel sorry for them.. These punters will never collect or withdraw.. GAMBLING ISNT EASY MONEY!

[rabbitz]

moeee
i reckon look at why you gamble
is it for the buzz of winning,sense of achievement,is it for an escape to an otherwise futile and/or boring existence
how do you spend your time when your not gambling,are you interested in sport for its sake or only because of what money you can win on it.
i've had problems in the past,and had a horrible time with casinos some ten years ago,but now i dont even go
i'll have a punt on the horses with a couple of beers and a laugh with mates but don't go crazy.you cant win a lot of money unless you are extremely lucky or spend a lot.if a dividend on a afl match is $1.18 say well ten bucks or even a $100 is probably not worth but for a bigger punter $10000 is worth winning $1800 if its close to a good thing

cheers

[Chrome Prince]

Bit of plagiarism from a reformed or possibly ex-gambler.

"I do not want to stop the gambling.I want to stop the consequences of my gambling."
Turns out,the only solution for him was to stop the gambling.

My consequences are that I have wasted a lot of living time and financially I am a lot worse off.
Any gamblerholics out there who can give me some advice as to how to make my gambling less painful?
Surely stopping can't be the only solution?

SPORTZ? You seem to be devoured by your pursuit of gambling.
How do you fit the rest of your life in?.Are you for example,wheelchair-bound?.Do you have a bottomless source of income?
What are you doing right that I am doing wrong?


Do you get someone to manage your finances.Do you give the pay packet to your missus?
I have often found that often the miserable feeling is in direct proportion to the amount lost on the day.


A couple of points...

1/ If your gambling is a problem and affecting both your living standard and your life, is it not worth stopping?

2/ It is not the amount of money you lose, it is the direct proportion of money you lose to personal income.

You can be earning $5,000 a week as a business owner and losing $2,500 a week without it being a problem, because that's the way you want to spend your money and can still afford a nice lifestyle.

You can be a pensioner or unemployed and lose $20 a week and not be able to afford the food you want or pay the rent.

It's all relative, but the problem is not.

3/ Where is the problem?

Is it you can't make a profit, or is it lack of self control?

The former can be fixed by due diligence and research, the latter cannot be fixed.

I'll say that again...

Lack of self control CANNOT be fixed - you should stop gambling altogether.

You can fool yourself into only putting a budget of $5 into your TAB account per week, and it will probably work well for a while, but sooner or later your lack of self control will re-emerge and either waste all the money you made or worse!


Do you get someone to manage your finances.Do you give the pay packet to your missus?
I have often found that often the miserable feeling is in direct proportion to the amount lost on the day.


No - you will lose all sense of self respect.
You must be in charge of your own destiny.

Give your paypacket to your missus, and she will be happy, but she will also acknowledge privately, that her man is not strong enough to put the family first and has no self control (planting that into the mind of your spouse is like a molotov cocktail waiting to go off!!!).

The issue is not the gambling - the issue is putting the gambling first.

I know, I've been there.

[moeee]

For me, i look at it this way. put aside $20 a week for gambling and thats that. Im not fussed at lossing $20 a week, but i would be fussed lossing $20 a day.


Yes.I could handle losing $20 a week.
Even $20 a day,but not every day!
I will try maybe $30 a week.To be divided up into 2 lots of $15.
2 nights at the TAB per week sounds a lot more rational than 5 times a week,with losses of about $100 a week.
Thanks Oaksenuf

[moeee]

moeee
i reckon look at why you gamble
is it for the buzz of winning,sense of achievement,is it for an escape to an otherwise futile and/or boring existence
how do you spend your time when your not gambling,are you interested in sport for its sake or only because of what money you can win on it.

Yes that's pretty much it my friend.
I will try to get more satisfaction out of the event rather than the financial outcome.
And that means $2 bets as Oaksenuf has pointed out.
Some can bet small and enjoy losing.Sounds good to me.

[Chuck]

good onya mate hope you sort it all out

[moeee]

The worst thing that happens is when I go to the tote with a $50 bill coz I don't got nothing smaller.
I say I will only lose 20 or 30 of it but I lose the lot.
Self-control can't be helped you say Chrome Prince.
I'm sure there must be ways of doing that.
I will Google
Thanks for advice CP.

[Chrome Prince]

moeee, I'm not trying to preach to you or anyone else.
I'm trying to impart the benefit of my personal experience, some which applies to myself, some which applies to close friends of mine.

The $50 bill scenario is the prime indicator of self control issues.

So, you might devise some system whereby you only get $20 bills and get to the TAB with only one of them.

Lack of self control will will undo all that effort sooner or later.

I'm not criticizing you moeee, I'm trying to show you how fatal this method can be.

[Oaksnaf]

moeee, I'm not trying to preach to you or anyone else.
I'm trying to impart the benefit of my personal experience, some which applies to myself, some which applies to close friends of mine.

The $50 bill scenario is the prime indicator of self control issues.

So, you might devise some system whereby you only get $20 bills and get to the TAB with only one of them.

Lack of self control will will undo all that effort sooner or later.

I'm not criticizing you moeee, I'm trying to show you how fatal this method can be.
Thats why gambling gets out of control- lack of disipline and control.

It is just as easy to loose $50 as it is to loose $500, its all about managing how you bet. For me, when i first started with an online-account. I put $100 in. I made about $30 and thought great. Then.... i started to think, wow, i can win on every race. In two days it was all gone. So i sat down, had a long hard think. And sorted myself out. Sure it was only $100 big whoop. But the princible in the way that i lost it, concerned me. So this time around, i am much more systematic. I make my bets before work, and check them when i come home. There is no sitting in front of the computer going "oh maybe #2 in the next" It stops that urge to bet on the next race, to win on the next race.

Its so easy to just random bet. Self control is a HUGE part in it. And well if you have no self control. Then, i, Like Chrome Prince, suggest its probably best to stay away from gambling all together.

[moeee]

I drink about a slab of beer a week.A slab is about $35.

I have a plan.
I commence to invest in gambling $35 per week.
All returns go into a piggy bank labelled "BEER MONEY"
No returns,No beer!
Plan gives me a definite Goal.Outcome.Reward.
Adrenalin rush might not be satisfying enough though.

Of course,like Chrome Prince said,If you ain't got self-control,you ain't got nothin'.Hoping I won't go and buy a slab to drown my sorrows during the bad weeks.

[Sportz]

Well Mo, you probably find this a horrible thought, but you could just simply stop drinking beer!!! That'd put you $35 in front for a start, which equals $1820 a year. If you used that $35 for betting instead, you certainly wouldn't lose the whole $1820 for the year, would you?

[Sportz]

Mo,

Do you mind if I give you a bit of advice and constructive criticism? :o

Don't have to take any notice if you don't want to. I don't actually consider myself to be any sort of expert really, but I'd like to help out if I can.

I personally think you have to find a betting plan that suits you and stick to it!!! That's it. Simply concentrate your betting only on what you're good at, bet conservatively and stick to your plan.

Here's an example. Who did you pick in last year's Brownlow medal??? Chris Judd at about $6 or something, wasn't it? Now, who did you pick in this year's Brownlow medal??? Right. Ben Cousins who you picked out when he was also about $6 a few months out. Now, if you had simply concentrated only on the Brownlow medal over the last couple of seasons, you'd have done pretty damn well, wouldn't you? Okay, I don't expect you to restrict yourself to betting on just one event per year, but that's just an example of what I'm talking about. Look at your past betting activities. Work out what you had success with and more importantly, work out what you didn't have success with and think about why you lost with those bets. Get rid of all the impulse bets and any bets where you aren't totally confident you've sorted out the form. NEVER bet just for the sake of having a bet. Keep a certain amount of money per week for gambling (perhaps that $35 you were talking about), and if nothing takes your fancy, don't bet!!! Simply put that money aside for some other week when you are really keen and want to bet $70. Better still, put it in the bank!!!

Here's a few things I noticed about your AFL bets in the Punters comp. (I assume, that unlike me, those bets were pretty close to bets you made with real money) Firstly, you insisted on taking multis hoping for bigger dividends. Well, I personally think that for someone like you, it would be better to go for regular wins instead of going for a higher dividend. I mean, why should you penalise yourself just because you could only pick 2 out of 3 instead of 3 out of 3. Another thing which I think is dangerous is your method of putting all your eggs in one basket. Several times I noticed that your overall tipping was good, but it all came badly unstuck because you went heavy on one losing team and included them in all your multis. Big mistake in my opinion. So, here's what I'd suggest for you when betting on the AFL. No more than 2 legs in any multi, but preferably try to stick to single bets. Perhaps try to have 3 bets per weekend at odds of around $1.75 to $3.00 and try to average 2 wins out of 3.

I realise it's not AFL season now though, and that seems to be another problem for you. I noticed last year when the Football season finished, you went into the Greyhounds in a big way and that didn't seem to work. Similarly, this year, you seem to have had a go at the gallops, despite apparently not betting seriously on the horses for quite a few years? That in itself is a problem. You shouldn't just rush in and bet on any sport without being right up to speed with all the form. You can't take shortcuts when it comes to betting. If you want to bet on the gallops, why not just watch them for a little while, work out some selections and see how they go without actually outlaying any big money. Perhaps just have $2 each way on a couple each week until you're more familiar with the horses. That would be a good way to start.

Anyway, hope all of that rambling helps in some way.

[moeee]

Sportz.
Or should I say Dr.Sportz?
Thank you for the long story.
I will read it many times.There is much useful stuff in there for me.

I would like to be able to do this.
"NEVER bet just for the sake of having a bet."

And this.
"If you want to bet on the gallops, why not just watch them for a little while, work out some selections and see how they go without actually outlaying any big money."

[rabbitz]

Well Mo, you probably find this a horrible thought, but you could just simply stop drinking beer!!!

poor silly sportz,beer ,beer ,beer(thats a nice trifecta especially when the winner gets up by a head :) :)

[goldmember]

Moeee, been away for a few days, i start each year with a $1,000 bank and bet up to $100 a week and its manly football on the weekends, no more betting on sports that i dont know [in the past i would just back the favourite - stupid hey!]or mid week, now i only bet online -no more race meetings or TAB's - their killers, if my bank goes down i reduce my bets,and if i win i still bet normally, if i lost my bank [AGGHHH]thats it! no more bets and no top ups! , but luckily that hasnt happened yet and at the end of the year i collect any winnings and start again the next year.

Mo, just bet what ever you can afford to bet with, doesnt matter if its only $2 or $5 bets, i do sometimes and i'm enjoying the punt more nowdays, as in the past the bigger bets made me feel like like a real know itall and i was embarrased putting little bets on in the TAB, not any more , just a click of a button .

The most important thing for me was that i was fed up with losing a lot of the time, so i changed the way i bet.

Best of luck mate.

[Mr J]

Why not just turn sports into an income. It's ridiculously easy if you take advantage of bonuses, low vig, free points and find a good service or few to follow (like smartgambler).

[Tenacious Spirit]

No offence to anyone who has posted and i think all the advice has been well thought through and helpful. But perhaps over and above the advice already given you should perhaps go and see someone, a professional. There is no shame in it, they will be able to tell you what is right to fit your personality. Different things work for different people. As an example, my father has a tendency to take to things easily ie. drinking, gambling etc. Any addictive activity will draw him in, luckily he has the self control to know his limits and stuff but there have been times when it has got the better of him. This contrasts to my personality. I like drinking, but i could go without. I like gambling, but i could go without. I don't smoke so i wouldn;t know. This just shows how things can effect people in different ways.

If you get some one-on-one advice i am sure it could be helpful.

[Tenacious Spirit]

Oh and just one other thing.

You COULD, try and make the gambling a secondary thing. That is how it is for me and i love it.

It is a hobby so, there is the form study which i thoroughly enjoy, the debates on here which are entertaining, try and go to the track and have a look at the horses in the yard- appreciate the animals.

The more i get involved the more i want to know about all facets of the horse racing industry, breeding, horse flesh etc.

Like i said though, everyone is different, but for me it is just the whole package. At the end of all that i have a punt.

[w924]

"How much % of your bank needs to grow before a withdrawl?"

Good question!...and not too many suggestions yet...

I guess it all depends on what the goal is...i.e is one attempting to build up to a professional punting bank that will stand larger betting units, or is one aiming to draw a periodical profit?

[Chrome Prince]

Very good advice from Tenacious Spirit, although I don't think you're going to like the answer from the professional.

The professional will ask you three of four questions and come to a very hasty conclusion.

Basically from what you wrote in your first post, any professional who is worth their salt or has a conscience will tell you to give the punt away.

The flag here is you bet more than you intended more than once.

Gambling had control of you, you were not in control.

I am not a professional, but I have seen it before first hand.

Any other suggestion as to what to bet on or how to bet is secondary to the prime issue.

I would hasten to add, you need to do your own objective self assessment.

I am not telling or suggesting you give up, but I'm suggesting you assess whether you need to for your own sake.

If you put only a certain amount in a TAB account, would you be able to leave it at that regardless of the outcome?

How often have you bet too much?

Have you ever got extra money out, just because you were losing?

How often were you in front and gave it all back plus more?

Only you can answer these questions to yourself honestly.

Please take my response in the good intention it was offered.


As to the bank question, all other issues aside....

Treat it like a business if you have the self discipline to run this type of business.

When your bank doubles, take out half the profit as "owners drawings" and keep going until it doubles again and do the same.

This method works very well providing you can make a profit from racing.

I wish you the very best in the future.

[moeee]

I am currently reading a book I downloaded from mentalhealth . net or simlar.
I am going to work on my self and get in control of things especially gambling.
I get very little joy out of backing other peoples tips.
Unless they reinforce my tip.Then I will put more on.

[Rain Lover]

Moeee,
A couple of practical ideas that I have found useful.
1. If you're in a vicious circle of depression, betting, losing, more depression then you need to break the circuit. In my case, as a youngster, I was spending a lot of time at the TAB (they had only just started up) and I got a job where I couldn't even get radio reception let alone put a bet on. Drastic but it broke the circuit.
2. Keep a record of all your bets, losses and winnings. It's really easy if you are betting through an Internet account. I use a spreadsheet to keep a record.
Most punters will tell you they are up or square over a period of years - most punters lie because they don't know, and if they did, they would not bet as much. When I started adding up all the bits & pieces $10 here, $20 there, I was amazed not only at the amount I had lost but the silly bets I put on. I bet smarter now.
3. Finally, put your bets on early and walk away - go do something useful. Come back and check when the tracks are shut. Sitting in front of a live broadcast with your Net account open is like a glutton sitting in the pantry. Don't make it hard for yourself.
Cheers.

[downbylaw]

Moeee,
A couple of practical ideas that I have found useful.
1. If you're in a vicious circle of depression, betting, losing, more depression then you need to break the circuit. In my case, as a youngster, I was spending a lot of time at the TAB (they had only just started up) and I got a job where I couldn't even get radio reception let alone put a bet on. Drastic but it broke the circuit.
2. Keep a record of all your bets, losses and winnings. It's really easy if you are betting through an Internet account. I use a spreadsheet to keep a record.
Most punters will tell you they are up or square over a period of years - most punters lie because they don't know, and if they did, they would not bet as much. When I started adding up all the bits & pieces $10 here, $20 there, I was amazed not only at the amount I had lost but the silly bets I put on. I bet smarter now.
3. Finally, put your bets on early and walk away - go do something useful. Come back and check when the tracks are shut. Sitting in front of a live broadcast with your Net account open is like a glutton sitting in the pantry. Don't make it hard for yourself.
Cheers.
This post sounds a lot like me 6 months ago. Visiting the tab everyday not having a clue how much how i have won or lost usually the latter lol and chassing losses.

Finally i put pen to paper and figured out what my problem was and why i was losing. In the end it came down to what i belive as sensory overload ie. 15 tvs with odds, sky and tvn tv's, other people, noise from the bar obviously in a pubtab and interruptions from other people.

I then thought of ways around these problems. First off i decided to have a month off the punt and save to have an actuall bank and not just spending whatever was in the wallet. Easy!! After one month there was $1000 straight into a ias account, that killed two birds with one stone as now i have betting records and i actually know what i have in the bank.

I discountinued visiting the tab and will only usually have a $3 tri for some fun if im down at the pub with mates having drinks. Or unless a blackbooker pops up i might jump on. Many losses have happend on a drinking session so thats been banned. lol.

I can now sit in the comfort off my own home with NO distractions,i can have form spread out everywhere, have the net running with access to even more form and info and sky/tvn on the tv. I have found this to be a hell of a lot more succesfull and i hope this might help someone.