Giving up the fruit machines for 2010

[wearecity]

Well, this years thread is virtually done and dusted, thankfully at least one of us managed it, but others of us didn't.

So I know it's a bit early, but after seeing Tellerward's post in the 2009 thread, I thought we'd get prepared a few days early and get things up and running asap and give people a chance to shovel in those last pound coins if they must and be ready to start now or at least from January 1st.

So if you're determined to beat the addiction let's here from you now.

I for one am definately going to try again and hopefully manage it this time, I might have one last small gamble between now and the end of the year (my usual weekly for the past month £25 on Paddy Power), but then it's my intention to say that is that once again.

[chippytea]

I've had a far better year than some previous years. The times I did lose control were basically when I'd been stupid (often drunk / angry) and just thought I'd have the odd fiver, which inevitably snowballed into a much larger amount.

Anyway, I'd say that my total losses on machines over 2009 were about £800. I know that's still FAR too much, but it was a couple of events which really did the damage, Bridlington and Peterborough (both £300+ in single days).

I'm more aware than ever that I simply can't go into an adult gaming environment, and behave responsibly, so just won't bother.

Let's see if I can make it 365 days with no lapses

[jimmymac]

I honestly cant remember the last time I played on a machine, in fairness I was always really just a casual player and not quite in the situation some people have been. At the most I would be the kind of person who would buy a pint in a pub with a tenner and then plough the change in a machine, it meant that the average night out would probably end up costing me £40-50 more than it should have done if I lost but nothing catastrophic.

At uni I did go through a spate of hitting the arcades for around a year, I would cash cheques there which I didnt really have the money for but was covered by a cheque guarantee card meaning I was constantly over my student overdraft limit.

I cant think that I have played a machine now though for a good few years or more, not even the odd couple of quid anymore. Quite frankly looking at some of the machines in pubs now I dont think i'd even have a clue what to do, my interest really dissapeared after we saw clone upon clone of DOND in every place.

To those that still find it a problem I wish you all the best and sincerely hope that you conquer it

[Tommy C]

Well i too am gonna give it a try again this new year and see what the results are on my bank balance.I've totted up what i've lost in the fruities this year and i'm afraid it's to much for me to post publically what it is.So heres to giving it another bash hopefully without failure this time.

[Tellerward]

I am definitely in. I haven't got anymore money to waste in the arcades, which is and isn't a bad thing.
I must have wasted a max of 10k this year, which is unforgiveable as I could have used the money to pay off the debts that I owe my parents.

I don't enjoy playing them anymore.

Good riddance. Roll on 2010 and the knowledge that I haven't wasted 1 more penny.

[Untitled]

Well good luck fellas.

[c90nutter]

Well, in 2009 I only put £1 in some DOND skill machine, didnt lead me onto playing again so I can prouldy say ive got it out of my system

All it takes is a hobby

[Booked_moss]

Fucking quitters.

You never stuck anything out you will always be failures and never complete anything.
Quitting bastards!!!!!!

Might join in your 2010 quitting.

[Echo]

Trying not to sound uppity, but what is it that attracts those who still have lapses on the fruities?

The £70 JPers in Wetherspoons look comedically shit, why anyone would want to shovel cash in to try and force bigger return is beyond my comprehension - it's utter suicide!

[Nemmie]

Trying not to sound uppity, but what is it that attracts those who still have lapses on the fruities?

The £70 JPers in Wetherspoons look comedically shit, why anyone would want to shovel cash in to try and force bigger return is beyond my comprehension - it's utter suicide!

This is something that baffles me as well.

I think they must get big wins at some point to keep the addiction flowing either that or the manufacturers have finally perfected hypnotism using fruit machine lights.

Anyway good luck people. I will be sure to pop up and throw some insults around if you fail.

[Spectrum Analysis]

Trying not to sound uppity, but what is it that attracts those who still have lapses on the fruities?

The £70 JPers in Wetherspoons look comedically shit, why anyone would want to shovel cash in to try and force bigger return is beyond my comprehension - it's utter suicide!

Check this out if you want to see something scary.....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4QMwDRWCFWo

I thought the £70 machines were capped at £210 (£70 + two repeats, which is fucking ridiculous in itself).

[Untitled]

Told you before man it's club machine code.

[Rik]

Check this out if you want to see something scary.....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4QMwDRWCFWo

I thought the £70 machines were capped at £210 (£70 + two repeats, which is fucking ridiculous in itself).

You see Fruit Machines are good for you!!
You can be a winner too!

[renoufchr]

see i assumed they where capped at £210 as £35s where to £105 but then i have had a £5 bullseye megastreak to £25 does that mean we have potioential of 5x the JP?

[Spectrum Analysis]

All it takes is a hobby

This is actually very true.

If you're addicted to fruit machines, or you have been addicted to fruit machines - then you're addiction inclined. Sounds ridiculously simple I know but right through my life I've known friends and family say to me stuff like 'What do you see in those things?'

Some folks just don't have it in them to get addicted to things, or they won't even try stuff they might get addicted to - I'm convinced of this. Maybe it's a compulsive thing, or some other personality trait, but I'm sure that, to an extent, it's just how we're built (be it nature or nurture, doesn't really matter).

Now I don't know if you can be cured of addiction as such, certainly you can stop doing/taking the thing that's destroying you, be it drugs or gambling or whatever - but does that fundamentally change your personality? I don't think so.

As I believe Jimmy Greaves (big time drinker) once said, after ages on the wagon - 'I'm still an alcoholic, I just haven't had a drink for twenty years.'

The question here is whether or not you can find something else to tickle the addiction glands, I'm still a fruit machine addict, my occasional trip to the UK confirms this for me, because I go out on a pub crawl and bin over a hundred quid per nights on the AWPs. (My last four day training course in the UK cost about £500 in gambling )

There it's circumstances, because I'm bored and by myself, back at home I have my family, my job, and as c90 says, my hobbies.

My foray into the world of online gambling a couple of years ago was boredom, we'd got settled down into the new house, got over learning our daughter was autistic and were coping well, finances looking OK, work was just plodding along after a stressful period, nothing really going wrong in my life - I got bored one Friday night - two months later I've lost £3000 playing online slots.

Personally speaking I don't think this is something I can fix, it's the way I am, it's a question of managing it and not doing stupid destructive stuff. Binning a few hundred quid on the slots when I'm in the UK I can handle because I can keep it in a box, I have no inclination to gamble when I'm back home. Will I gamble again next time I'm in the UK? I don't know really, the last time was so shit maybe not (And that was before the £70 JP.)

So then, apart from the day-to-day stuff which is all in hand, and I'm very happy with, but is also where boredom can set in (Friday night when the family's in bed and I've had a few beers for example), when the gambling 'danger zone' can be entered (especially with online slots) - I've found my hobby that ticks all the little addiction boxes and keeps the demons at bay.

I think any problem gambler is going to have a hard time going cold turkey on gambling unless they can find something else that's far more benign, but can also satisfy that addictive side of their personality. (And what is a hobby if not an activity that satisfies something you don't 'have' to do but find fun and diverting, maybe even addictive?)

Doesn't really matter what it is, c90 doesn't mention what his hobby is, for me (don't laugh!) it's World of Warcraft, for the low price of £9 per month I can do something enjoying, challenging, and rewarding, that also stops me wanting to fucking gamble - it doesn't get to be any more of a no-brainer than that.

Even after that £3000 kicking I got with the online slots I did return occasionally with those 100% match-up offers they chuck at you, £50 here, £100 there, it all adds up - and all just done out of boredom and not having anything to do when the addiction glands got inflamed.

Now at 11pm on a Friday night I'll probably just stick some tunes on, log into WoW and farm for an hour, or get my reputation up with some faction or other, or run a few random heroic dungeons (after which I might actually have something to show for it, instead of a fucked bank balance).

The point of this post isn't that WoW is the answer to problem gambling (although it might be for some folks, and I'm sure you don't have to be an ex-problem gambler to enjoy it) - but as c90 says, having a hobby quite possibly is.

Something has to fill the gambling void, otherwise it's just a matter of time before it gets filled with gambling again.

Maybe we can use this thread to suggest alternatives to gambling? I know there are a few ex-gamblers still posting here, what helped you give them the boot?