About 4 years ago I realised that if I didn't stop gambling that I would never have anything in life. I was losing money on machines, often over a ton a time and having to flog stuff like games consoles, guitars etc to replace the money to pay bils

I realised I needed to make a change and after a couple of failed attempts to stop I managed to finally quit. I didn't touch a bandit for 2 years I could even stand and watch mates play and see them lose a tenner etc without thinking "right it's gonna pay now, I'll bang some cash in".

That seems like a world away now.

Last night I lost yet more cash at my local over the road from my house. I pretty much only went there to gamble I realised afterwards, through my anger, that I'm totally hooked again, to the extent that it's potentially dangerous.

Plus when I lose I feel so bad, and so angry, mostly at myself for being so stupid.

I've got to get out of it, and this time it's got to be for good

If I can't shake it then I'm never gonna get anywhere in life, and it's so worng to lose money I can't afford and then have to borrow off others which then puts them out unfairly.

Dunno why I'm telling everybody on here...... just good to let it out and I guess that if people know I'm quitting it might make me a bit stronger in my resolve.

Thanks for reading folks

 

Suppose it's like any other addiction, you need something else to take your mind off it.

But with gambling it's all too easy to get into the "if I just put a bit more in" way of thinking, is when it gets you into trouble.

 

Best of luck to you chap!

 

a mate at work gave up using machines last year, i used to watch him put in Ł50 just over a lunch time .. i feel lucky never had any interest in gambling at all.. i just piss money up the wall other ways instead

only way to quit mate is keep away from them and the places that have em, good luck with quitting

 

dunno what to say

but your right... quit it completely or its GOING to ruin you

 

Mate, you're nearly there already. You've admitted to yourself that you have a problem. Thats the hardest thing to do. Now you can focus on beating it.

 

good luck mate.

its hard to be in a pub and not chuck your loose change in the machine just incase.
but the loose change is always followed by changing up notes as once youve put some in u feel robbed and wanna win it back.

and it just gets worse cos once u lose that tenner u wanna win that back. etc etc.


you done well to be able to watch your mates playing the machines and you not needing to!

if u done it before u can do it again!

GOOD LUCK

 

Yeah but for me that defeats the object. I stayed so strong for 2 years.... that's what disappoints me the most. I got into the "ah I'm only putting a bit in" mentality when I first started playing again. I feel as though I shouldn't have to stay away from pubs etc. I just need to be stronger and not play the bandits when I am in those places.

 

Hmm... been here, done this too... (Is there nothing bad that i havent been addicted too? )

Its hard, i used to do Ł100 - Ł200 a day a few years ago mate, i tell you, Blackpool is a shite place to live if you get addicted to fruit machines

Theres no easy way out, you simply have to stay away from the fookers IMO, and after a while, i found i stopped craving the buzz and at that point i could control their hold over me until it was no more.

Best of Luck, and when your out with us, i will personally make sure you stay away from the damn things

 

Yes mate, when you start changing notes etc, you think "well it's taken X amount now, it must be gonna pay something out soon..." and sometimes it doesn't.

I'm pretty good at getting a payout, I just don't sop. Last night I won back all my cash bar Ł2 when I had about a pound left. Then, instead of thinking "that was a lucky escape" I banged it into the next machine

How stupid eh? I probably could have made that pay out if I'd had more cash on me, but then again it might not have and I could have lost more.

 

Thankfully never had a prob like this even when i got to a casino the most i change up is Ł20 but i wish you the best of luck with this

 

Is it just fruit machines mate...

One thing me and Chip always joke about is the return of winning is ALWAYS written on the fruity. Just by the coin slot.. When you next get the urge, look at this and remind yourself that for every time you put Ł1 in your only going to get 80p out... I know that other people are putting money in but you never know when they last paid out...

Sorry it doesn't help much, and I do feel for you and understand how difficult it is to brake the cycle... Try focousing towards another project, and the only way you can fund the project is through using the money that you would for gabling.

 

Cheers Stu, I appreciate it.

I can imagine how hard living in Blackpool must be though when you're into all that. It's like sending someone who's trying to quit taking crack to live in a crack den

 

id watch my mate win 10-20 quid and then put it all back in again, couldnt understand the logic of that.. guess im just lucky i have no interest in em at all..

you can spend all your money in the bar buyin me drinks in april instead

 

always the way.
but at the end of the day, the house always wins!

i dont know anyone who plays the fruit machines who is up over all.

a mate of mine got hocked because he stuck 20 quid in 1 day and won over 100. the problem was that was the only time he had more than he started with, and within a week or 2 he had lost his 100 quid. plus a lot more.

Like some one said, youve done the hard bit, realised there is a problem. and also you know that nothing is guaranteed with them. even if they have been fed money all night and not paid out. it dont mean their gonna.

just remember that next time your thinking about playing one.

 

good idea! even if u get a jar and throw some change in it each time you would of played a machine.

it will soon build up and u can buy all ur consols back and something nice for u as well!

 

It's mostly machines. The only other thing I ever bet on is football. I don't do that a lot but for now I think I'm gonna drop that also. Just quit gambling altogether.

 

I need to start doing this with my drinking

 

There is your downfall.
These are AWP machines that are programmed to pay out a max of 78% over a programmed period which it learns, some are 8hrs some are 32, but they pay it in lumps. Now a PRO GAMBLER (I know one) can confuse its logic and actually make it pay out an excess due to you ignoring obvious wins, such as NOT holding the Jackpot, and NOT nudging in an obvious winning line, but Joe bloggs will just throw in his Ł100 and take back his Ł78. time after time after time if he is lucky... its scary. They are programmed to entice you with nudges and holds, and to drop you the odd win here and there but they are NEVER more than 5% down on their programmed takings, the payouts are what teh retail world know as "Loss Leaders" to keep you feeding in teh coins as you have a "Gut feeling" she is going to pay...

Now the "chance" bit comes into it very simply... if Joe Bloggs has just wanked his Ł99 in and you come along with only a Ł1, you may well be lucky and take the Ł78 winning streak it offers to keep its 78% programming correct, but hey, the next time your out you will likely put your Ł99 in and watch Joe Bloggs come along and take Ł78 of it with only a Ł1... its a vicious circle, but its a vicious circle that the machine is never a part of, it will ALWAYS end its day (Or programming period) 22% up on the punters, and on a Ł2000 input per machine day, its great money for an outfit with 3000 machines that have all made 22% of their individual Ł2k just for a bit of rent and electric...

As you may be able to tell, as normal, i studied the way AWP machines work as a way to fix my addiction. Always learning... lol

Get out Now Jay

 

You never cease to amaze me Stu, very interesting reading that, never knew there was so much in fruit machines

 

Yeah come on Jay listen to the Scoutmaster

 

Stu is spot on with his rendition I too add a VERY BIG issue with fruitys pumping weeks money into one in less than an hour

I worked in the pub game for a LONG time and watched people feeding machines with there weeks wage on a friday night

As said the ONLY winner is the machine it will always take its 22% day in day out , The average time for "Norming" where the machine ensures its paid out its 78% is now 18 Hours Rolling time

This means that they will always pay out at different times . I was told this by a bell fruit Technical Manager whcih is why you will see many payouts in a pub before they open ( the manager on shift will stick a couple of quid in and win quite well ) I often did this ,

The amount of "psychology spl... that goes into the behaviour of a fruit machine is VERY scary the lights flashing sequence isnt there to make it look pretty , The games style with Higher lower etc isnt there to add chance or luck to the game THey all have a clear purpose attract and retain the mug (you me stu and others have been) Remember why they are called ONE ARMED BANDITS too they used to have one arm that you pulled to operate them "one armed" ill let you figure the "bandit" bit out ???

The pub i ran did Ł20k a week in wet and dry sales turning around 3k profit and Ł700 a week PROFIT from 2 fruit machines that was just sat in the corners looking pretty


As many have said the hard bit is the admitance of the problem NOW just think about the fact that with the money your spunking there are many other "buzzs" you could pay for and I'm not talking illeagal shit either

Good luck x


Nige

 

good Luck fella i used to be a compulsive gambler and the first thing is to admit u have a problem....now as much as i laughed ta the idea i went to Gamblers Annonomous and they were SUPERB...very odd sittin in a room of strangers and standin up sayin Hi im Dan and i have a problem but it does help as u see people who have lost EVERYTHING family houses cars the lot through it and it makes u make sure your not gonna go the same way....TRUST ME mate the best tthnig you can do is contact them and there will be a place close to you...it is totally free all they ask for is a small donation..

another thing is tell your mates if they are real mates they will help you stop..

Good luck wit what you choose
remember there is always someone worse off than you

 

Okay Jay, you've got to stop em right now.

Three of us used to do it in Norwich semi-professionally, but those days are long gone now.

Back in the old days, you used to be able to identify certain machines which you could get to pay on a regular basis, by, as Stu suggests, confusing the logic. Anyone watching would think you were crazy going lower than a 3 or higher than a 10 on a 12 number reel, but it was only to trip the machine and ignore the small wins offered.

Unfortunately, most of the manufacturers took these machines out of circulation once they knew they could be much more easily cracked, and replced them with much more regular machines. Now we'd ALWAYS beat two machines in particular because of what we knew, but the feeling never went away, and falling victim to the typical gambler's addiction, we thought we could always beat the odds on any machine. Then of course they put them up to 30p a play, and started taking notes.

The turning point for me was when I got involved with the 4 reel machines, and threw Ł300 into one with not a penny return in under 4 hours. On of my mates sat me down, and managed to make me see a little perspective - such as, when we were all in the pub, I'd be straight on the machine, whilst everyone else would be sat having a drink/chat, and generally being sociable.

Now I still gamble, but I'm much more mathematical about my odds, which is why I only play skill games in the casion against other players where I KNOW I have an edge. When the odds are stacked in the house's favour, you WILL lose over time.

Biggest problem with fruity players is they always think they can beat the laws of probability and chance. We had an edge over two machines only, so we tilted the odds in our favour, but in any other scenario, we were huge underdogs to even break even. Notice too how fruity players will ALWAYS tell you about how they won Ł100 on jackpot and three repeats, but will never tell you about how it took Ł80 in to get it, OR about the Ł60 they lost in the same machine the week before.

It is a mug's game nowadays, and just not worth the time or money to be invested. I've been at the real highs and lows of this particular form of gambling, and trust me, just leave em well alone. In a few months, you'll wonder why you wasted so much time for such little return. Keep at it, and you'll end up like that Fast Show character constantly advising the stranger to "hold the left reel" etc

 

wise words pon

Nige

 

BS,

i dont really know you from adam, but.

You gotta just give up gambling on the football as well.

if you dont give that up, then the temptation will ALWAYS be there.

I feel somewhat hypocritical as i havent been addicted to anything like this, but im sure the common sense would prevail.

GET OUT, STAY OUT, BE HAPPY.

 

I'd feel well weird going there..... I always feel as though I want to do things on my own.

As for a donation, I might be able to put Ł2 in their bucket, eh Stu?

 

Doing things on your own is pretty hard tho, as you only have you to stop you / advise you. At least in the company of others, or with the backing of others, you stand a better chance..

 

Some good advice there peeps, fruity's are always a temptation, back when I was 17 me and my m8 used to hammer the fruity's in the local pubs, throw in a tenner a peice and go halves on the outcome. As said, you can study and fool the machines, and there are some helpful websites that can help you. But they won't guarantee you a 100% payout.

Nowadays, i throw in a couple of quid, if I get no return on 3 quid, or at the most a lady, i walk away. Sometimes to the next machine, but generally I walk away.

It's hard to do, but you'll feel better in the end.

Guy at work at the moment's skint due to gambling. Horses, football, fruit machines, all sorts

 

i havent had teh time to read everyone response so apologies!

But Jay - if it helps to write it here then thats great - good luck to sorting it out huni

T xx

 

Is that Dave(Dan) ???

 

Poor guy

I remember before the first time I quit. Used to go on dogs, horses, football, machines. WOuld go to the bookies all the time with my ex best mate who was always my gambling partner originally. This bloke was in there and I was gutted cause I'd love about Ł50, which was a lot to me then. Still is!

I said tot he uy "I can't believe it.... just lost Ł25 (on the last bet)". The guy went nuts and started saying that was nothing, he'd lost Ł400 and it was his rent for the next month

It was funny but also felt bad for him being in so deep.

 

Buy yer sen a fruit machine, my brother got one for about Ł100, you have the key, just keep recycling yer winnings, simple!

Or try focusing on something you really want in life, like when i bought my Cossy at 24 yr old i was prepared to cut out the booze etc to pay for it. Hope things work out for you!

 

Good luck Jay!

 

Walk up to the machine and read the "average payout amount"

If its less than 100% it means you will lose money, if its greater than 100% you will gain money.

Dont play ANY of the ones that are less than 100%


Problem solved.

 

 

 

I used to have a bit of a problem with gambling.

Never been one for machines but Blackjack was my game.

Fookin' good feeling walking out of the Casino Ł500 richer than when you walked in.
Unfortunately you walk out Ł500 down alot more often

Definately a mugs game and for me there is no inbetween.
These days, with the exception of one line wednesday & Friday on the lottery, I will not gamble. Ever.

In fact some friends went down to the Casino a few months ago. I cashed up Ł50, walked round the tables a few times and then cashed the Ł50 back in.

You know it's a problem which is the main thing so stop completely. It's your decision at the end of the day.

 

Good luck bro, reading the replies on here i would say you've got alot of help and encouragement, good luck bro