Sure, it happens all the time. In fact it’s a big part of why we make so much money. Seems a bit counter-intuitive, doesn’t it? But it really isn’t. Don't worry i'm not going back, so please no long speeches about trying to convince me to stop. Here's the deal, a few months ago i went on a 3 day gambling streak, i'm 19 and it was my first time. Anyways in the end i ended up losing a lot of money (half my money at the time), 2900 $ to be exact. I'm a student who lives alone so i support myself, and don't come from a wealthy background so.

It’s happened to every gambler.

• Once all of your money is gone, it’s best just to wa lk away. Don’t look back and don’t stop to the ATM to take out even more money. It’s best that you just walk right out of the casino or leave the comfort of your computer chair and just forget about what just happened.
• Lost All Money Casino Well, let’s say you deposited €100 and got another €100. Now you have €200 to play with. If you bet €200 on colour in Roulette you basically have Lost All Money Casino 49% chance to win €400 when only risking €100 of your own money. If you win, then you head to the slots and bet pretty decent stakes in order.
• I lost a lot of money at casinos for 9 years in a row, and finally had to quit, maxed out credit cards and lines of credit, i actually quit for about 13 months, and was doing good,but then started all over again, im back at square one,and need help and have to learn to quit all over again.

You enter the casino full of hope and excitement. The machines are buzzing, the tables are hopping, and you want to get in on the action. You have a plan – or maybe you don’t. You put your money in the shiniest slot machine, or you pick a table that looks promising.

A few hours later, your pockets are empty, and you’re left wondering what happened.

If you find this happening every time you visit the casino, then it might be time to rethink your gambling strategy and approach. Bearing in mind that the house always has an advantage, you can focus on playing games that give you the lowest house edge.

You can also focus on managing the most important factor in gambling:

Yourself.

Here are a few reasons why you’re leaving the casino with empty pockets or a lighter purse:

You’re Picking the Wrong Games

Picking a game is part of the fun of gambling.

Lost All My Money At Casino

Will this game be the one that gives you that big payout you’re looking for?

Maybe.

If you’re hitting the same machines or table games and consistently losing, it might be time to change things up.

One thing to consider is the house edge. That’s a statistical prediction of how much (on average) you’ll lose on every bet over the long run. In the short run, anything can happen, but in the long run, your average will near the statistical prediction.

Generally, the lower the house edge, the better your chances of walking away a winner.

As table games go, blackjack offers the best odds in the casino. Typically, the house edge is less than 1%, and it’s often lower than that. This assumes that you’re using perfect basic strategy, though.

Video poker machines have a house edge of 3%, and sometimes much less. This also assumes that you’re playing with optimal strategy.

Slot machines have a 5%-30% house edge. You don’t have to worry about strategy when playing slots, though.

Keno has a house edge of 30% or more. There’s no good strategy for keno, either.

It can be intimidating to switch up your game, but it’s worth the effort. You can make the transition easier by staying with a game that’s close to your comfort zone.

Here’s an example:

You usually play slot machines. You switch to video poker. The lower house edge means that over time, it costs you a lot less to play.

If you’re intimidated by social gambling, try to find a table that isn’t crowded.

Or, go to the casino at a time when it isn’t as busy.

If you’re uncomfortable at a specific table, find a different table.

If you must play slot machines, choose machines where you can afford to bet the maximum. Higher bets improve your odds on some machines. Make sure to pay close attention to the denomination and your total overall bet so you don’t get over your head.

If you’re a keno player, keep your bets small. The house advantage is huge. You might win less, but you’ll also lose less.

You’re Picking the Wrong Casinos

Don’t get me wrong–the house edge on games is similar from casino to casino.

Some factors vary, though, and they could help you leave with money in your pocket.

When you have a choice of casinos, choose the one with the best rewards program. The definition of “best” varies, but you’ll want to look at how quickly you earn points. You should also think about how much free play you can earn with your points. Free play gives you more money to spend, and it’s always better to gamble with someone else’s money.

Also pay attention to what discounts you get with your card.

Do you get a percentage off from food purchases?

How often do they give you comps like free hotel stays?

If you’re spending money on food and drinks while you’re there, go where you get the best deals, and lower the cost of your overall casino experience.

One factor that varies from casino to casino is the table limits – your minimum and maximum bets. Some casinos may have higher minimum bets on table games than you might be comfortable with. Or, the slot machines may have higher maximums than you prefer.

Before you start playing, walk around and see what bets are offered at what limits.

If it’s more than you planned on gambling, you’ll be better off heading elsewhere.

You Don’t Have a Plan

You wander into the casino. You sit at whatever game suits your fancy. You take money out of the ATM multiple times.

But you don’t have a plan.

Have a plan for how much you’re going to gamble, and how you’re going to gamble it. Ideally, you should withdraw money from your bank before you set foot into a casino. Casino ATMs charge ridiculous fees for withdrawing money.

Don’t take more money than you can afford to lose. Use money that you’ve allocated for entertainment – not money you need to pay the rent.

If you’re gambling with money you need, the whole experience becomes much more stressful. Gambling should be fun, not stressful. Keep your bankroll to a reasonable amount that you feel comfortable with.

If the temptation to withdraw more money is too much for you, get money from the bank before you go to the casino, and then leave your credit and debit cards at home.

Once you have your money, break it up into smaller bankrolls. It’s much easier to gamble away $100 if you’ve put $100 into a machine. Break up your bills into smaller denominations to manage your betting. Get smaller denominations of chips so you’re not tempted to bet beyond your means.

If you win, walk away. Don’t put it back. Get in your car and go to the bank. If you must continue playing, decide exactly how much you’re going to play and stick to it.

Most importantly, resist the temptation to deviate from your plan. It’s one of the worst feelings in the world to gamble more than you intended to, or to win a decent payout and give it all back to the casino.

You Don’t Know the Game

Blackjack is a strategy game, so if you don’t know basic strategy, you will hurt yourself in the long run. Knowing basic strategy improves your odds of winning and lowers the house edge. You can familiarize yourself with the game before you go by playing free games at an online casino.

If you prefer to learn in person, go to the casino when it’s not busy. Find a table that’s not crowded, and familiarize yourself with the game.

Although slot machines are random, it’s important to know the payouts on the machine you’re playing. If the payouts aren’t listed on the machine, look for the payout table on the machine itself.

It also never hurts to do a little research. Pay attention to how different slot machines are paying out. Simpler machines have tendency to pay more frequently, though the payouts might be lower. Look for 3-reel machines that are in a denomination you’re comfortable with.

Craps can seem complicated. It has multiple bets that you can make. There are pass line bets, odds bets, and come and don’t come bets. You can familiarize yourself with craps via an online casino, or, better yet, find an experienced player who’s willing to explain the ins and outs of the game.

If you stick with the simplest craps bets, the house edge is surprisingly low.

When betting on sports, do your homework before you bet. How has the team been performing? Who’s not able to play in the upcoming game?

Knowing how a game works helps with your planning. It also makes sure that your odds are the best they can be. That, in turn, increases your odds of leaving the casino with money in your pocket.

You Bet Too Much

Lost Money At Casino

It can be tempting to bet big.

After all, if you want to win big, you should bet big, right?

That can happen, but it’s much more likely that you’ll be heading home sooner than you planned because you’re out of money.

Consider how much you’re planning to spend overall.

Here’s an example:

You plan to gamble $300. You could play a dollar slot machine, with a max of $3, and you’ll have at least 100 chances to bet.

Or you could play a $5 machine with a max of $15, and you’ll have 20 chances.

Even though you may not win as much playing the smaller maximum, you probably won’t lose as much either.

You can keep playing longer, and that’s the fun part, right?

Similarly, find a table game with a minimum you can handle. Give yourself the best chance to win. The more hands you can play, the better.

Resist the temptation to increase your bet sizes just because you’re winning. Slot machines are random, and what you won before has no effect on what you’re going to win on the next spin. Dice are also random.

It might seem like the game is hot, but that can change in an instant. Stick to your plan, and keep your betting steady.

With blackjack, if you’re a more advanced player, you may be able to count cards and know when to bet bigger. But if you’re a newer player, resist the temptation to increase your bets.

You Play to Recover Your Losses

You’ve been playing for a while, and you’re down. You’ve got to make up your losses. It can seem like the logical thing to bet bigger.

After all, you need to recover what you’ve lost, right?

This is another time you need to use logic over emotion.

The game doesn’t know you’re down, and it’s not going to pay you any better because you’ve lost some money. The odds are still the same.

To minimize your losses, you need to stick to your plan. Keep your bets at a level that you’re comfortable with.

If you must make a change, move to a different machine or a different table, but not one with a higher bet.

Better yet, take a break. Walk outside, get something to eat, or have a drink. Then return with a clear head and see what happens.

You Don’t Take Care of Yourself

It’s so easy to get caught up gambling. Before you know it, the sun’s gone down (or come up), and you haven’t eaten in hours. Your throat is dry and your head hurts.

To make good decisions while gambling, you need to take care of yourself. If you need to, set alarms on your phone to remind you to get up and get something to eat. Have a drink. Take a walk outside.

Sitting for a long time isn’t healthy, either. Stand up, stretch, and sit back down refreshed and ready to play.

What To Do If You Lost All Your Money Gambling

If you’re drinking, keep an eye on how much. Intoxication will not help you make good gambling decisions.

If you’re tired, hungry, and cranky, you can get erratic in your play. Your blackjack strategy might slip. You might not hold the right cards when you’re playing video poker. Most importantly, you stop having fun.

Take care of yourself and keep your gambling experience fun.

Conclusion

Even the most seasoned gamblers can sometimes get caught up in the game. Don’t beat yourself up for coming home empty handed. It happens.

What’s important to consider is your overall gambling.

How much did you win or lose over the past month?

Or the last 6 months?

If you review your gambling and find your losses to be more than you anticipated, consider changing things up. If you’re uncertain of what games you might enjoy, try an online casino to get a sense of how different games work and what strategies work the best.

Do your research. Ideally, do this before you head out to the casino. If you bet on sports, check stats on the internet before you place your bets. Most casinos also have their rewards programs online, so you can see what they offer and take full advantage of it.

Most importantly, stick to your plan. Keep your betting steady, and don’t take out more money to win back what you’ve lost. It’s better to take some time and return with a full stomach and a clear head.

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• This topic has 256 replies, 37 voices, and was last updated 4 years, 9 months ago by .

• Hello, I’m Adam. I’ve just signed up to this site after advice from Katie on the live chat. I’ve been gambling since I was probably 13/14. Slot machines are my thing. I would go to the arcade at dinner time when I went to school, or into town on the weekends to spend all my pocket money.
  I guess I graduated to more serious money when I left school and got a job in a pub glass collecting. I’d be happy to lose 20, 30 quid on the bandit even if that was a big percentage of my wages. As I got older I was promoted to the bar and eventually assistant steward. As the position went up, the wages went up, the gambling went up. The inclusion of a £1 a spin machine at work proved too tempting and I was regularly losing hundreds.
  More recently I’d signed up to Betfred to try my hand at gambling away from work. Once again, video slots were my thing. Started easy with £2 a spin, but it gradually grew and grew. £10 a spin, £20, £40. Soon I was losing £100 with every spin of the reels. I recently lost £11,000 from a£17,000 life savings account. I was destroyed. So imagine my delight when I managed to win and build it back up to £20,000. That should of been the end of it. But for the fact I’m here, we all know it wasn’t. I lasted roughly 1 week before I was gambling again. £100 a spin. I lost £11,500 over a week or so. I lost the final £8,500 in around 20 minutes yesterday.
  I’m absolutely mortified to say the least. I’ve no idea where to go from here. That money was supposed to go towards a new house next year. This is where my problems lie. I can’t bare the thought of telling my parents who have basically wiped my arse for 30 years. It’s all going to come out eventually when I try to get a mortgage and they check my financial history. Further still, my girlfriend who has always struggled financially, will never understand. She’s thousands in debt herself, so she’ll never be able to come to terms with me losing £8,000 in 20 minutes. I just can’t face them. I’m basically eyeing up as much stuff in my possession that I have to sell. Try and claw some of it back. If I saved £200 of my wages every week, I’ll get it back in about 100 weeks. That’s just never going to happen.

  I think I’m going to have to settle into this depression…

  Hello and thanks for starting a thread in the Gambling Therapy forums

  Here at Gambling Therapy we pride ourselves on being a caring and diverse online community who can help and support you with the difficulties you’re currently facing. We understand that this might be a tough time for you, particularly if you’re new to recovery, so come here as often as you need to and participate in the forums, access online groups and connect to the live advice helpline if you need one to one support. We’re in this together!

  Here on the forum you can share your experiences in a safe, supportive and accepting environment. The beauty of writing it all down is that you can take your time and you will be creating a record of your progress that you can look back on if it ever feels like you’re not moving forward. So, share as much or as little as you like but do try to stick to keeping just one thread in this forum so people know where to find you if they want to be updated on your progress or share something with you.

  And on that note….

  I’m going to hand you over to our community because I’m sure they will have some words of wisdom for you 🙂

  Take care

  The Gambling Therapy Team

  
  PS: Let me just remind you to take a look at our
  privacy policy and terms and conditions so you know how it all works!
  

  Hey Adam, thanks for sharing and welcome to the forum. I was never able to hold onto the money I had available neither. I could never leave a loser. I would either be up for the session and quit or gamble, stepping up if necessary, to the bitter end.
  I was well aware of this and I made a good portion of my money unavailable / not easily accessible to me. It was in an account in a different country where it would take 2 or 3 days for it to clear into my current account and only then I could use it for gambling. In addition to that the amount I was able to transfer on any single day was limited.
  So whenever I was steaming out of my ears (which was often) I could only lose the money I had available and never the money that was put aside. By the time I transferred the money back to my current account and it cleared I wouldn’t be steaming so badly. Also, whenever I won anything meaningful I would wire it to the account I didn’t have an easy access to.

  Anyway that money you had is gone and you can’t have it back. It is no longer yours. What you can do is make sure you don’t lose more. Actually you can make sure you never lose another penny. Easier said than done, I know. I’ve been fighting my demons for decades and I gambled as recently as yesterday. Go figure.

  I would recommend that you read “the easy way to stop gambling” by allen carr. It is quite a good book.

  Out of curiosity, you mentioned in your post that you’re waiting for a bonus / cashback money from BetFred and if you got it you weren’t sure whether you would gamble with it or cash it out. Were you serious? Did you honestly think there was a slightest chance you would not gamble with it? I’m not trying to rub it in or anything, I just think it’s highly unlikely you honestly thought you would not gamble the money readily available in your betting account. Not to mention the fact that you probably can’t cash out bonus money till you meet their betting requirements (i. e. betting 8x the bonus amount).

  Good luck. And make sure you come here often and post often. you will find it helpfull I’m sure.

  Adam, I feel for your story. It is so similar to mine and I guess many others. It is the worst feeling in the world. Over 3 years of gambling (poke), quitting, relapsing, losing etc etc I have lost my life savings but more importantly my self respect. Now my busienss is in trouble, my marriage is over and I have to rebuild. I read so many blogs by ex gambler and they all say the same things. Take one day at a time and be kind to yourself. We all make mistakes, god knows I have. Over the last few weeks I have been deep in remorse for so many things, but that is gettng me nowhere. No one’s life is perfect, far from it, and we all —- up. I am trying now to move on, be kind to myself and rebuild what I have lost. My life will never be the same again, but hopefully now it will be better and so will yours.

  Keep posting whenever you need – don’t keep thoughts in your head, it is much better to get them out. The great thing about this site is that you can then see what you wrote and where you were at a certain time.

  All my love to you and yours.

  Adam, I feel for your story. It is so similar to mine and I guess many others. It is the worst feeling in the world. Over 3 years of gambling (poke), quitting, relapsing, losing etc etc I have lost my life savings but more importantly my self respect. Now my busienss is in trouble, my marriage is over and I have to rebuild. I read so many blogs by ex gambler and they all say the same things. Take one day at a time and be kind to yourself. We all make mistakes, god knows I have. Over the last few weeks I have been deep in remorse for so many things, but that is gettng me nowhere. No one’s life is perfect, far from it, and we all —- up. I am trying now to move on, be kind to myself and rebuild what I have lost. My life will never be the same again, but hopefully now it will be better and so will yours.

  Keep posting whenever you need – don’t keep thoughts in your head, it is much better to get them out. The great thing about this site is that you can then see what you wrote and where you were at a certain time.

  All my love to you and yours.

  Hi Adam, why not close that gambling account? Better yet, why not ask them to ban you? The n you won’t keep getting those tempting bonuses.

  The finances will take care of themselves if you stop gambling. Trying to keep things hidden will make it harder for you to do that. In fact trying to keep things hidden can in itself send someone gambling as they try and recoup hidden losses or pay hidden debts.

  What positive steps can you take? A blocker for your PC so you can’t reopen that gambling account or find another one? Someone to hold your money? Getting to GA meetings?

  Keep posting and let us know what positive steps you are taking.?

  Hi Adam,

  As hard as it is, it’s better for you to come clean and tell your parents and girlfriend what you’ve done. The initial shock and upset it will cause will eventually lead to what they can do constructively to help you repair the damage. In my experience, if you keep it a secret and exist in this secret world of gambling, you’ll only continue to chase losses and compound the problem further.

  I’ve self excluded myself form many online gaming sites and now can’t access most of them for 5 years. You can also set daily gaming limits to reduce losses. Again, it’s not a perfect solution because it’s best that you don’t gamble at all, but added to other measures it helps.

  I have still found ways to gamble, that is why I’m on this forum and seeking outside help, but you still have family and people close to you that can support you, care for you and guide you through this, so don’t shut them out. I let things escalate so far that I’ve pushed everyone close to me away, so I speak from experience. This fight is hard enough with the help of loved ones, but it’s far, far more difficult if you stand alone in isolation like I do.

  You may think that you have the ability to win all your losses back before anyone finds out, but even if you do, you’ll think that you can go again and next time win big. I have won tens of thousands of pounds over the years and hardly ever quit while I was winning. I always pushed my luck further and further until I eventually lost everything. There’s never a happy ending to gambling, it always ends in misery.

  I wish you all the best and hope you find the strength to confide in loved ones.

  Take care,

  Charlster2

  Hi Adam it is good you are wanting to stop. I would say you need to self exclude yourself from that online casino today! If you dont the odds are you will deposit again. Keeping it open means that possibly somewhere deep down you know you will gamble again!

  Exclude and do it now and exclude from any other casinos you may have open. Then install blocking software on your pcs to block ALL casinos. Without this you could stumble again. Wishing you all the best!!!

  Hi Adam,

  I can relate to what you’re saying. There are many times when I could have cashed out and won thousands, but because I had won large amounts in the past and because of how much I’ve lost over the years it was never enough. I always push my luck to the brink until I eventually lose everything.

  Not long ago I was £12000 up playing online roulette and all I did was increase my stake so I was spinning £200+ a spin, and in no time I lost the lot. That has happened to me on many occasions, I very rarely cash out when I’m winning. I gamble with trepidation and fear now, there’s no fun factor in it. I know I can’t afford to gamble a penny, yet I gamble every last penny I have on an all too regular basis!

  Just to pick up on something you said at the end of your latest post about you not deserving help, believe me, asking for help now and coming clean is the best thing you can do. You’re £17000 down at the moment, when do you think you’ll qualify for help and understanding, when you’re £50000 down, £100000 down? Now is the time to gather those close to you and meet this problem as a collective rather than face it in silence alone.

  Others may have a different view point, but from my experience, I can only say it as I see it. At the moment £17000 seems a ridiculously large amount to lose, but in hindsight, if I had come clean when my losses were only £17000, I would still have my house, still probably have my long term relationship in tact and wouldn’t be the complete wreck I am today.

  Use your family, girlfriend and friends for support sooner rather than later, don’t try to sort this out on your own.

  I obviously wish you all the best and hope that you stay strong day to day. Keep it going, you’re doing great.

  Take care,

  Charlster2

  i wanted to buy one but I’m not sure? would I be able to un-install it? cause if I can then i will.so ill be wasting my money?

  Just a note on blocking software. Gamblock is virtually impossible to uninstall unless you have very good coding / programmings skills and even then it can go horribly wrong and totally mess the system. Others I wont comment on. But gamblock is about as strong as it gets. Basicially when it is installed on your system ALL sites related to casinos/gambling are blocked including gaming forums and such like.

  Nothing is ever 100% but it can give you another layer of cover and protection. But the real quitting starts from within. Self excluding from casinos is at the basic level and is a must in my book for any person who is struggling with an online based gambling addiction. But hey thats just me.