Nov 2 • General discussion
From Gambling to Freedom: My Real Story
Everything started when I was about 13 — just a teenager, back in the year 2000.
I was out playing with my friends when a man came up to us and asked if we could press the buttons on a gambling machine for him.
He said he had promised his family that he would stop gambling, but he still wanted to play.
I didn’t know then that by helping him, I was taking the first step into what would become a 12-year prison of addiction.
In the next few weeks, I started small — just using my pocket money.
Even though I was still in school and under 18, some places would let me play.
At the beginning, it was nice and fun. A few losses, a few wins — it felt exciting.
But that “nice and fun” feeling disappeared very quickly, and within two years, chaos had started.
I began using all the money my parents gave me, lying to them, then stealing from home.
Without even realizing it, I had left school to go to work.
At 16 I was washing cars, and every pound I earned went straight into gambling.
My 18th birthday came, and of course, it found me inside a casino — gambling away all the money meant for my party, and everything my family and friends had given me.
At 19, I decided to leave my country and move to Spain. Everyone thought I was going there to build a better future, but the truth was I hoped a new place would make me stop gambling.
Spain meant less gambling for me — mostly because I had no money.
A new country, no place to sleep, no work — just a 19-year-old sleeping on a cold bench.
I was angry at myself for leaving home to chase a better future, only to end up homeless because of gambling.
One day, I met a man who offered me a place to stay and a job picking oranges.
I believed him, hoping I could send good news home — my mother had just survived a stroke, and I didn’t want her to worry.
I worked hard and became the best picker in the field.
After a week, the boss told me there was no money yet and gave me €70 for food.
I worked another week — and that €70 went straight into the first gambling machine I saw.
Spain turned out to be a scam. I was threatened with knives and guns, forced to work for almost nothing.
Finally, I found the courage to leave. I went to the Barcelona bus station and stood in front of a bus heading home.
By God’s mercy, the driver listened to my story and took me 2,500 km back home.
Back home, I thought I had a new mindset.
I started working in construction, earning good money — but every paycheck ended the same way: straight to the casino.
After a year like that, a family member invited me to the UK.
I thought a new country and being around family would save me. I was wrong.
I worked 12-hour night shifts, six days a week, earning £3–4 k a month — and lost it all to gambling.
I was borrowing, begging for food money, and still gambling it away.
Two years passed like that.
I began to believe I could never stop unless I won everything back — what a dangerous illusion that was.
When I went home for a holiday, everyone expected to see me successful.
I kept lying. During that visit, I met the woman who would become my wife — the biggest reason I’m alive today.
We returned to the UK to work, save, and build a house. That was the plan. But gambling had other plans.
After four more years of lies, debts, and disappointment, I lost all hope.
One night, in the garage where I lived, I put a rope around my neck, whispered “God, forgive me,” and jumped.
For seconds I fought to breathe, then thought, I did this to myself — just let go.
But God intervened.
My wife heard the noise, ran in, grabbed my legs, and saved me.
Back inside, I told her everything — all the lies, all the gambling.
The following days were terrible: family and friends found out, and I was drowning in shame.
But even then, my mind whispered, “Gamble again. Win the money back.”
Two days after trying to end my life, I was gambling again.
That’s how powerful addiction is — it steals your money, your peace, and your will to live.
After hearing other people’s stories and getting closer to God, I started to be honest with the good people around me.
Slowly, I gambled less and less, until one day I bet £100, made £13,000, and lost it all in two hours.
That was the moment I prayed and told myself, enough.
I was almost 27 when I joined self-exclusion. My wife was pregnant.
Today, seven years later, I’m still rebuilding financially, still filling the holes gambling left behind.
But I’m free.
I’m 33 years old now, blessed with two beautiful daughters — ages 3 and 6 — and a loving wife.
My story is long and painful, but if you ever reach out to me, I will listen.
I’ll share what I’ve learned and promise that you will never feel alone in your fight against gambling.
Don’t give up on yourself.
Believe in your own strength — because real change starts when you believe you can do it.
Thank you for reading — and remember, I’m here for you.
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From Gambling to Freedom: My Real Story
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A safe place for anyone ready to stop gambling and rebuild their life.
I’ve been there myself now I’m here to help you break free, one step at a time.
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