When did it all go wrong for you?

[neon claws]

When I was 16 I went to the pub and lost $50 and was absolutely devastated, I remember I felt like such a fool.

When I was 21 I moved to the city and my new girlfriend took me to the casino, it was like a dream, the lights, the potential, I won $210 on blackjack and from that point I was hooked.

She was a very good girlfriend but I ended up just spending more and more time at this wondrous palace of flashing lights and free drinks and eventually she fell by the wayside as did about another dozen girlfriends to follow.

I've now been gambling for longer in my life than not, and am married and have it under control, I still lose disgusting amounts of money ($6,700 tonight, $54,000 in a night at my worst) but have enough businesses to be able to do it, but it still stings.

Pinpointing the exact moment it all went wrong is difficult.. was it that moment I walked into the casino, saw the thousands of flashing lights, smelt the chlorine of the water fountain with my life ahead of me? Was it further back when I was a kid dumping a weeks allowance into the Skill Tester to win yet another stupid stuffed animal?

Maybe there was no set moment and it's just an ongoing comical catastrophe of patiently ridiculous decisions.. just constantly falling down the stairs of life thinking that at any moment you're going to somehow start falling upwards.

 

[BrianGhattas]

When they opened The Casino Du Hull (now Casino Lac Leamy) in 1996. It’s been a mostly unlucky 24 years since. That’s gambling for you.

The online gambling started in 2001 but not in earnest until 2015.

 

[irish-ranger]

Maggies snooker Hall 2p tuppenny nudgers as a 10 year old and it's been all down hill fer the last 38 years allbeit with the Odd hight chucked in..

 

[snorky510238]

The day I was born.

 

[Mouche12]

Oh, come on Snorky!

I started online gambling in 2006. Funny thing is that I had only visited land-based casinos four or five times in my life prior to that. Started with table games (roulette) and wandered off to slots, which became my favourite recipe for disaster.

 

[dionysus]

I still just look at the casino as to an equiv 'night in'
Before, younger years, was a club, then bar, then pub
Now, a few drinks, a night of spinning - costs around the same.
Treat it as a Friday night entertainment expense

 

[ternur]

I still just look at the casino as to an equiv 'night in'
Before, younger years, was a club, then bar, then pub
Now, a few drinks, a night of spinning - costs around the same.
Treat it as a Friday night entertainment expense

So in other words, drinking (=fun)?

Yeah, I can get behind that idea! By definition, that would also mean things are on the right track and have not gone wrong at all.

I didn't read the whole thread. But it's about drinking, right?

 

[snorky510238]

The day I was born.

It saves elaborating. We can recall first instances of gambling but I consider it an illness/genetic fault, whatever you want to call it. It was always our destiny from day 1, at what age it becomes a problem or gains ones own recognition may vary but is just a matter of time.

It became a problem for me at the age of 10, whilst on the family holiday, where I would spend the whole day in the amusement arcade. Even if I had no money, I would watch others or hope some two pence pieces from the push machine fell independently and I would be the nearest.

Obviously at that age you wouldn’t recognise it as a problem and neither would I, for another thirty years and only then because I had no money left to gamble with. I spent the next 10 going through hell as I struggled to get in under control and the biggest part of me thought I never would.

Now I still have the odd day where I spend a little more than I budgeted for but the experience and discipline I have when it comes to withdrawing and not playing it back when I win more than offsets that. Like I say though it took me years to achieve and I can’t say it was worth it.

 

[neon claws]

and I can’t say it was worth it.

I wonder how many people here would push the "blow up all pokies" button if such a thing were possible...

 

[bamberfishcake]

Its not gone wrong for me yet. When it does I wont blame myself and i will blame the Hippies!

I have been very lucky when it comes to gambling.

Edit: @neon claws well done for having enough successful businesses to cover those kind of losses. Don't ever let the gambling tip the scales for you!

 

[lewisnadasurf]

I would never say I was addicted. I would say I would of had stupid sessions when I chased on credit cards and before I know it I was £1-2k in. Some days I would come out lucky, other days I wouldn’t. I wouldn’t just say it was gambling, my money management as a young adult was terrible. I would use a CC to go out 3 times a week (cash) then struggle to even pay minimum every month.

I took out a massive loan as a 19 year old to clear the first lot of debt. Then I did it again when I was 23/24.

by the time I managed to pay off that loan when I was 28 or so, my gambling was limited and I grew up. Had 2 kids and own my own house.

I strongly believe that gambling should be at least 21 (if not 25) same with the use of a credit card. It’s too easy to do yourself over. I also strongly
Believe there should be classes in school around day to day money management and real world stuff. Because to this day, I still haven’t need to know the periodic table symbol for Lead or need to work out what the square root of 12million is.

 

[Kenji85]

That's an interesting point @lewisnadasurf
Gambling being prohibited until 21 if not more.

The culture I grew up in, in south of ireland was one of letting kids as young as 5 or 6 play the 2p machines in the arcades or have a bet on the grand national so the seed can be sewn from a very young age really.

When you look at it logically it's easier (theoretically) to hide being addicted to gambling than to say drugs or alcohol. Restrictions to 21 would be an idea I would be all for to save the next generation so to speak. Credit Cards should be 100% from all gambling transactions. that is literally gambling with money that is not yours.

As a broader point I totally agree money management should be added to the curriculum in schools. Link it to business studies or whatever if need be. The more educated we make ourselves. The better choices we make.




FWIW my first bet in a bookies was on Ivanisevic to beat Pat Rafter 3-2 in the final at Wimbledon many moons ago it won and I got the princely sum of £11 those 11 irish punt probably cost me million since lol.