I am a pokie addict, I always lose… but I want to stop, is there anyone here that has successfully gotten rid of the desire to play these satanic machines, how did you do it, please tell your strategy here…
Pokies... how to stop playing them?
[Deactivated] on 15/05/2014 - 13:21
Comments
You forgot the best one out of them all… Craps!.
Well if he is a stupid person, probability theory is likely not to help is it? Haha you are hilarious.
Education is the cure for stupidity.
Don't go to the pub/club and spend all your time at home refreshing ozbargain for the next torch special.
Get addicted to WoW or similar :D (caution: may stop you from real life)
Maybe you could look into doing something beneficial instead, like going out for walks, doing sport, or catching up with friends etc. Make your life meaningful, instead of going to the pokie shops.
Once you realise that they're machines designed and programmed to provide revenue for the licensed premises, and your chances to get a return on your investments are minimal (especially in the long run), it's a simple decision to stop.
If you need to find something to occupy yourself, and you're a gambling addict, I would recommend free-roll poker at your local RSL. It gives you the feeling of gambling, whilst not costing you anything. You generally compete for cash vouchers or alcohol prizes.
Check out Australian Poker League and the National Poker League for more information.
Next time you go there speak to a staff member and get them to give you information on support services. You can also ask to be banned from establishments and this is actually very common as a first step for many problem gamblers. There are also many government websites that you can look up that can provide advice.
I used to work for one of the clubs and i'd be surprised at the amount of people i'd see at the start of the shift and notice them still in the same spot stuck in front of their pokie machine at the end of my shift more than 8 hours later.
The faces would noticeably turn distressed and grumpy by the time i was ready to leave . Anyway back to your query , look its a bitter gulp , but the only way you can be assured a 100% that you won't lose your money and time is by not playing at all. You know well yourself that if you keep track of your losses and go in to win them all back , that is never going to happen . Maybe start fresh and only look ahead and not back at your losses.The machines are there for a purpose and that is to ensure a healthy profit for the owners. I made a pact myself to not ever bet on anything regardless what the odds were , this was the last World Cup and i have not broken it!
Good luck !
the odds for all types of gambling are stacked against you. statistically, you will always come out behind in the long run
Yes, that's what conventionally defines gambling versus investing. Gambling has an expected value of less than unity.
No rational person with standard risk preferences would ever gamble a large sum of money.
To be fair the question was "How to stop playing pokies" not "How to stop gambling". Playing baccarat for instance have fairly decent odds because of the low house edge, Baccarat odds for a Player hand to win are 44.62%. The chances that the Player hand will lose is 45.85%. The probability of a tie is 9.53%. That's significantly better than playing the pokies.
I made a pact myself to not ever bet on anything regardless what the odds were
I bet you can't!
"I made a pact myself to not ever bet on anything regardless what the odds were"
With this philosophy you will lose many profitable opportunities in life. If the odds are truely in your favour, it is correct to go with it. Casino's and insurance companies don't mind 'gambling' with favorable odds.
Thanks to all.
I suppose the government is as addicted to them so wishing they'd ban them isn't ever gonna happen…Don't place the blame on the government…
Metroplex78 has a point though. The govt makes a lot of money from pokie machines. They are part of the problem. Not the whole problem, but still a large part.
Gambling taxes are idiot taxes. They're regressive but serve as a sin tax, although due to the nature of pricing in gambling I'd think they'd be quite ineffective.
Alot of that money was just going to a few major hotel owners. Yes clubs lost out as well.
As far as I know, the house edge hasn't changed since the pokie tax.
People like to gamble. By outlawing it you are just giving organised crime another market.
not exactly fair to blame the government. They did try to introduce mandatory precommitment, where you would have to say how much you were willing to lose, before you started. But it was opposed by both the clubs and the opposition at the time.
If they were to ban gambling… a whole host of other problems will arrise, such as illegal gambling; think dodgy crammed fire hazzard type places, rise of gangs/triads to run the illegal cas, etc.
It's really not as simple as sying.. ban this ban that. Ever since America started legalizing weed, the illegal trade has started going significantly downhill.
Don't blame the government but rather blame yourself for not being able to resist gambling.
Agree with others that its not the governments fault. I dont think its fair to punish others and banning services because some people have issues. That being said I do think the system should be changed.
I think that pokies should only be allowed in community clubs. Profits go directly back into the community and they can actively provide support to trouble gamblers. Everyone wins… except for money hungry establishments.
How about you write down the exact amount you lose each time. But it up on the fridge and see how much it is. Then think about ho many eneloops or torches you could have bought. Seriously though, ban yourself, automate transfer of money into another account to cover your regular bills. Then as an extreme, chop up your cards and make it as if you have to go to a bank branch to withdraw cash thus making it impossible to get money at night. Or give a card to a friend who is then informed why you need it in an emergency.
Their is no strategy to it. Much like smoking (yes I smoke) you either put in 100% at quitting or you don't at all.
Friend and I use to play them a fair bit (after work) in our early 20s - when you could drink/ smoke AT the machine. But we realised our money could be better spent elsewhere, in simpler terms! We probably dropped around 50k over a period of 12 months.
We're not rich but we do pretty well for ourselves and we often look back at all the stupid shit we wasted our money on.
When we go on quick 1-2 day trips to Melb/ Sydney we will always hit the Casino- put aside a chunk of money, have fun and are prepared to lose that money. But that is the only time we ever gamble.
Take up a new hobby, friend and I are mad fishos - so thats where most of our money goes now :)
I was addicted also, I just came to the realization that no amount of win would really satisfy me, it would just raise my bet value. So I just stopped playing them, I know easier said than done, but its the only real solution.
Bet on sports instead. When I turned 18 I played pokies for a while and had a few nice wins, but they are a scam in the end and will bleed you dry. Sports and races are more fun, just don't let it get out of hand!
While I would agree that sport is more fun to bet on than the pokies (hell, ANYTHING is more fun to bet on than the pokies), I'm not sure that replacing a gambling addiction with more gambling is a good idea.
I'd be interested to see if a gambling addiction could be kicked by taking up videogames.
Really sorry to hear about your situation. All addictions IMHO are very difficult to deal with unless you're 100% committed to doing something about it. Even then you frequently need quality support.
My advice,
1. Talk to a counsellor qualified in this area.
2. Consider some form of meditation to help loosen and maybe in time clear unhealthy cravings.Ask to be banned from your local haunts.
Think about what your triggers are, think ahead and come up with alternative activities to occupy you at these weak moments.
Limit your immediate access to funds. Whether it be by having the majority of your money in an online savings account that takes 24 hrs to transfer into your transaction account, or just the old fashioned card frozen in a huge block of ice, or by handing over control of your money to your partner/parent (as long as they don't have an issue and can be 100% trusted)…whatever suits your situation.
Try not to be black and white about it if you slip up…don't just throw the towel in and go on a bender.
That might sound silly to some but it actually worked for me and it is worth a try
Thanks - I was being serious.
Setting these games up for my mother-in-law significantly reduced her pokies spend.
Gday mate,
I used to play the pokies myself quite a bit. In the end i realised the only reason i was playing the pokies was something to do. Somewhere to pass the time, gamble and have a drink. In the end i found out i have just as much fun doing max line min bets 25c/30c as playing $5 a spin and upwards! So i guess you have to find out what the reason you're playing them is. Is it to pass time or is it to have a big win? If you're waiting for that big win it isn't going to happen and when it does you will still be losing.
The other day i was at the Casino and they had a list of all the recent big pokie wins and the minimum bets placed. The machine that went off at 950k was a $125 bet. All the other machine 10k and up were minimum $20 bets.
So you either keep losing your money and can't afford it financially, or you make way to much money but always lose. If you make way to much money i would suggest investing in other things - perhaps becoming a sex addict. Same cost - more enjoyment!
Also someone mentioned poker. I highly recommend it if you enjoy the thrill of gambling. You are playing against other players not the casino. The casino rake is usually 10%-20% capped depending on table limits but that wont matter if you are a decent enough or lucky enough player.
As a problem gambler myself who cannot begin to quantify the extent of money lost gambling, i would provide the following advice;
STOP
Simply put, do not gamble, play pokies, go to casinos, bet on horses, play the lottery at all. Even small amounts.
If you continue to play and win, the beast is awakened and you continue to the point of losing again.
If you lose, its just more money to add to the pile of lost money
Cut your loses and move on with your life. The un quantifiable debt owed to myself, friends and loved ones with regards to time lost is probably worse than the money lost… Remember whats important
Lets just hope that by the time you stop, the amount you have to pay back is no where near mine. 5 years on and I'll still going….
Either way there are plenty of support services available around. Casinos and pokie establishments are legally obliged to have flyers/information available for problem gamblers who want/need help. Self exclusion at establishments is also a effective method, making sure you also close all your online gambling accounts
A simple google search should also make a few recommendations. My suggestion as a first step is swallowing you're pride and calling up one of these dedicated helplines who specialise in this type of advice
Great advice mate
Buy a house. Worked for me. I had no money to go play the pokies.
I would presume none of your close friends know you gamble on the pokies? First thing would be to open up to all of them and tell them your problem.
Get help. There are free services around. As a poster mentioned above, you can usually find the signs around the gambling areas.
Otherwise visit http://www.gamblinghelp.nsw.gov.au/ or http://www.gamblinghelponline.org.au/ and explore the sites.
24/7 helpline is 1800 858 858, free call.
It might be hard to get motivated, but the minute you pick up the phone and talk to someone who's experienced with dealing with problem gamblers such as yourself, you can begin a new phase in life.
Best of luck (hah)
As hard as it may be, you need to stay well & truly away from the pokies & other forms of gambling asap. Use tomorrow as your first gamble-free day. Replay it through your mind that these money draining machines win EVERY time, hence why there are no professional poker machine players.
As what others have said, counseling (try Wesley Mission) & Gamblers Anonymous are good ways to connect with people who can help.
Limit your access to your money. It's a big ask but get someone you trust to assist managing your money.
Lastly, there is no magic cure other than willpower & desire to leave it behind.
Just to add: my uncle is 48 years old, wife and 2 very intelligent kids. He is still a heavy gambler, he has lost almost everything, he had a very successful business but has thrown it all away. He still owes family members in excess of $100k -
It is sad, but I no longer feel sorry for him. For whatever reason he does not recognise his addiction and the myriad of problems it causes for everyone around him. He has a completely different personality when he is in gambling mode. No reasoning will stick. I'm surprised his wife is still with him, maybe for the kids till they get older…
You have taken a step in the right direction. Keep at it and be commited to doing the right thing for yourself first and foremost. Hopefully you have some close friends you can share your problems with because it will be one of those challenges in life!
It's not as easy as staying away from the pokies. You can call the helpline but you should probably find a hobby you absolutely enjoy.
One of my favourite things to do is to jump on the tennis court and hit some balls. I don't think about the stresses of life, I enjoy it, improves my physical wellbeing as well as mental.
At home, I can look at youtube to improve my game etc.
You need to find hobbies to replace that pokie 'habit'.
I suggest that you spend a couple hours just looking at statistics for gambling, sure it probably won't help you and you already know how bad it is since you're asking for help, but just looking for a real 'eye opener' stat or article on gambling could help.
Get addicted to something else which isn't as detrimental. e.g. imgur, youtube, maybe even facebook 'gambling' games (though don't spend real money please). just to ease your 'hunger'
Try to find a hobby/etc. to use your time on. as above, or go out for sports/get active. reading etc.
There are also a tonne of helplines / sites which want to help you
Easiest way is to reduce your total bet to 1c, now try to get a free game and even you lose $5 that's 500 bets! And if you don't get paid, justmagine if you where playing $4.50. That should put you off and never play again.
Think about how much you're going to lose, rather than how much you could win. Maybe find a hobby or buy a console and some games.
If you can't just stop, try habbit replacement.
Work out the urge you feel when you want to hop in the car and head down the local. Start doing something new instead.
Games like World of Warcraft are designed to give you the same small rewards as you get from a pokie machine.
Want to get house of the house? Pick a slow and friendly small business (caffee, convience store) and go their a few times a day to get a drink.
Intrested in doing something new? Join a hobby/sports/outdoors club with no pokies. Or you can just pick a hobby. A friend's replaced pokies with panning for gold.
tl;dr: Find something new to do with yourself.
Plain and simple, you've convinced yourself that you're winning, but really.. you're not.. you've identified a problem.. now only you can fix it.. people use pokies because they think that next slap will be a winner.. just like scratchies.. if you're going to play like this you're going to have a bad time..
If you stop now you might miss out on the next big payout and after having already invested so much time and money already. I say go for broke all or nothing. Then write a bestseller on the perils of pokie addiction and how you lost everything.
Buy an Xbox/PlayStation. Fixed cost for a game which has much better graphics than the pokie machines.
Use a patch. Go get a tattoo of a $10 Scratchie on your arm. If you feel the urge to gamble, scratch it without costing you a cent.
Seriously though, this addiction is a tough one to beat. Maybe set yourself a budget, say $20 once a week until you give them up completely. The problem for some people is that they see the next person winning big and convince themselves that they will also get that big win but reality is, the odds are against you.
Good luck.
Addiction sucks. I myself am easily addicted to things (though I've avoided gambling, thankfully).
To my mind, there is only one solution: just stop gambling. All of it. Forever.
You need to recognise that gambling is the devil, and you will never EVER do it ever again. Repeat this to yourself over and over again, establishing it in your mind as a basic truth.
There will be a period of withdrawal. You will feel bad for a matter of days (even a couple of weeks). You will be grumpy, and less functional in your other activities. Don't be hard on yourself during this time. It's normal.
After that, you will be fine, and the cravings will be entirely manageable.
Good luck!
I am a pokie addict, I always lose…
Everyone does. It's mathematically certain. The trend of your balance is DOWN. Yes there will be peaks along the way, but overall it will head down. The difference goes to the venue!
I don't know if that truth will help, but knowing that is enough for me to never touch them…
I'm OUTRAGED at the first few comments on this thread!!!!!!
But some excellent comments after that.
I come from a family where my grandfather gambled and my Mum went through a patch when we were financially up the creek. I guess she got desperate. I feel sorry for her past choices, but she's clean as a whistle now :)
As a result of growing up with barely any money to survive (and sometimes none), you won't even catch me buying a lottery ticket. I'd rather have the $8 in my wallet. That's money I can count on.
Anyway, I really can't offer any advice. But I applaud you for making the first step. It's the next steps that matter the most.
I wish you all the very best :)
Buy a current gen playstation/wii/xbox.
Whenever you feel like playing the pokies, instead play a playstation game.
You'll spend a little bit on the system and games, but they are surprisingly good value for the number of hours you get out of a game (and then you can sell them on ebay/gumtree).
Fallout New Vegas Ultimate Edition is $28 on Ozgameshop and will give you at least that many hours of enjoyment.**I've have almost no experience with gambling/gambling problems so can't say how effective this would be.
Realise that for every $1 you are buying 95c of winnings.
The more you play the more you lose.
Play heart of vegas on facebook … It's got the pokie machines you find in pubs and clubs haha!
Continuing to play the pokies requires effort. Getting in the car, going to the venue, having enough money to play. Not playing them requires no effort at all.
If your family or friends frequent pubs and it's impossible to avoid these money suckers then avoid the venue completely. Try to convince your friends to go somewhere else.
Try to realise that all forms of gambling are a net negative for the players. At best, you'll get back 98 cents for every dollar you play. On pokies it's even worse, with payouts of 85 to 90 cents per dollar being common.
There are no available strategies, special moves/combos, timings or other tricks to swing the odds in your favour. Friends will tell you about the time they won $500 on the pokies but somehow always forget to mention the other times where they dropped $1000.
Finally, consider the wise words coming from Western Australia.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slot_machines_by_country
"…poker machine playing is a mindless, repetitive and insidious form of gambling which has many undesirable features. It requires no thought, no skill or social contact. The odds are never about winning. Watching people playing the machines over long periods of time, the impressionistic evidence at least is that they are addictive to many people. Historically poker machines have been banned from Western Australia and we consider that, in the public interest, they should stay banned."
Report of the Royal Commission into Gambling 1974, p. 72
You can always play pokies on the ipad! Or console! And it's free. Only pay for te game, and play till your hearts content, and you certainly won't lose money in the long run and the addiction ends.
I am a member of GA and haven't gambled since Nov last year.
Let me know if you need any details.I think the fact that this person opened a thread asking for help suggest he/she might want details.
I'd offer two pieces of advice: seek help from people who know what they are talking about, not people who have opinions on a bargain forum & be careful about joining any group which promises they'll rid you of your habit. Do research into how successful they are. If they don't release statistics about their success rates, steer clear. Don't take anecdote or testimonials as evidence. Look for hard numbers.
Good luck.
I never understood the appeal of pokies, they're so boring compared to console/PC gaming or other casino gambling games such as dice and cards (that often have much better odds).
I occasionally put $20 in a machine while at the pub and win or lose I don't feel any desire to play it for more than 10 minutes. I can't fathom how someone would want to play them for 8 hours.
Good evening, I would suggest you go on gamblinghelponline.org.au and use the online chat or even call them to discuss. They are very good and can give you great tips and info.
Budget your gamble. Never gamble your budget.
I would suggest putting a significant portion of your salary into an account (savings account) and keeping the rest on another card (everyday card). say a split of 80/20.
then pass the first "savings" card to a trusted relative, friend or SO. You keep the other everyday card with just enough money to survive until the next pay day. If you need emergency funds, you go to your friend/SO with the "savings" card for a little bit of float.
I prefer using the friend/SO because they will be with you on your journey to salvation and assist you should any temptations arise. can still play the pokies, just get significantly limited on what you will be able to put in.
If such a person is not available you could just destroy the "savings" card and do only online bank transfers to your everyday account. but this method puts the onus back on you to stay true to yourself.
Just figure out a way to not have cash on you unless you require it. most places accept debit cards. stay away from credit cards. cash withdrawals on credit cards incur stupid amounts of interest. put your money into long term savings or christmas accounts that get locked in and only earn interest for yourself.
OMG my senior citizen dad will have a field day with this video!!
Stay away from casinos. That did it for me.
I've never been addicted to pokies, but if you look inside a pokie machine you realise it's the same as a video game. There's a computer, a screen, speakers and controls. Be aware of the fact that the lights, colours and sounds can elicit a physiological response. The random-reward system is also designed to be addictive. If you're aware of these things, try to realise how pointless and artificial it is and give up cold turkey. If you can't get past the fact that despite being artificial you still found it fun and enjoyable, and you feel like you want to keep playing as a pass time, then try substituting another computer/video game that doesn't cost any money to play. Just be careful you don't pick something that uses a free to play / premium upgrade system, as that can be just as bad. Don't start playing pokies again either.
Perhaps switch to online tattslotto. At at the least it's 5 games a week around $3 average for the cheapest ticket you can buy.
As a stop gap measure It may provide the risk/reward fix while saving you a lot of money.
I don't play the pokies and the only gambling I do is the rare $10 bet at the TAB for the big footy games. I do budget $15 a week for tattslotto though, and for the last few years I've 'won' back maybe 10% of what I put in through the low divisions.
As others have said, budget your gamble - decide how much cash you are comfortable throwing away, because ultimately that's what you are doing. At least you know you have a problem and that's more than most who do.
Speak to the professionals and get their (free) assistance: https://www.missionaustralia.com.au/what-we-do-to-help-new/c…
I don't know about other states, but in the ACT all pokies venues have to give a certain proportion of their pokies revenue to Mission Australia to fund financial counselling and research into gambling addiction.
Move to Perth, and unless you live near the (only) casino, then there is buckleys chance of playing pokies here :)
Metroplex78 - Hope you were able to take some help/advice from this thread & are currently on your way to the road of recovery.
Set yourself a goal to post more than jv. You won't have time to go to the pokies the, let alone do anything else in life!
play (choose one of the following) - blackjack, baccarat, roulette and etc