I need Bryan to read this, re: Club World. I can't PM

[Surasanji]

Would we call it a Cuck or a Dat?

Maybe a Cack? or Datk! One thing I'm sure of its not a Llama.

I have family who are addicts. You never stop being addicted to something, which is why stopping completely is extremely important.

It sounds like you've gotten that first big step though- realizing and admitting you've got an addiction.

And I hope its followed by more and more steps. Its not going to be easy, and I hope you have supportive people around you to help!

Have you joined a local support group? They might be willing to help get the word out to some of the Casinos, or at least know of advocacy groups who might.

I believe you can even contact Google regarding the ads they generate for you automatically- and pick the things you'd like to see. If you contact them, even they might be willing to change your account's advert-info to exclude gambling websites. (I'd hope so. The Company's Motto is: Do no Evil ) I know there is a way to change the type of adverts you get through them- I just don't recall how to do so.

Keep being brave. Keep moving forward. Remember where you were- and where you want to be. Being in control of your life is the best high in the world- but it can be a real struggle. I, myself, struggle with Bipolar disorder. And it is a struggle- but I'm lucky enough to have people around me who love and support me.

I don't want to be the bipolar guy I was several years ago. I've managed without medication to turn my life around by being constantly aware of myself and my actions and double checking them. And I still mess up and slide back every now and again.

But for every 2 steps back- I will take three forward. I will become the man- the person- I want to be. And I won't let my fears, or excitement, or sadness ruin the life I want.

Keep moving forward, TTM. You're doing great.

 

[chuchu59]

Ya got to visit Lamma Islands in Hong Kong though.

The first step to stop the addiction is to refrain from thinking about it. The persistence on acquiring the logs is worrisome as it means TTM unconsciously believes that someone else is responsible for his plight. Years, ago, all I was thinking of day and night were mahjong and paigow. Winning or losing mattered little as long as I could engage in these activities. Throw in some horse-racing and footie and your payroll is exhausted as well as your valuable time. At that time I hadnt even started online gaming and it gave me thrills to bet $500-$700 on a single day of horse-racing and $1k per hand on Baccarat or pai gow. No matter what luck you have you will be taken to the cleaners if you bet like this every day and indeed it took its toll on me physically, mentally and financially. Luckily, somehow there was a self-adjusting mechanism inside me and I got rid of my big-betting spree. I get a kick out of betting $1 on Premier League football matches and the same amount on a horse race.

I never deposit more than the minimum required to get a bonus no matter how attractive it may seem so even though I can afford it now my bets are extremely minimal so I dont have a particular urge to start betting big. May not work for everyone but hey it does for me.

 

[Surasanji]

Ya got to visit Lamma Islands in Hong Kong though.

The first step to stop the addiction is to refrain from thinking about it. The persistence on acquiring the logs is worrisome as it means TTM unconsciously believes that someone else is responsible for his plight. Years, ago, all I was thinking of day and night were mahjong and paigow. Winning or losing mattered little as long as I could engage in these activities. Throw in some horse-racing and footie and your payroll is exhausted as well as your valuable time. At that time I hadnt even started online gaming and it gave me thrills to bet $500-$700 on a single day of horse-racing and $1k per hand on Baccarat or pai gow. No matter what luck you have you will be taken to the cleaners if you bet like this every day and indeed it took its toll on me physically, mentally and financially. Luckily, somehow there was a self-adjusting mechanism inside me and I got rid of my big-betting spree. I get a kick out of betting $1 on Premier League football matches and the same amount on a horse race.

I never deposit more than the minimum required to get a bonus no matter how attractive it may seem so even though I can afford it now my bets are extremely minimal so I dont have a particular urge to start betting big. May not work for everyone but hey it does for me.

I would! I want to go to Hong Kong, and then maybe visit Mainland China after.

One of my goals in life!!

Its super awesome you found a way to be in control of your life, and still get a thrill from something you love.

That takes a certain strength of Character that not everyone possesses.

 

[chuchu59]

I would! I want to go to Hong Kong, and then maybe visit Mainland China after.

One of my goals in life!!

Its super awesome you found a way to be in control of your life, and still get a thrill from something you love.

That takes a certain strength of Character that not everyone possesses.

Yeah come over here and let me treat you to a Chinese Dinner. I am currently unable to take you to Macau though.

The key,at least to my plight, is to keep yourself happy in everthing you do. I still think of gambling but then bets of any size will do. Several years ago, when I was down on my $$$ I played a number of Texas Hold'em freerolls organised by a site which has is now extinct. Played in freerolls at different sites and won several of them, about $100 each on average and was crowned champ in that league which brought me a little something extra. The downside was many sleepless nights as the freerolls were usually held at 3-4am Hong Kong time.

 

[takethemoney]

Ya got to visit Lamma Islands in Hong Kong though.

The first step to stop the addiction is to refrain from thinking about it. The persistence on acquiring the logs is worrisome as it means TTM unconsciously believes that someone else is responsible for his plight. Years, ago, all I was thinking of day and night were mahjong and paigow. Winning or losing mattered little as long as I could engage in these activities. Throw in some horse-racing and footie and your payroll is exhausted as well as your valuable time. At that time I hadnt even started online gaming and it gave me thrills to bet $500-$700 on a single day of horse-racing and $1k per hand on Baccarat or pai gow. No matter what luck you have you will be taken to the cleaners if you bet like this every day and indeed it took its toll on me physically, mentally and financially. Luckily, somehow there was a self-adjusting mechanism inside me and I got rid of my big-betting spree. I get a kick out of betting $1 on Premier League football matches and the same amount on a horse race.

I never deposit more than the minimum required to get a bonus no matter how attractive it may seem so even though I can afford it now my bets are extremely minimal so I dont have a particular urge to start betting big. May not work for everyone but hey it does for me.

Chu, I have written that off. It's of no benefit to me to see the logs because, no matter what, I was the one who chose to keep making deposits and playing. I'm addicted to gambling and the only way to avoid absolute ruin is abstinence. I have avoided gambling in all forms lately and my life, while not perfect, is slowly coming around. I can go to bed at night and sleep knowing that I have been honest with myself. It's nice to know that all money has been used for it's intended purpose and that I have not had to make excuses for why I have not paid a particular bill, as in the past, because I spent the money somewhere I shouldn't have.

Once more, I want to give a shout out and thanks to people here who care and have shared their wisdom and encouragement, no matter how harsh it felt to me at the time. Denial is a powerful component of addiction. I had already started the process of stopping gambling, but not in time to keep my wife of 33 years. She bailed out and left town 1 month ago this coming Saturday, leaving to stay with relatives. She says she still loves me but it will take time to earn back any trust. That's a hard pill to swallow, but I completely understand her position. What is to be from here on out is up to me.

 

[chuchu59]

TTM,

You are on the right track and as long as you are true to yourself your addiction will diminish though there is no surefire way of how to make it happen. Everything can be done naturally, not for the purpose of getting your wife or esteem back but for the future. Your wife loves you so she will be watching and when she feels the day has come she might suddenly pop out right in front of you.

 

[takethemoney]

Being alone does not help one be accountable

One other thing I wanted to share:
Being alone in my house does not naturally lend itself to being accountable. Nobody really knows what time I come home at night or where I go when I'm not working. I used to just go out and eat and spend, say $20. Who is to know if I really spent that $20 on a game somewhere? Only me knows the truth. About 2 weeks ago, last paycheck, actually, I began saving every receipt for everything I buy or bill I pay. Strangely, my discretionary spending has gone down. Whether it takes another month or another year for my wife to return, I will be able to account for every penny. My bank account is balanced and I intend to keep it that way! I would much rather be able to show a receipt for a movie I saw, vs. money just gone on an unknown, or perhaps, a lie.

 

[LHofsdal]

Steve,

I am sorry to hear about your wife. But she says she still loves you, and with 33 years together, I am sure it was not easy for her either. The best thing for the both of you is communication. And to earn back her trust, you will need to be 100% honest with her and yourself. This addiction is hard to overcome but not impossible to do. And I think you are on the right track.

There are so many people here routing for you, and I can say I am one of the people that are in the front of the line. I truely hope everything works out for you and I am happy to see that you have come back and every now and then to update us on your progress.

Stay strong my friend, and if you ever need someone to listen or need some one to talk to PM me, I will be there for you.

All the best,
Lori

 

[takethemoney]

Steve,

I am sorry to hear about your wife. But she says she still loves you, and with 33 years together, I am sure it was not easy for her either. The best thing for the both of you is communication. And to earn back her trust, you will need to be 100% honest with her and yourself. This addiction is hard to overcome but not impossible to do. And I think you are on the right track.

There are so many people here routing for you, and I can say I am one of the people that are in the front of the line. I truely hope everything works out for you and I am happy to see that you have come back and every now and then to update us on your progress.

Stay strong my friend, and if you ever need someone to listen or need some one to talk to PM me, I will be there for you.

All the best,
Lori

Thank you Lori. It means a lot to me and helps me feel not so alone. I also understand I'm not the only one with this insidious affliction. I'm getting stronger every day. The very thought of the act of gambling is disgusting to me and hopefully, that, and seeing the pain in my family's faces every time I think about it will help me stay the course. There is no cure, only recovery, as I have come to understand. This is a journey, as is life. I've become humbled and I realize I can't beat this alone. I need my friends.

 

[takethemoney]

You peeps like music, right?

Ok, my credibility will either rise or go down with this one, but most people who know me in real life know I'm a huge Journey fan. Here is an obscure song from them about recovery. It's called Walking Away From The Edge. Here is the Youtube listen:

 

[chuchu59]

One other thing I wanted to share:
Being alone in my house does not naturally lend itself to being accountable. Nobody really knows what time I come home at night or where I go when I'm not working. I used to just go out and eat and spend, say $20. Who is to know if I really spent that $20 on a game somewhere? Only me knows the truth. About 2 weeks ago, last paycheck, actually, I began saving every receipt for everything I buy or bill I pay. Strangely, my discretionary spending has gone down. Whether it takes another month or another year for my wife to return, I will be able to account for every penny. My bank account is balanced and I intend to keep it that way! I would much rather be able to show a receipt for a movie I saw, vs. money just gone on an unknown, or perhaps, a lie.

You are wrong if you think no one is watching you. Your wife is probably stalking you, for the right reasons of course

 

[takethemoney]

You are wrong if you think no one is watching you. Your wife is probably stalking you, for the right reasons of course

From California or the Philippines? I think Arnel stole her!

 

[taysh075]

Hi, I know this thread has kinda finished but I wanted to add a couple of things.

First Steve, I'm beginning the journey of recovery with you and hope all is well.

Secondly, I requested my accounts to be closed with CW group via email. In less than 20 minutes I had a response wishing me well and confirming that my accounts and all of their properties (where I held them) were closed. I thought that was a pretty fast response.

 

[chuchu59]

Hi, I know this thread has kinda finished but I wanted to add a couple of things.

First Steve, I'm beginning the journey of recovery with you and hope all is well.

Secondly, I requested my accounts to be closed with CW group via email. In less than 20 minutes I had a response wishing me well and confirming that my accounts and all of their properties (where I held them) were closed. I thought that was a pretty fast response.

Just a thought for CW. Do not make the same mistake of dangling a free chip to players who want to quit or take a break. In Taysh075's case, maybe you could send her a gift/hamper to congratulate her on taking this hard decision. Something tangible, you get my drift.

 

[Antonia1953]

Addiction is a component of OCD and varies in degree of intensity from person to person. Obsession and compulsion navigates and undermines the desire to override temptation. You have to own your addiction and recognize that the problem lies within you and not in the object of your unhealthy desire. Anything or anybody that weakens your resolve to overcome self-destruction should be avoided, until one reaches the point of self-control. Unfortunately, some are never able to do so and struggle their entire life with the problem. For every self-confessed addict their is hundreds of others hiding in the closet, which is why their are not any reliable statistics on most addictions.

Club World's convoluted and often detached approach to customer service has always been a problem and it is not getting any better. Personally, I don't understand why anyone would tap-dance around the issue of addiction at any level. The CSRs should be trained to respond immediately and decidedly to any implication that anyone is possibly out of control, however, it is unrealistic to expect a CSR to read between the lines. He did not make it clear by his behavior or demeanor that he was an addict until the 10th. I do not believe his initial contact was clearly made in order to contain his habit. I think he was still simply looking for another free chip. Personally, I feel a gambling addiction should be handled sympathetically, but directly. If anyone requests accounts to be closed, then CLOSE THEM, then ask them frankly if they have a gambling addiction. If they acknowledge the addiction, then advise them that the closure will be permanent. I don't know why they are not providing the logs he has requested, nor, why a Rep has not responded to this request. Once again, they have skirted and not addressed a customer service issue. At the same time, the player is requesting the logs because he doesn't believe he has received fair play! He has not owned his addiction yet...he recognizes it, but he is still at the level of fluctuating between making excuses for his loses and recovering them. It is common behavior for an addict in the beginning stages of recovery and depending upon the person, it can take weeks, months or even years to move along. Takethemoney has been in this stage for a long time. He could have contacted Bryan directly and not posted his dispute over the logs, which is a player issue. I hope we give him as much support and understanding of his struggle with addiction from the Quit Gambling angle. Why post a player issue in the Quit Gambling forum?

Bryan, I believe this site is and always has been a call to integrity in the industry, as well as an income. You either have integrity or you don't-it is not complicated. It only gets complicated, when you are trying to do a balancing act. Club World is not responding to players in a timely or appropriate manner. Until they do, there will continue to be distrust, frustration and a lack of respect from their players. Why people continue to play there, thrusting themselves in the line of conflict, I do not understand. I have been told by US players, that it is because they are limited in where they can gamble online. So, they would rather submit themselves to a casino, that they do not trust, are not being paid in a timely manner from and does not respond to their service needs adequately… Why?