Has anyone cut down or stopped gambling?

[Jasminebed]

Coupons eh?
If you read about problem gamblers, say on the Gamcare forum, many will say the same thing. They'll carefully pick products in supermarkets and compare prices to save a few pence, and watch carefully what they spend on other stuff in a likewise manner. Then they will spunk tens/hundreds of pounds gambling. Subconsciously, this is because in the twisted logic of an addict, being 'careful' elsewhere somehow justifies the reckless spending on gambling, a sort of mental balancing act that obscures temporarily the fact that the pennies saved don't come close to the hundreds spunked. The self-deception of the gambler.
If you guys hadn't gambled, do you honestly believe you'd be collecting coupons?

Yes. My mother did it 50 years ago, and she was not a gambler. I have a little extra money because I price match, coupon, and shop the specials, cook at home instead of eating out, and if I want to gamble it, my danged business.

Mind you, I'll drop $100 in an hour gambling, but I refuse to pay over $7 a lb for bacon. That might be a little twisted.

 

[Realitybitez]

Yes. My mother did it 50 years ago, and she was not a gambler. I have a little extra money because I price match, coupon, and shop the specials, cook at home instead of eating out, and if I want to gamble it, my danged business.

Mind you, I'll drop $100 in an hour gambling, but I refuse to pay over $7 a lb for bacon. That might be a little twisted.

Buwhahahaha..... Me and my family can sooo relate to that! We'll totally begrudge spending so much on whatever, yet come to gambling we'd drop a $100 without even blinking an eye..

 

[mrmark21]

Coupons eh?
If you read about problem gamblers, say on the Gamcare forum, many will say the same thing. They'll carefully pick products in supermarkets and compare prices to save a few pence, and watch carefully what they spend on other stuff in a likewise manner. Then they will spunk tens/hundreds of pounds gambling. Subconsciously, this is because in the twisted logic of an addict, being 'careful' elsewhere somehow justifies the reckless spending on gambling, a sort of mental balancing act that obscures temporarily the fact that the pennies saved don't come close to the hundreds spunked. The self-deception of the gambler.
If you guys hadn't gambled, do you honestly believe you'd be collecting coupons?

Couponing, I believe everybody enjoys a bargain...

Everybody also enjoys some form of entertainment

 

[clees42]

I am going to seriously cut down my gambling for now.
Ive been pretty much playing almost everyday since new year and ive had a lucky month.
I was up at 16000 euro in winnings for the month,
but ive lost 800 euro very fast now, so im lookng at +15200.

Losing anymore of my winnings is not an option, so i withdrew my whole skrill balance (6000 euro),
and i set up automatic transfer of 100 euro each month to my skrill account.
The plan is to limit my monthly gambling to that 100 euro.

After playng so much lately, first couple days are going to be quite boring.
Im thinking of watching some tv-series ive had on hold for couple weeks.

 

[nisosbar]

I am going to seriously cut down my gambling for now.
Ive been pretty much playing almost everyday since new year and ive had a lucky month.
I was up at 16000 euro in winnings for the month,
but ive lost 800 euro very fast now, so im lookng at +15200.

Losing anymore of my winnings is not an option, so i withdrew my whole skrill balance (6000 euro),
and i set up automatic transfer of 100 euro each month to my skrill account.
The plan is to limit my monthly gambling to that 100 euro.

After playng so much lately, first couple days are going to be quite boring.
Im thinking of watching some tv-series ive had on hold for couple weeks.

Good for you - that's a terrific plan, if you can stick to it.

 

[peteyweestro]

Due to several different factors i have completely stopped depositing and playing at the casinos and have cut my poker playing down to maybe 1 tourny a week and my sports betting has come screeching to a halt also. The only things i have is a virtual horse racing stable that see's maybe $40 a month and thats it.

 

[anniemac]

I have cut down on my gaming budget. Being in the US, it's gets rather boring when you only have a select kind of casino software. Oh, how I would love to be able to play MG's again. Then you have the PIA of depositing and withdrawing.

I still play, don't get me wrong but I'd say I'm down to 1/3 of what I use to spend. I'll go a week without depositing where it use to be everyday.

I don't cut coupons cause I am lazy. There is only 2 of us and I just don't find it worthwhile. I did when I had kids at home though. But I do shop for bargains just on principle.

 

[Westland Bowl]

I stopped depositing real money into online casinos three years ago. I wasn't winning anymore at all since November 2009. I was a consistent winner before then and it stopped ice cold...slammed shut....fell off the cliff....smashed into a wall....burnt to a crisp....get the picture? I think the online casinos just blacklisted me and turned on the 'fixed RTP' option when I played. I now just play free points at the Sportsbook Review casino to try to win points and buy items like ipads or pizza.

I do much better in land casinos outside of that one computerized blackjack table at Harrington Racetrack and Casino.

 

[just play]

My husband and I were out and about this morning, he said "do you want to put some money on your card?" I thought about it, and then thought about the people who are having problems with their withdrawal checks more and more everyday. I said no. Why bother right? If I get lucky (which never happens, hehe) then I have to worry about my withdrawal.

So, I guess depositing is just about done for me. When and if there is a new way to deposit/withdrawal I would love to play again, but not as it is now.

 

[GambleGans]

I am feeling so sad right now....

I have been in the supermarket and grabed a pringles can because they have been on sale. At the register I have seen that it has been scanned for the regular price, and I asked if they werent on sale right now. The lady told me that they are preparing the price shields for monday morning and the can is not on sale yet. I told her to discard the can and put it back.

Just before I went to the supermarket I have blown 700 Euro in 2 hours at intercasino. Yesterday I have blown 650 Euro at a netent casino. So nearly my whole months salary within two days. But I 50 cent more for a can of pringles has been to much for me.

This is just sick. I am still young but it is a horror vision to me that I would do the same thing if I will have childs one day. Maybe they need new clothes but I will not buy them because they are not on sale.

Its the same thing with my mobile phone. I want to have a smartphone since years, but I never had money for it. from the money I have lost yesterday and today, I could have bought three samsung galaxy s3.

Its just sick. Gambling is not fun for me anymore since a long time ago, I am just chasing my loses, but I will never get them back

 

[Mousey]

I am feeling so sad right now....

I have been in the supermarket and grabed a pringles can because they have been on sale. At the register I have seen that it has been scanned for the regular price, and I asked if they werent on sale right now. The lady told me that they are preparing the price shields for monday morning and the can is not on sale yet. I told her to discard the can and put it back.

Just before I went to the supermarket I have blown 700 Euro in 2 hours at intercasino. Yesterday I have blown 650 Euro at a netent casino. So nearly my whole months salary within two days. But I 50 cent more for a can of pringles has been to much for me.

This is just sick. I am still young but it is a horror vision to me that I would do the same thing if I will have childs one day. Maybe they need new clothes but I will not buy them because they are not on sale.

Its the same thing with my mobile phone. I want to have a smartphone since years, but I never had money for it. from the money I have lost yesterday and today, I could have bought three samsung galaxy s3.

Its just sick. Gambling is not fun for me anymore since a long time ago, I am just chasing my loses, but I will never get them back

It may be time to cut your losses and run.

If gambling controls you, and not the other way around, perhaps it's time to grab the reins and make a change.

Please visit the Quit Gambling page here at Casinomeister and read it. Even if you're not ready to completely quit, there are some good ideas there for regaining control.

Good luck to you!

 

[mrmark21]

I am feeling so sad right now....

I have been in the supermarket and grabed a pringles can because they have been on sale. At the register I have seen that it has been scanned for the regular price, and I asked if they werent on sale right now. The lady told me that they are preparing the price shields for monday morning and the can is not on sale yet. I told her to discard the can and put it back.

Just before I went to the supermarket I have blown 700 Euro in 2 hours at intercasino. Yesterday I have blown 650 Euro at a netent casino. So nearly my whole months salary within two days. But I 50 cent more for a can of pringles has been to much for me.

This is just sick. I am still young but it is a horror vision to me that I would do the same thing if I will have childs one day. Maybe they need new clothes but I will not buy them because they are not on sale.

Its the same thing with my mobile phone. I want to have a smartphone since years, but I never had money for it. from the money I have lost yesterday and today, I could have bought three samsung galaxy s3.

Its just sick. Gambling is not fun for me anymore since a long time ago, I am just chasing my loses, but I will never get them back

That's so sad IMO You should take a break from gambling or at least limit what you're spending. Gambling is not supposed to make you feel sad, it's supposed to be fun and really shouldnt be seen as a form of income. The moment you have started to gamble more than what you can afford is the same moment that you should take a break... Step Back from the situation. Create a budget. Never chase you're losses.

Please take a look at the Quit Gambling forum, it's just really not worth the negative thoughts you are experiencing.

 

[Lucky Loser]

I have been a gambling addict for the last 25 years and have lost hundreds of thousands in that time betting on slots, horses and sport. Slots are my favourite. To me gambling is one of the few things that make life exciting and things would be really dull without it. Saying this, nowadays I always make sure that the bills are paid first as I would feel sick if I spent the rent money. There certainly have been times in the past where I've squandered my entire wage on payday and had to rely on credit to get through. Really stupid stuff.

Anyway, now I'm getting older I need to be a bit more sensible and start saving. I've cut my gambling budget by 75% and now mostly just bet on Friday night and weekends. Betting between Mon and Thur betting has largely been cut out.

Most of my spare cash now gets invested in a variety of small cap stocks. While its high risk I love doing the research, watching the daily price fluctuations, which can be very volatile and trading. I figure even if the stock drops 50% at least I've saved 50% more than I would have if I continued with my normal betting habits. There's also a chance the stock could go up in many multiples and I could make a small fortune. Stock investing is similar to a horse race that never ends. Very very exciting especially at the speculative, high risk end of the spectrum. I'm saving and gambling at the same time and it's great fun.

 

[barbz043]

I have cut back from 2k a month to $100...not because I want to but bc the casino I was playing at labeled me a "professional" and refuses to let me use bonuses when I deposit. So I tried to go to a different casino but they too have rtg software so my bonus was taken immediately. I am confused though...I was told the software has nothing to do with deposits, so who cares if I use a coupon code...geez I am depositing a lot. Anyhow, that's why I have cut back and I miss it

 

[muha20]

i did cut from deposeting over 500€ down to 100 or 200€ becouse just no luck in my deposits

 

[ChopleyIOM]

I've cut right back since the whole Betfred thing really took off - my Neteller activity for the last month is nothing compared to any random month you'd care to pick from last year.

It's hard to put into words but somehow I just resent the idea of giving casinos money at the moment. That's not to say that I distrust all casinos, I trust NetEnt software and I certainly trust Redbet, I trust Jackpot Party and the WMS slots, I trust Pinnacle who run Galewind software, and I trust 32Red.

And yet, when it comes to depositing I find myself thinking, 'No, bollocks to them, this is an industry that needs to sort itself out, I'm not helping to sustain it with my money any more.'

I made a tiny deposit of £10 on a 200% match into 32Red a couple of weeks ago. I did the monthly 100% match at Jackpot Party about three weeks ago simply because that's EV+ and I'm not going to say no to that.

Last night I very nearly deposited £100 into Jackpot Party for what used to be a very regular Saturday night session, but decided against it. Something about the whole thing just stuck in my craw.

The thing that gets me most about the current situation is the wall of silence from 'the industry'. With the exception of Chris from Galewind, I can't think of a single other industry 'insider' who's had one single damn thing to say about the Betfred fiasco, and now we have a proven (and admitted!) case of Playtech running a couple of slots on a higher RTP in fun-play mode than they were in real mode.

My greatest fear here is that we're only getting visibility of stuff that's easy to spot. Hi-Lo Gambler was a pretty easy one to prove, the different reels in free play versus real money on those Playtech slots was relatively easy to spot, and basically led to an admission that the RTP of the real money version had been stealthily lowered whilst the play money version was missed.

This is the stuff that they're getting wrong in a relatively easy way to spot and prove, I just dread to think what shit they're pulling on us and it's simply never getting picked up on. (Either maliciously or accidentally, the end result is the player getting shafted.)

I can only vote with my wallet - and that's what I'm doing.

 

[mrmark21]

I hear you... I've cut down as well due to that whole incident. I could be spending more but I'm not. I trust various providers like Netent software (most of my gambling funds are currently being spent there) but cut Playtech completely out of my gambling routine. The only Microgaming casino I ply at is 32 Red and that's because IMPO they are truly the best.

I'm listening to my gut feeling these days and will not be shelling out money to casinos that might not be giving me a fair game. I have a feeling the Betfred incident was just the tip of the iceberg, none of us really know anything about the software so can't pass judgement.

More money for me to spend on other crap

 

[dionysus]

I'm just slightly on the plus side from an earlier good run. If I drop below the win/loss line I might to be a bit more frugal soon

 

[muha20]

my next deposit will be 100 and on max lines and may dominations on 0.01 to try my luck with that maybe i hit something

 

[milemaster]

I've cut way back from a being nearly daily online player to once every 6-8 weeks. When I play these days it's fun for the first 20 minutes or so, but then reality sets in that if I want to withdraw anything I better mentally prepare myself for all the associated hassles. I'm in Vegas or the UK enough to have access to real casinos that pay in 1-2 minutes instead of 1-2 months. It's just not worth the hassle anymore.

I used to depost on average 2k/mo since 2002. At my current rate it's going to take me 3-4 years to deposit that much in an online casino again.

If we get a land based casino nearby someday I'll never go online again to play.

 

[all4greed]

Cutting away

I'll chime in.

Jan - 2 deposits
Dec - 5 deposits
Nov - 8 deposits
Oct - none
Sept - none

Those were at LS casino. I considered 3Dice, but seems like they are always having deposit issues and I'm not setting up any new EWallet accounts, hopefully ever.

I've just found other things to do. Think I've only been to this board 3 or 4 times in the last couple of months. Looks like my last post was end of October.

 

[madmun99]

NOT LOST A PEENY IN MONTHS

For whatever reason it's never stupid to take a break. Long or short, just to test yourself.

It's important to make sure that gambling isn't everything in your life that mean something.
It can be fun, but it can also take over your life if you're not careful.

I just had a short break for a few weeks. Not really to test myself, but because I couldn't afford to play.
It was fun to play again now, probably because I have cashed out some too. That didn't hurt at all

What I could notice with my break was that I went from posting a lot here, to post almost the double.
I better go back to my game again

Got involved in fantasy football . hours and hours of making transfers and substitutions has cost me nothing and been close to winning 5 grand a few times . Love slots but payouts getting worse . p.s have wagered a few times but on footy bets and well in front .

 

[LivinLovinDyin]

When I last time took a break, it cost me way more than gambling.

 

[mrmark21]

Well, I've cut down even further on my weekly gambling budget This week is off to a shocking start, no wins last week or the week before that. I've reversed half my gambling funds from Skrill back to my bank account. Will see if I have more luck at the local, have a few spins and a couple of drinks

Suffice to say spinning on 9c just takes the fun out of things. There's no fun without the possibility of winning

 

[colly]

How much I play depends very much on my budget for the month, any wins and what is left over AFTER ALL the bills are paid- I also try (but don't always succeed) to put at half of any big wins into the house - either by renovating or making an extra payment to the mortgage. I work independently so if its a client that will split invoices to multiple bank accounts I double the mortgage payment before getting cash to my transaction account. If I don't have cash I don't play and don't use credit cards at all for online gaming.


What I have found very interesting about this thread is how many of us (including me) play due to boredom or too much time on ones own- and many have cut down by finding other interests. I started gambling far too heavily when I was dealing with terminally ill parents- it was just an escape where I got caught up in it and then didn't have to think about the other depressing things going on. I realized it, did a voluntary ban at my local B and M casino, and stopped for about 4 years online using GAMBLOCK.


Various studies have shown that depression is a major factor in slot addiction at land based casino's- It would be interesting to see if there is any correlation to online gambling.

I find threads like this valuable as they let others know that there are solutions and that others feel the same way about their gambling- Good luck and congratulations to everyone that has cut down this year.

 

[orlandacasino]

I stopped to play 1 week, just because I want to transfer my balance to a new casino and use this time to think in another hobbies.
I have control in my bets, so im fine but I admit that I want to play everyday and think about casino a lot everyday, but for that I have solution, playing in fun mode or doing other stuff to ocuppy my mind.
Kiss and good luck for everyone!

 

[siilix]

Last year I had a period of 6 months in which I did not deposit at all...then I started again out of boredom, now seriously thinking to take a break again.
Something weird happened in the last six months and I have the feeling casinos blacklisted me, I used to deposit 100 and get at least 300 quite often if not 800-1000, currently I deposit 50 and continuosly lose everywhere, microgaming, rtg, playtech or (rarely) just reach something like 50 usd more than what I deposited . It's not fun anymore.

 

[mrmark21]

You've proably seen my Betsafe Win thread, which was a good win for me (being a low better). Skrill decided to ask me at the last minute for address verifcation which left my withdrawal sitting in limbo for about four days. I gambled about $200 doing minimum bets at Microgaming.

The thing that occured to me while doing those bets was that while I wanted to keep playing I was not having fun (with barely any play time and no decent returns). The final straw was zero return on all three wild desire features on Immortal Romance I just got fed up

I've now cut MG out of my gambling routine They were only getting spare change from me. I'm hoping to find a good Nuworks casino to fill their position

 

[jay_fyp]

It's funny, this thread is exactly why I joined casinomeister. Because I quit online gambling altogether and I wanted to read about peoples wins and losses, it's kind of like therapy just to forget it altogether ha. This site helps me confirm my reasons for quitting(especially being a US player)so much. I spent way to much with little or no return. I hit some nice jackpots and regular wins, but never enough to justify it because it's a never ending cycle. You win a lot, even if you play minimal deposits, it always breaks even or wipes you out in the end, with the very very few exceptions.

I got to the point where I would just gamble on the weekends but I just ended up depositing more to make up for not depositing on weekdays. Then one day, I said I had enough of throwing out money, I self excluded from all online casinos and never looked back.

It's funny cause it was so hard to come to the decision to stop blowing money online gambling because I loved the ease of it, chilling out on your computer after the work week with some beers, and spinning, but once I did I have absolutely no urge. My savings account has become incredible, even if you're only spending 20 bucks here or 50 bucks there it adds up way more than you think over time and it's such a good feeling just to have that money that you worked so hard for in your bank account.

I never got behind on my bills or anything like that, but it was just such a waste after 6 years, I was beginning to feel remorse for spending money I worked way to hard for. 100 dollars, 200 dollars, that can get you a lot of things, a weekend trip, a car repair, going out for a nice steak, some new clothes etc. Not worth it!

I can tell you I am much happier now. I'm glad this thread came up, and good luck to those fellow gamblers, keep it at a minimum and I hope to read about your wins!

 

[requiem]

I have cut down on gambling a lot since starting a new family. Gambling was my life for so long but now I want nothing more than to be the best I can be to my kids. I still gamble to have some fun and still win a decent income on the side. I don't feel I have to stop gambling, just make it more of a hobby on the side. But the ups and downs I had before when playing almost 24/7 had to go. It was fun, but it was also tough on an emotional level. Now I have a more stable life which suits me better now.

 

[slotplayer]

coming up on a year for me since I last played online. I think around feb 22nd.

did go to the land casino a couple times in early jan but that is out now to.

 

[tinybettor]

I have tried to cut down but now I'm thinking of just stopping for a good while. I'm just finding that my deposits having been getting me absolutely nothing these weeks. Hundreds of deposits across several MG casinos and only a handful of withdrawals. I know gambling is a risk and "you win some you lose some" but I'm finding that in my record, its almost entirely a one-side affair to the point that its becoming ridiculous with no justification to return if winning anything decent is like hitting the lottery.

 

[mrmark21]

I'm a big slots player, I play them almost every day. I've found that having a routine/budget can be a useful tool. Belows my weekly gambling routine:

Monday- *Ammount: ___ *Software: *Casino:
Tuesday- *Ammount: ___ *Software: *Casino:
Wednesday- *Ammount: ___ *Software: *Casino:
And so on...

I'm a rather compulsive person and tend to move from vice to vice: I was hooked on Neopets, then I moved onto gambling (current vice) and now I'm moving onto a new Ebay addiction (comparing prices, bidding, etc).

I organize my routine in accordance to my budget at the start of every week. For my weekly budget I factor in all expenses including savings, rent, bills (private health insurance etc) and everything else. Then my entertainment/gambling allowance (this includes video games or gambling etc). I always put gambling last and have gone weeks without playing just because something else needed to be paid. Never dipping into savings.

Below are the steps I use to acheive a more productive gaming session:

• Never deposit more than my allocated ammount
• Never redeposit
• Never reverse a withdrawal
• Only play the software I feel I've been successfull on
• Play 1.5% of my bankroll
• Always spend my winnings on something solid
• Take regular breaks

I really feel having a budget can be useful and just wanted to share something that may help

 

[requiem]

Taking breaks is incredibly important to have a fresh mind so you can make good decisions. There are so many players that have great strategies and goals before a gaming session, but fail when it comes to decisions after playing for too long. And one bad decision leads to another one and it easily spirals out of control.

So take breaks every now and then. And set up a winning goal for each sessions so you're not just playing without a purpose. If fun is your only purpose, I am sure you will have more fun taking better actions as that will make you more money in the end.

In my experience of playing roulette for example, I have at some point had some kind of profit in almost all of my sessions. Therefore it comes down to knowing when to quit, reaching your profit goal or taking a good loss when your plan did not work as planned that session. If players could leave their fear and anger emotions out when gambling, there would be many more winners out there.

Finally use your and the experience of others to your advantage. Do not do the same mistakes, and expect a different result.

 

[jay_fyp]

Another major gripe I have with gambling, you will lose other things besides money, without even realizing it. You really will, relationships can change significantly even if you don't notice right away. For example, ok you didn't get behind on your bills, but you did spend a significant/extra amount of money on gaming, therefore you decide you can't have a night out to dinner and drinks, and or a show with friends or family because you rather save it (save it for what, gambling)-boom you just gave up social time with people you like and love and you slowly become distant without realizing it and it gets worse and worse. It's a bad cycle and it goes further than just making sure you have just enough money to get by. It's a slow process but it progresses and I'm glad I woke up one morning and said enough is enough.

Like I said, I never got behind on bills, or credit cards, but it still 100% effected everything around me, even as subtle as it was. I'm so glad it's over. I don't know why it was so easy to go cold turkey quitting, but I'm thankful, the thought doesn't even cross my mind to gamble.

The thing that helped me, indirectly, was my credit/debit card company constantly called me to confirm charges, one day, I received a new card in the mail with new numbers on it, and the letterhead attached said "Visa is reissuing cards due to security issues" which was a standard thing, not for me individually. And after that I felt like it was a calling, something was telling me to quit, and I did that day. I'm so happy now.

Of course my experience is with online gambling and depositing extra money I had, and that was about my limit, some others claim to have control of that limit and deposit very little, and with that, I say go for it, but I have known very few who actually do that, so I share my experience with you so you know it's never to late just to give it up.

Thanks everyone on here for hearing me out, you guys rock!

 

[jay_fyp]

Also, since I received that new credit/debit card, it meant I would have to once again send out all of my documents for a verification of a new card, so as little incentive as that is for some people, it annoyed me enough to be another reason to quit.haha I mean god forbid I won that night, it wouldn't be approved till my new card was established on my account haha yeah I really thought about that, pathetic.

 

[mrmark21]

Another major gripe I have with gambling, you will lose other things besides money, without even realizing it. You really will, relationships can change significantly even if you don't notice right away. For example, ok you didn't get behind on your bills, but you did spend a significant/extra amount of money on gaming, therefore you decide you can't have a night out to dinner and drinks, and or a show with friends or family because you rather save it (save it for what, gambling)-boom you just gave up social time with people you like and love and you slowly become distant without realizing it and it gets worse and worse. It's a bad cycle and it goes further than just making sure you have just enough money to get by. It's a slow process but it progresses and I'm glad I woke up one morning and said enough is enough.

I agree. Sometimes small deposits can amount to hours of playtime that we never expected. Since gambling is a form of entertainment it only makes sense we want to continue playing, just like when I'm watching my favorite TV show. I'll put that ahead of other things even though I really shouldnt.

 

[Alfran]

Interesting thread.
Got me thinking too...
wondering, if you had a very small budget per week to spend on slots. Would you prefer to play a small amt everyday or accumulate it and only play on weekends so you have a decent roll? Basically really small budget just for entertainment, as it is probably too small wager to hit anything really big.
And which specific slot would you play to maximize playtime?
*main reason is i'm on a bad losing streak thats going on for months. Really dont know what i'm doing wrong, maybe mark can make a schedule with which games and where he plays

 

[Jasminebed]

My gambling budget varies, and is larger when I have wins. When it's cold, I prefer to make one deposit of $50 say instead of 5 $10 ones. It definitely feels like you have a better chance of running $50 up to $250 than $10 up to $50 and withdraw 5 times. And seriously, with the various fees involved, is it worth cashing out $50 most times unless it's a max free chip?

On the other hand, if you enjoy bonuses and are not afraid to bust in a few minutes, you might be further ahead to take a couple of $25 match bonuses because a good hit and you can probably complete WR every few weeks on one or the other.

If you are frustrated, it's not bad to say I'll get more pleasure out of a take out meal, couple of beers out or some new duds instead of playing tonight.

Gambling will still be here next week or next month or the month after that.

 

[gloria460]

So what do I do? I read - got a new ereader for Xmas and I'm learning how to use it and organize books and load books, and buy books and such. I have rediscovered magazines. Found some subscription bargains online during the holidays and we get Rolling Stone, Discovery, Wired, Popular Science, and hubby gets his Poker Player mag. There are a few yahoo groups I own/co-own to keep up with and make sig tags for when I get time.

You're not the mousey I know from various Delphi forums years ago. I used to make sig tags with signatures with style. I belong to the plug-in group. This is a small world. I still have all my tags, presets, templates saved on disc. I was thinking of getting back into it just to have something to occupy my time on the weekends since I no longer play online.

 

[EdieD]

The Borgata is in Atlantic City, NJ. I love it there! Great food, great bars and nightlife and really nice rooms. The best place in AC.

View attachment 37635

theborgata.com

I agree...I think the Borgata is the best casino in AC. Not only is the variety of games good, but there's alot of energy in that casino and I feel you have the best shot at winning there opposed to any other AC casino. Worst ones are typically any from Harrahs or Ceasars. I'll be down AC alot over summer, so will probably check out new Revel casino.

 

[mrmark21]

I've cut way way way down... After my most recent break which was the result of confiscated winnings I've decided that I'm not going to play much anymore. I made a couple of deposits recently at Intercasino and 32 Red and ended up in profit. Used the money to buy a PS Vita and PS Move and a couple of other gadgets.

IMO one negative experience can be all it takes to stop gambling online. Getting through the withdrawal process can become hard work because instead of being happy that you had a cash-out you're anxious that you may have accidentally broken a term or that the casino will find some way to void you're winnings or that the casino is taking to long to pay you etc. Gambling should be fun.

I'll only play at casinos I trust: 32 Red, Betsafe, and a couple of others (Intercasino was quite fast to pay me).

 

[ChopleyIOM]

I've cut way way way down... After my most recent break which was the result of confiscated winnings I've decided that I'm not going to play much anymore. I made a couple of deposits recently at Intercasino and 32 Red and ended up in profit. Used the money to buy a PS Vita and PS Move and a couple of other gadgets.

IMO one negative experience can be all it takes to stop gambling online. Getting through the withdrawal process can become hard work because instead of being happy that you had a cash-out you're anxious that you may have accidentally broken a term or that the casino will find some way to void you're winnings or that the casino is taking to long to pay you etc. Gambling should be fun.

I'll only play at casinos I trust: 32 Red, Betsafe, and a couple of others (Intercasino was quite fast to pay me).

I've made this point here and elsewhere in the past, online casinos need to think a bit more about the bigger picture when they try to deny winnings based on crappy T&Cs or making players jump through endless hoops to get their money and so on. Annoy a player enough, and he will stop playing and depositing, deciding that online casinos are just more hassle than they're worth - and that player may then be lost for life, never depositing again.

I had a bad experience with withdrawals at a couple of accredited casinos last year (I did get my withdrawals, but they gave me the maximum runaround they possibly could in the process), but I didn't let it put me off playing online, I simply trimmed down the list of casinos I play at to those I absolutely trust.

The most obvious one for me is MG and 32Red - I honestly don't know how any other MG-only casinos remain in business with their pending withdrawal times and fannying around asking for docs and vague T&Cs and so on.

There are some bad casinos out there, but there are some very good ones too - the trick is to just play at the good ones!

 

[mathsboy1975]

I have had very little success at cutting back. Boredom is my problem and sometimes if I am sitting around the house with not much to do I will just deposit £100 and see what happens. The problem I have had recently is that this tends to last about 30 minutes maximum before I lose it. I hit an all time low this morning by opening an account at ComeOn deposited £100, played for 6 minutes on Girls With Guns before it was all gone, then permanently closed the account. I have self excluded from pretty much every casino I was a member with (other than betfair and i have strict loss limits set there to prevent over betting), but this is not sufficient to stop as it seems there is always another casino offering a signup bonus. I guess I will run out of options eventually and I hope it is soon as I have really lost the enjoyment factor now. The only buzz I get is hitting something that pays out 200x or more stake and as this is rare, my enjoyment while playing is pretty minimal. There are a couple of games that are exceptions and that have a genuinely entertaining edge but the rest leave me cold.

Having said all that I think a couple of big wins would rekindle my interest. I guess just being on a long term cold run makes the enthusiasm wane but the habit of betting keeps me going back for more.

 

[mrmark21]

I've made this point here and elsewhere in the past, online casinos need to think a bit more about the bigger picture when they try to deny winnings based on crappy T&Cs or making players jump through endless hoops to get their money and so on. Annoy a player enough, and he will stop playing and depositing, deciding that online casinos are just more hassle than they're worth - and that player may then be lost for life, never depositing again.

I had a bad experience with withdrawals at a couple of accredited casinos last year (I did get my withdrawals, but they gave me the maximum runaround they possibly could in the process), but I didn't let it put me off playing online, I simply trimmed down the list of casinos I play at to those I absolutely trust.

The most obvious one for me is MG and 32Red - I honestly don't know how any other MG-only casinos remain in business with their pending withdrawal times and fannying around asking for docs and vague T&Cs and so on.

There are some bad casinos out there, but there are some very good ones too - the trick is to just play at the good ones!

I completely agree. 32 Red is my favorite casino. They ALWAYS pay and do so within 24 hours. I trust them completely...

I play very very rarely these days. I excluded myself for a month from just about all casinos. My last session was a week ago and of course that was at 32 Red on a very small deposit. Also made a small deposit at Intercasino (100% bonus on Aristocrat slots so couldn't say no).

I'm the kind of person where once I've had a negative experience I'll make sure I never have one again.

I want to play some Rival games. I just can't be bothered trying out a Rival casino.

 

[243 lines=daft]

I'm coming off the back of a relative hot streak, both at Playtech and MGS casinos.

Oddly this makes me less inclined to play for the time being.
As going by experience I'm well aware the pain of 'giving it back' far outweighs the annoyance of not winning it in the first place.

Also it's warm and there are other distractions.

 

[vinylweatherman]

I have had very little success at cutting back. Boredom is my problem and sometimes if I am sitting around the house with not much to do I will just deposit £100 and see what happens. The problem I have had recently is that this tends to last about 30 minutes maximum before I lose it. I hit an all time low this morning by opening an account at ComeOn deposited £100, played for 6 minutes on Girls With Guns before it was all gone, then permanently closed the account. I have self excluded from pretty much every casino I was a member with (other than betfair and i have strict loss limits set there to prevent over betting), but this is not sufficient to stop as it seems there is always another casino offering a signup bonus. I guess I will run out of options eventually and I hope it is soon as I have really lost the enjoyment factor now. The only buzz I get is hitting something that pays out 200x or more stake and as this is rare, my enjoyment while playing is pretty minimal. There are a couple of games that are exceptions and that have a genuinely entertaining edge but the rest leave me cold.

Having said all that I think a couple of big wins would rekindle my interest. I guess just being on a long term cold run makes the enthusiasm wane but the habit of betting keeps me going back for more.

That could be a problem, not a solution. It could rekindle your interest so much that you lose it all back, and then overshoot your usual budget before you again cut back.

Boredom can be a big problem, and almost all entertainment is going to cost money somehow. Even walkers have to buy shoes.

Boredom can also lead to aimless wandering, both in the real world and online. You may stumble upon something that interests you, and that is far cheaper than gambling.

There is a fair bit on the internet about most subjects (not all of it factual though), and finding out about things can be interesting.

Making your own website about something that interests you can also absorb time that would otherwise be spent being bored - it can even lead to money.

Many people are merely "users" of computers, but it is possible to teach yourself how to make the computer do what YOU want it to, not what Bill Gates tells it to do. It seems a large number of hobbyists produce pieces of software that they have "knocked up" in their spare time, and some can be pretty useful. Many are given away for free, and some even with the source code so that one can have a tinker around to maybe learn how to do it, or tailor something to your own preference.

When home computers first came out, I was very much a programmer, rather than a user, and all self taught from the instruction manuals. I haven't done much in the way of programming after Windows came out. My major programming experience was with the mainframes of the 1980's and 1990's, skills that are not particularly useful in the Windows era. I do at least know roughly how things might be working "under the bonnet", and that includes casino clients It's mainly a matter of learning a new language. I have yet to converse with a Windows PC that speaks Fortran and IBM JCL. I can get by with DOS though, and this is roughly the same as the "shell commands" that can be programmed to customise a Windows PC. True DOS died out with Windows 2000, what you get now is a DOS emulator that runs within Windows.


Start playing around with the above, and days can pass, days where you have not spent a single CENT at an online casino

 

[mathsboy1975]

That could be a problem, not a solution. It could rekindle your interest so much that you lose it all back, and then overshoot your usual budget before you again cut back.

Boredom can be a big problem, and almost all entertainment is going to cost money somehow. Even walkers have to buy shoes.

Boredom can also lead to aimless wandering, both in the real world and online. You may stumble upon something that interests you, and that is far cheaper than gambling.

There is a fair bit on the internet about most subjects (not all of it factual though), and finding out about things can be interesting.

Making your own website about something that interests you can also absorb time that would otherwise be spent being bored - it can even lead to money.

Many people are merely "users" of computers, but it is possible to teach yourself how to make the computer do what YOU want it to, not what Bill Gates tells it to do. It seems a large number of hobbyists produce pieces of software that they have "knocked up" in their spare time, and some can be pretty useful. Many are given away for free, and some even with the source code so that one can have a tinker around to maybe learn how to do it, or tailor something to your own preference.

When home computers first came out, I was very much a programmer, rather than a user, and all self taught from the instruction manuals. I haven't done much in the way of programming after Windows came out. My major programming experience was with the mainframes of the 1980's and 1990's, skills that are not particularly useful in the Windows era. I do at least know roughly how things might be working "under the bonnet", and that includes casino clients It's mainly a matter of learning a new language. I have yet to converse with a Windows PC that speaks Fortran and IBM JCL. I can get by with DOS though, and this is roughly the same as the "shell commands" that can be programmed to customise a Windows PC. True DOS died out with Windows 2000, what you get now is a DOS emulator that runs within Windows.


Start playing around with the above, and days can pass, days where you have not spent a single CENT at an online casino

It is a nice suggestion, but I am a software engineer by profession and in my spare time work on an Linux based C++ application that I have developed to record market data and place bets on betfair. I think even MORE coding would likely drive me more insane than my losing streak at the slots is currently!!

Having said that, your point is a good one, it is just that computers are not the answer. Perhaps now summer is here finding an outdoor interest will keep me out of the house and off the slots.

 

[dunover]

Do what I did - with some winnings a couple of years back I bought a good Garrett metal detector. Keeps you out in the fresh air, doesn't cost you money and you can spend hours doing it - all with the possible 'big win' if you get lucky. I must admit it's still in the box, unopened.

 

[mathsboy1975]

Do what I did - with some winnings a couple of years back I bought a good Garrett metal detector. Keeps you out in the fresh air, doesn't cost you money and you can spend hours doing it - all with the possible 'big win' if you get lucky. I must admit it's still in the box, unopened.

In fact what I might try and do is go back to playing the bare minimum stakes. In theory that way I stand more chance of landing the 200x bet plus type hits. Trouble is I know deep down that after 20 mins play I will start edging up the stakes again and end up blowing out soon after. Maybe buying a metal detector or taking up mediaeval basket weaving is the better option after all.