I was going through Reddit and saw through this:
This won’t seem like much to a lot of people but it feels absolutely soul crushing to me. I’m 18, about to start university and had 2000 to my name, I got addicted to gambling around January when my birthday was, recently I started with big bets on roulette. Tonight I drank too much, and put 1000 on over a few bets. I lost everything. I feel awful having lost so much.
Ok, I’m going to slightly hard on him to make sure he sort of wants to learn his lessons – at least I hope so.
You’re young, you got a taste of freedom, and gambling gave you a rush; like a cheap energy drink that crashes you hard. Alcohol didn’t help; it’s like handing a toddler a flamethrower and expecting them not to burn the house down.
Addiction sneaks up fast, especially when you’re chasing a high or escaping stress. Recognize that roulette isn’t “fun”; it’s a machine designed to eat your money. The house always wins, and you’re not James Bond.
Practical Steps to Stop This Now
- Cut Off Access: Delete any gambling apps, block betting sites (use tools like Gamban or BetBlocker), and tell your bank to flag gambling transactions. Make it harder to bet than to convince a cat to take a bath.
- Own the Loss: That $1000 is gone. Don’t chase it; that’s how you lose the other $1000. Write down why you feel awful and keep it as a reminder for when temptation creeps back.
- Replace the Habit: Gambling filled a void; figure out what it was. Boredom? Stress? Swap it for something that doesn’t bankrupt you, like hitting the gym, gaming with friends, or even binge-watching a series. Bonus: Netflix doesn’t charge you to lose.
- Budget Like a Boss: You’re starting uni, so get a grip on your money. Use an app like YNAB or even a spreadsheet. Allocate your $1000 for essentials (books, food, rent) and a tiny “fun” budget. No more “all-in” nights.
- Sober Up Before Decisions: Booze and bets are a toxic combo. Set a rule: no gambling (or big money moves) when you’ve had a drink. If you’re partying, leave your cards at home and carry cash for the night.
- Talk to Someone: Tell a trusted friend or family member what happened; not for a lecture, but for accountability. If you’re too embarrassed, uni counseling services are free and confidential. They’ve seen worse than your roulette sob story.
- Learn the Game: Educate yourself on how gambling preys on you. Watch a YouTube video on casino odds or read up on addiction psychology. Knowledge is your shield.
College students are at risk for problem gambling. There are many signs of problem gambling, such as:
-Preoccupation with gambling
-Financial issues
-Isolation— Algamus Gambling Treatment (@algamus_az) March 20, 2025
A person within that thread had a stupid idea, asked him to bet more:
Only 2k down? You can scrounge up enough for a few big bets to get it back and more.
But this guy made more sense:
bro i’m the same age my bday being in January too and feel myself kind of going down the same rabbit hole, step away for a while like a year tbh just get a job and work your ass off to get the money back. I’ve learned to stick to only play money you are WILLING to lose not money you need for your future or to keep you stable. In the end gambling is always going to be a risk no matter how lucky you think you are. This is not the way to go i hope everything gets better for you
This man had more practical advice:
The best thing you can do now, for the next few days even if you’re that deep with your gambling; is log out of your gambling apps, and DONT look at your bank account. Let your brain clear, you’re running off emotions right now. Don’t try and breakeven or anything. Trust me. Do it now bro, I’m 25, I’m a casual gambler but i do have my addictions else where… i mention that because every time I’ve ever taken a big loss gambling it makes me lose my mind and it feels like i can deposit whatever i have in my bank acc at that time in just to even get back a quarter of what I lost, and I’ve done that before, multiple times. I’ve learnt to put a HUGE cap on my gambling and nowadays i just gamble for fun and mostly poker… trust me bro, try your best to forget that loss.
People Who Kicked the Habit
Here’s a small sample of people from various walks of life who were successful in kicking this habit to the dustbin (names are made-up for privacy) – I found these cases searching various anti-gambling sites:
- James G. (not Bond): A 20-something who lost £5,000 on online slots. He hit rock bottom, joined Gamblers Anonymous, and replaced betting with running. He’s now debt-free, ran a marathon, and laughs about how he used to think “one more spin” would fix everything.
- Sarah T.: A uni student who blew her loan on poker apps. She installed blocking software, got a part-time job to rebuild savings, and started journaling to process urges. She graduated with honors and now mentors others on addiction forums.
- Mike R.: A former sports bettor who lost his car payment cash. He went cold turkey, leaned on a support group, and redirected his competitive streak into fantasy football (no real money). He’s been gamble-free for three years and says it’s like “quitting a bad ex.”
Not only this; there’s also similar stories of students posting about their gambling problems on Reddit.
For example, this student had to quit Harvard Medical School because he was drowning in gambling debt:
Deep in debt (Almost $100k) and having squandered away Harvard Med School and my own business I needed to buckle down, get a real job, and start working out of the debt. I’m living with my parents to save money and pay this off. I’ve got a decent job and should be able to pay it off in less than 2 years. Recently had a small slip up and was disgusted with myself, so much so that I don’t think I’ll play it again. I know I can’t win my way out, and even if I did it would crush my loved ones that I turned back to gambling.
What’s Next – Stepping up and working through this. Attending GA, listening to podcasts, reading books, checking this group, posting/commenting often, etc. I cannot afford to continue on. I’m 27 and have sacrificed so much already, but can still turn it around. Don’t want to ruin my life.
And this Uni student took charge of his life and taking solid steps to fix his gambling addiction:
I am 23 years old and I’ve been online gambling for about a month. I just lost a few hundreds an hour ago, and now I am down almost 3000 dollars in CAD. I am so mad at myself for putting myself in this spot.
I have no job so I do not know the value of money. It just looks like numbers to me. I need to change that.
My first goal is to not gamble until the end of this month which will be my birthday. I will celebrate my birthday with quitting gambling I hope.
I will report back on the first day of April.
My strategy on quitting is continuously telling myself that I lost thousands in gambling, lost days worth of time, lied to friends and family so I feel guilty.
I will wake up early and sleep early. I will find a new hobby such as gymming. I will do my best to find a job and improve my career.
I also downloaded an App on my phone to keep track of quitting gambling. Wish everyone the best, and wish myself the best even more, I will need it.
Then this Indian student lost Rs. 80K, his college money playing casino games on Stake:
So I am a college student of 2nd year and i lost nearly 80k in online gambling. So its all started with 2000 rupees when i first played on an online gambling platform (Stake). Then i had taken 5k from my friend in urge to recover my money but i lost that too. Then i got panicked because i have to return him his money. Soo I had tell this to one of my friend and he suggested me about an digital loan app, so i took 6k loan but instead of returning this to my friend , i gambled that money too and lost 😭😔.Then my semester was about to end and my family had sent me my college fee (1.65 lakh) but i only submitted 1 lakh rupee and thought that i will recover my lost money and then never play online casino again but i lost that too… Now i am in real danger. Someone please help me.
You see if you aren’t alone in this. There’s thousands of such examples all over.
At least your loss is quite small. You have plenty of time to get back on track.
You aren’t married yet. Trust me, these addictions can result in breakdown of marriages too. Also not just you, even casino employees have plenty of horror stories to share.
A Little Humor to Ease the Sting
Look, you’re not the first to think you could outsmart a roulette wheel, and you won’t be the last. It’s like trying to wrestle a bear while drunk; you’re gonna lose, and you’ll look silly doing it.
But you’re 18. You’ve got time to turn this into a “dumb thing I did once” story you’ll laugh about at your grad school reunion.
This feels like the end of the world, but it’s just a $1000 lesson
Harsh truth: you messed up, but you’re not a mess. Take the steps above, stay honest with yourself, and don’t let this define you. You’re about to start uni; new friends, new goals, new you.
Don’t let a roulette table steal your shot at crushing it. Now go make a budget and maybe treat yourself to a $5 coffee to feel human again. You’ve got this.