BeGambleAware has released a series of case studies as part of its National Gambling Treatment Service. 

The videos, released across GambleAware’s YouTube channel, called BeGambleAware, showcases individuals’ different experiences with gambling, retold through actors. 

It talks about various recovery methods available through BeGambleAware and encourages the audience to speak with someone if they believe they are having gambling issues. 

The stories included in the series of videos include:

Joanne: Living in London with her partner and son. Her story talks about her experience with gambling from a young age crossing over into her adult life where she used it as an ‘escapism’, to her realising her addiction and seeing out the help she required. 

“I never talked about anything. I wish I had, just saying stuff out loud makes such a difference… I went to group meetings and the more I spoke about my story, the more open I was. And the more I was getting asked questions and getting more involved. It was that that helped me in my recovery.”

Danni: From Manchester, she talks about her relationship with her on again off again boyfriend and his gambling addiction and how this has impacted her life. She talks about tools like the National Gambling Hotline.  

“At first I wouldn’t say anything because actually… it’s not really my place to say, it’s not my money. Then I thought I could help him, but I realise now that’s not the case and I should have looked after myself first… I still sometimes have to remember to do that.” noted Danni

Adam: Is married with two children and has been in recovery for over three years.

“I never thought I had a problem. I didn’t want to be seen like a gambler and addict. But they’re all the things that I was…I think now knowing that I can pick up the phone to someone, or I could reach out to someone and get help straight away…it might have been easier.”

Mina: She works part time for the NHS in Mental Health she gambles to unwind in the evenings. 

“I try to set myself limits to keep it under control. You can sit there and say you’re in control – but sometimes you’re not. Having a spend calculator is really helpful….it visually shows how much you’re spending. You can’t ignore it.”

Ben: He talks about casual betting amongst his friendship group where they talk about betting on WhatsApp. He admits to sometimes placing bets that he does not understand on sports such as boxing.

“No one ever talks about losses. So, it’s really hard to even know if someone’s got a problem or not, because if you haven’t won for a while – you just won’t say anything…Hearing other people’s stories that are similar to mine kind of makes you think ‘Wait a minute’… you realise you’re not a million miles away from it.”