I think I may have a problem. Last month, I blew a whole month's paycheck at a casino just recently. I'm late on my car payment, most of my bills are one month due. I've lied to my gf into lending me money to pay for my mortgage. I keep on telling myself, I'll stop but every three months or so, I go back and lose a huge amount of money... usually around 4K. I've quit smoking but for some reason, I can't quit gambling. I don't want to go to a gambling anonymous group because it's kinda embarrassing. My friends and family don't know the extent of my problem and I like to keep it a secret. Anyone else in the same boat? Are there some helpful advice I can take?
I don't know if an equivalent exists but in the UK there is this: http://www.gamcare.co.uk/ Talk to someone. You need to stop, seriously. It sounds like it is not yet too late, but if you don't take action now, it will be. Don't worry about it being embarrassing. Come clean now. All the best.
So you lie, steal, and blow your money... You need more than group advisement. You need a MAJOR change...
i have never stolen to feed my addiction. i make enough to pay people back when i do borrow money. but yes, i have lied and yes i do need a major change. i keep on telling myself i will but come 3 or 4 months later, i'm back in a casino by myself. if i go with friends, i walk out after losing a few hundred, but if i'm by myself, i can't stop. i went cold turkey on quitting smoking, but this is harder for some reason.
It's not the stereotype, it's why Ronnie said it. I don't have anything to add but my best wishes to Ronnie and Kyakko /end my participation in thread
i actually smiled cuz it could be true. as for ronnie, whatever issues he has with me is between him and himself. i'm indifferent. anyways... i just wanted to let it out. i'll find a way to handle it.
Gambling winnings are taxable on your tax return. You can deduct gambling losses on your tax return only if you itemize tax deductions and only to the extent of your gambling winnings. Claim your gambling losses as a miscellaneous tax deduction on Schedule A of Form 1040. It is important to keep an accurate diary or similar record of your gambling winnings and gambling losses. To deduct your gambling losses on your tax return, you must be able to provide receipts, tickets, statements or other records that show the amount of both your gambling winnings and gambling losses. You cannot deduct or carry forward a net gambling loss on your tax return; even if you are a professional gambler. The IRS provides the following guidelines for proving gambling winnings and gambling losses that you report on your on your tax return: an accurate diary or similar record regularly maintained by the taxpayer, supplemented by verifiable documentation usually is acceptable evidence for substantiation of gambling winnings and gambling losses. In general, the diary should contain at least the following information: date and type of specific wager or gambling activity; name of gambling establishment; address or location of gambling establishment; and name(s) of other person(s) present with you at gambling establishment. amount(s) of gambling winnings or gambling losses. Verifiable documentation includes, but is not limited to, gambling tickets, canceled checks, credit records, bank withdrawals, and statements of actual gambling winnings or payment slips provided by the gambling establishment. When possible, the diary and available documentation of the placement and settlement of a wager should be supported by such documentation as hotel bills, airline tickets, gasoline credit cards, or affidavits or testimony from responsible gambling officials regarding the wagering activity.
It's hard to quit 2 addictions at once. Go back to smoking. It's cheaper than gambling. Try to get a "healthy" addiction and start working out also. You need something that you can always turn to, when you have the urge to gamble. Drinking and drugs are out the question, so I say go back to smoking and try to get an exercise high.
As someone who knows a lot about the casino industry, I can attest it's a little more than a crass stereotype. http://la.ucla.edu/profiles/fong.shtml - Psychology behind gambling in Asian communities (weak article though) The best way to beat a gambling addiction is to understand the cravings that cause it by distancing yourself from the situation. Not knowing when to stop is a psychological weakness, there's an obvious void that you're trying to fill here. Nicotine users always have the excuse that their body stops functioning properly if they quit smoking, but you don't.
Perhaps you should tell friends and family so that they stop unknowingly enabling your gambling by loaning you money.
i'm not sure i'm ready for that yet. i still think i can fix this mess. i do feel bad about the lying. it makes me a hypocrite. a while ago, i was upset at my girl for lying about her age... now i'm lying to her about why i need to borrow money. i plan to tell her AFTER i pay her back.
Pick up another hobby, fill that void with something else. Also, call gambler anonymous......it is better than continually losing cash. Gamble on yourself...... DD
It's embarrassing to go to Gambler's Anonymous, but it's not embarrassing to lose a month's paycheck in one sitting and have to lie to your friends and loved ones to get money to pay your bills?
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Maybe you could curve that need for the win into something positive? I have a friend who is a deal-addict, yet he makes money on it. He I watches the forums at slickdeals.net and fatwallet.com like a hawk and pounces on the good deals, then sells them on ebay. I know he gets a rush out of walking out of Best Buy with an item that he paid $300 for and can sell on ebay for $1000 that is similar to winning in gambling. Give it a shot. At the worst you can buy all of your Christmas presents on the cheap.
As a former gambling addict (though not quite to your extent with the repercussions), feel free to PM me through the board for advice. and as for taxes... gambling losses can only be deducted to the extent you claim your gambling winnings... so in the end you come out even... it is pointless to claim your losses UNLESS you are forced by the govt. to claim your winnings (such as a huge jackpot on a slot machine in Lake Charles, where the casino administration comes over and deducts your state taxes immediately and reports your winnings to the IRS)
