Gambling addiction, crime and debt #problemgambling

This is an email I sent today, and I wanted to share on here omitting the recipient of course ;)

Sorry for the delay in reply, I have a lot going on right now and I wanted to be able to write to you with a clear head.

Firstly its really encouraging that there are people around who care for their neighbours, and that even though you are not a gambler yourself you can see the damage it is doing, not just to the addicts but to the whole community.

I will speak a little from my experience; everywhere I have lived I have maxed out every time on debt to fund my gambling addiction. In my twenties I was committing crime to the tune of £10,000s a month, not something I am in the slightest bit proud of. (I won't go into details other than to say it was of non violent nature.)

The problem for me has always been electronic gambling, so slots, FBOTs, mobile phone, TV and Internet gambling. I knew I had a problem in my early twenties (20 years ago now) but there was scant help around at the time and the drive to gamble was far stronger than the support I could find. but believe you me I was crying out for help.

Gambling has been my entire life, I moved around all over the place ditching friends when things became too hot. I borrowed money off anybody who'd lend to me to fuel my addiction, and so in the end I was constantly running and starting again. As a consequence I feel pretty lonely in my life today.

As gambling was my total life from about the age of 11, I didn't participate in normal activities with other children nor did I acquire hobbies. So now that I no longer gamble it is still a massive struggle to fill time, plus years of smashing the repeat bet button has its toll on my ability to keep still or focus at times.

I started a new life out of the UK (in my thirties) and repeated all the same mistakes with internet gambling and VLTs (same thing as FOBTs) and in the process lost my flat, and all my possessions. So what, its only material shit I know. So i live on the goodwill of my wife's parents for now but I am not living together with my wife and son. She is at her mums and I am at her dads.

Where we are currently there is no safety net, so no housing benefit or income support so if you have nothing you have nothing. I am unemployable it seems in Central Europe, I suspect in part because of my gambling addiction being now well known about in HR circles. Well I have sent over 1,000 CV applications and had 2 interviews and no job offers. And I don't believe that I'm completely incapable.

I say this not because I feel sorry for myself but because there is absolutely no need for anybody to go through what I have been through. I want people to know the consequences and I want the government and regulators to sit up and listen to stories like mine.

1. FOBTs or their equivalent are highly addictive, and they should be in highly controlled and regulated environments. In my view in casinos only and with 24 hour minimum wait on membership requirement.
2. Internet gambling needs to be taxed at point of access not supply and the EU should come together in my opinion to make this happen. 
3. Credit cards should be prohibited for internet gambling transactions.
4. Minimum age for gambling should be at least 18 and possibly 21.

This would go a very long way to making gambling safer for the vulnerable, and far more than self exclusion which just puts all the responsibility on the person with the gambling addiction/sickness and none on the betting establishment.

When gambling becomes an addiction the end game is that it will likely be funded by crime or running up debts, totally undesirable consequences on the general public that would be substantially reduced by changing the law as per the points above.

I am no longer ashamed to speak out about my addiction, nor to discuss where it led me, only by speaking out can we hope to continue to raise the profile of gambling addiction and be successful in achieving gambling reform.

My battle still continues, I can't find work, I don't have a permanent place to live with my family, my personal relationships and particularly with my wife are extremely strained, I'm in a very big financial mess, I am constantly changing and trying to change/adapt my approach to find the way forward. I will prevail, I know it but gambling recovery is fucking hard and lonely whatever anybody says.

The gambling industry are mercenary opportunists who couldn't care less about my plight or the plight of other addicted persons who make up the bulk of their profits.

Thank you for caring, and for listening, please keep up the fight for gambling reform.

I apologize when I am not always responsive but sometimes I am alone in my thoughts and company.

Best Regards,

Tony aka GamblingHurts (a lot)