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What Should You Do if You Have Gambling Debt?

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Not all people who gamble are potential debtors, but it is important to know that gambling itself is a risk factor. Gamblers are easily addicted, do not notice how money runs out and quite simply get into gambling debt. Then it is very difficult for them to get rid of the debt, but it must be done. Experienced players, who play for fun and can control their finances, usually choose no account casinos.

If you find yourself in such a situation, you need to clearly learn how to manage your finances and have a strong desire to repay the casino debt or write off the debt in another legal way. However, the best way to deal with gambling debts is to learn how to prevent them before they get too big.

Signs that you need financial help for gamblers

There are many signs of problems with gambling addiction and the need for financial help for gamblers.

  1. Increasing gambler’s bets in the casino in the hope of winning back.
  2. The presence of several accounts of the player, indicating an attempt to hide the passion for gambling from family and friends.
  3. Frequent borrowing from friends, large loans from credit institutions.
  4. Isolation from the family associated with the problems that have arisen. Aggressive behavior at home and lack of communication, which affects the family, making it difficult for her to exist.
  5. Excessive spending, lying, theft from home (money or items for sale).
  6. Drug and alcohol use. The use of such substances is a common occurrence in pathological gambling and is an attempt to calm down and get away from the problems that have arisen. Drugs in this case can be seen either as a way to stay active in order to continue playing. It can also be about drug trafficking to get money for the game.
  7. Constant anxiety, which often results in problems concentrating, declining academic performance in the process, and increasing absenteeism at work.
  8. Degrading social relations, loss of previous contacts with friends and acquaintances, lack of interests and hobbies other than the game.
  9. The need to get money for the game, leading to criminal activities (robbery, theft of other people’s property, computer fraud, drug dealing), especially among young people without income. All these signs, if not noticed in time, can turn into unpredictable consequences for the player, as well as for his family and friends. To prevent this from happening, several strategies are recommended for getting out of such situations.

6 tips to Get Gambling Debt Relief

There are several ways of gambling debt relief. The most extreme measure is filing for bankruptcy. However, it is important not only to get rid of existing debts, but also to do everything possible so as not to worsen the situation. Below is a list of steps to take.

6. Recognize your gambling addiction

The first step in overcoming gambling addiction is realizing the problem. Recognize that you need help, that you cannot pay off your current debts, and that you are afraid to make new ones. The fact that you share this with a trusted family member or friend is a very positive factor in the entire rehabilitation process, as we will have a good support network.

5. Don’t increase your debt

In any case, do not hope to recoup and return the debt. It follows from the theory of probability that it is impossible to beat the casino. Therefore, the more money you bet, the faster your debts will grow. If you have gambling debt, you should not take loans for gamblers, but, on the contrary, stop gambling at the casino. 

At the very least, you should take a break from the game for this period until the debt is paid off. Otherwise, it will drag on forever, since spending will continue and there will be nothing to repay the debt from. If you decide to put things in order in your finances, stick to that decision.

4. Ask for help

If you have someone to ask for help, at least moral, contact these people for support. Sometimes it is worth joining a support group for people with gambling addiction. There will be periods when your hands will start to give up, but support groups exist for this, so that you do not succumb to decadent moods and always have the motivation to keep fighting. 

Don’t lie if you gambled during the rehabilitation process, it is better to tell you about it. We know this can be embarrassing at first, but both the family and the experts need to know to help you.

3. Stop funding your bad habit

Let your loved ones manage your money.

While this seems like a pretty harsh measure, it is highly recommended to avoid temptation in the early stages of gambling addiction treatment. There is no more effective method than nip gambling in the bud. In case you need to incur large expenses, you can ask your trusted person to accompany you in order to better control risk situations.

2. Count your money

Get a pen and a calculator and calculate your budget and your debt.

You need to know how much you are getting and how much you are spending, in addition to debt. If money for there is no debt or the amount is not enough, something must be done to find an additional source of income. As a rule, this is the second job. It is needed at least as long as you do not get rid of debts. Do not ask strangers for money to pay off the casino, as this will create a vicious circle. 

You will also have to tighten your belt and moderate your desires for entertainment, delicacies and other celebrations of life. We’ll have to live at the minimum necessary to survive. Then, when all the problems are solved, everything can be returned. Pay only in cash in stores, so it is easier to control spending. 

If you use a credit card, it is difficult for you to notice how money is written off and how much, and this is already an obstacle to repaying the debt. If you find it difficult to part with your credit card, ask someone close to you for help. Let them keep the card and give it to you only when absolutely necessary. 

Control debt payments, try to pay more than the minimum payment.

If you have multiple debts, pay gradually. Pay off one big debt first, then another, and so on, until you pay off all your creditors. Use all means to pay more, and your debt will melt before our eyes. Also, use any opportunity to make money, not only in a casino, but at work with a stable income. Finally, write down all your payments. This will not help pay off the debt in two days, but you will clearly see how it decreases. This is psychologically encouraging.

1. Seek help from financial professionals

There is a completely legal procedure for gambling debt forgiveness, which allows you to liquidate debts with the least loss of the debtor. We are talking about various measures up to bankruptcy. 

To carry out these procedures correctly, you need the help of legal and financial specialists. Professionals can help you get a concessional loan to pay off your gaming debt, even if you don’t have a very good credit history.

You can contact a specialist from the NFCC to get professional advice and develop the right debt strategy. One of the important strategic decisions worked out in this way can be an agreement with the creditor to repay the debt on certain preferential terms. Another important task is to develop a financially and legally sound debt repayment plan. Bankruptcy as a last resort also requires professional help.

Gambling and bankruptcy proceedings

Gambling and bankruptcy are often intertwined. And writing off gambling debts has its own characteristics. You can include your gambling debt in any type of bankruptcy, but the court will handle your debt differently depending on the type of bankruptcy you are filing. 

The good news about bankruptcy is that the creditors will not bring claims to you, but to the professional you hired to find a way out of this situation. However, the services of such professionals are not cheap, and not in all situations bankruptcy saves you from complete ruin and poverty.

Security measures for relatives and friends of the gambling debtor

The relatives of an uncontrolled gambler often face the problem of saving their own money. You can protect yourself using the following steps:

  • control of financial accounts;
  • control of e-mail and regular mail;
  • control of safes;
  • avoiding the need to be a confidant of a gambling debtor;
  • refusal to issue money if you are not sure that it will go to eliminate debt;
  • control of payment of bills, etc.

Students and Gambling

The morbid passion for gambling among young people is causing concern among sociologists and the public. The number of young people affected by this disease has increased over the past few years. One of the reasons for this development is the new generation of digital slot machines that attract young people. 

Young people between the ages of 18 and 20, as noted by numerous studies, are particularly at risk of becoming pathological gamblers. From the point of view of uncontrolled gambling addiction, students are a special risk group.

This is due to the fact that they have the opportunity to practically uncontrollably use student preferential loans from the state. 

Three-quarters of US students have gambled at a casino at least once, and 6 percent of college students are gambling addicts. The problem is compounded by the fact that young people 18+ have access to the federal lottery, and the passion for gambling poker, with which a stubborn struggle is being waged in the United States, is being replaced by such a new phenomenon as fantasy-sport. However, Fanduel and DraftKings are already banned in 11 states.

Conclusion

Gambling debt loans used by casinos often cause gamblers to incur huge debts.

If you do not seek help in time, this forms a special pathological type of behavior. In this case, the passion for gambling does not fade away but flares up with renewed vigor. After all, the player seeks to get his money back at any cost, often without realizing that to win such a sum at the casino is almost impossible. 

The result is financial collapse, poverty and psychological deformation of the individual. To prevent this from happening, pathological gamblers need the help of family and friends, as well as the assistance of professionals who can restructure gambling debt and make it as easy as possible for the player to pay off.

Psychological support is an equally important factor.

Once the problem is identified, the next step is to seek outside help. As we already mentioned, it is very important to have a social support network to help in the process of getting rid of gambling addiction. In this case, you should rely not only on your friends and family, but also on experienced psychologists who are experts in treating gambling addiction. 

It is important to remember that excessive gambling is difficult to get rid of without help. With the right approach, it is almost always possible to find a safe way out of this situation. At the same time, the player should not remain a passive extra, completely shifting the struggle with his illness onto others.

For our part, we are ready to provide players in difficult situations with any assistance we can. And we very much hope that our help will be effective in overcoming pathological gambling addiction.

Author

Vitaly Coleman is a gambling expert . Since 2017 Mr. Coleman is one of the main specialists in the team of Slotspot web portal. Vitaly publishes his works under different pseudonyms in specialized media. 

Jeff Campbell