GAMCARE is part of the problem, it's not a solution!

[Get-Paid.com]

Many gambling websites advertise GAMCARE as if this is the best place for a gambling addict to go to.
The problem is that GAMCARE is funded by the gambling industry, and it is not offering a genuine advice for those who seek help.
If you call them they would tell you they need to schedule meetings with you, or they would offer you generic advice that will lead you nowhere.

They have a huge forum with tons of repeating posts from broken souls, and it has been proven already that their system is not working, their strategy and technique is not working, and it will never work so long as they keep on getting funding from the gambling industry.

The same applies to other organizations similar to GAMCARE, they are all useless, pointless and leaving the addict helpless.

So what does work for gambling addicts, and what can set them free?!

Here are several ways how to break a gambling addiction:

• Self-Exclusion. Self-Exclusion is one of the most powerful tools out there. If you have a gambling problem ask for a PERMANENT closure of your account, ask for it in live chat, email, however you can contact the website you are using.
• Thinking of signing up to another site? Go ahead and self-exclude yourself from that site immediately before making any deposits.
• For UK residents (and some European now) - Monzo is a great App that can block your gambling transactions, so if you only need a single one bank account - go ahead and open your bank with Monzo, you would have no troubles blocking gambling transactions and even limiting your ATM withdrawals.
• Again - close, self-exclude, avoid any contact with these sites - if you cannot access the site you won't be able to use it.
• Cash access - if you are really desparate then get someone else to control your finance, don't have any access to funds except for a small amount you need for living purposes only, the rest should be held by someone you trust who has no gambling issues (e.g. spouse).

GAMCARE doesn't offer these practical suggestions, all they do is offering virtual hugs and telling people to call their hotline which is useless as well.
It's useless 100%.
Why?
Because if it was working there wouldn't be a flock of people posting their sad stories time after time after time.

Please read this and educate yourself before taking any advice from the fraudulent organization called GAMCARE.

[coolcoinz]

This is how help hotlines work. They get paid for receiving the call (donations from the government and the society) and after all every hotline and every charity is a business and as a business has to work to sustain itself. Nothing is free in this world and if there were no addicts they would cease to exist. That's why they are talking to you, making you feel comfortable and that's where the help ends. With a pat on the back.
It all comes down to this: nobody will help you. You have to take matters in your own hands.

[Get-Paid.com]

This is how help hotlines work. They get paid for receiving the call (donations from the government and the society) and after all every hotline and every charity is a business and as a business has to work to sustain itself. Nothing is free in this world and if there were no addicts they would cease to exist. That's why they are talking to you, making you feel comfortable and that's where the help ends. With a pat on the back.
It all comes down to this: nobody will help you. You have to take matters in your own hands.

Well said coolcoinz. Totally seconded.

[swogerino]

I am not an addict and I don't know well these services but from what I have read in different gambling forums the best place to get help is Gamblers Anonymous.

I did a quick check in google about them and so far they seem good with quite some success stories if you search for success stories. Nevertheless the real solution to the probem is only yourself, you should learn self control and every time you have a surge for gaming, do something else, with the passing of time, gmabling addiction will fade away gradually.

[stomachgrowls]

First time on hearing GAMCARE organization.Im amazed that they have HelpLine,Netline and Forum and i tried to read up some post on their forum i do see some relevant advises from other people
but talking about their netline or helpline i dont see for this thing to be effective because the only thing could only help you to get away of addiction is yourself. Reading up recovery stories is good and might
give you some cheer up.

[avikz]

I didn't know about Gamecare and now after looking at their website, it seems like any other charitable organizations that aims to scoop foreign aids. But since I am not a gambling addict, I would rather nit comment on it.

However, what I strongly believe is that if a person wants to quit anything seriously (not drugs), he/she would not need any help from any organization. The will power is the main driving force. Otherwise, no organization will be able to help you to beat your addiction. It's all within our minds!

When I wanted to quit smoking 3 years back, I did it within two days without any assistance from anyone. It is because I seriously wanted to quit smoking and my will power helped me to get over my addiction.

[el kaka22]

They are not doing that to actually make gamblers stop gambling, what kind of business would say go away we don't want customers. They are doing it for PR sake and telling people to stop but actually continue. They don't care about GAMCARE or any other way to stop them, any casino would prefer their customers lose all they have on their website, hell they wouldn't mind you selling your house and betting the money there all day.

We can't really expect anything less tho can we, I mean it is the casino, they are making money thanks to others losing, they would want you to lose, that is how it works. Now GAMCARE may not be enough, they might suck at what they do but even than it wouldn't really matter considering they are just a folly to make you think casinos even care a slight bit about you.

[carlfebz2]

They are not doing that to actually make gamblers stop gambling, what kind of business would say go away we don't want customers. They are doing it for PR sake and telling people to stop but actually continue. They don't care about GAMCARE or any other way to stop them, any casino would prefer their customers lose all they have on their website, hell they wouldn't mind you selling your house and betting the money there all day.

We can't really expect anything less tho can we, I mean it is the casino, they are making money thanks to others losing, they would want you to lose, that is how it works. Now GAMCARE may not be enough, they might suck at what they do but even than it wouldn't really matter considering they are just a folly to make you think casinos even care a slight bit about you.

Just do really act as they disguised themselves as a wolf under a sheep costume.They do tend that they do care but actually they are praying for the opposite to happen as long they can able to make
money then theres no gambler would really be important even they would entirely mess up their own entire life because they loss.

For Gamcare, those employees just doing their work to comfort those broke people and they hope that there would be more be like that so that they do have still work for long term but this method
doesnt really work at all.

[Cacingkemi]

Well what's wrong with trying to contact the helpline,I just heard about them from you dude.Addiction is difficult to eliminate without the intention of the person's heart.The Gamecare that you mentioned makes the high fence feel like in prison and it work,you're right make addicts helpless the problem that will be caused is anxiety around addicts.Your solution is right but also being helpless for addicts,there will definitely be a feeling of wanting to return.

[Betwrong]

~
The same applies to other organizations similar to GAMCARE, they are all useless, pointless and leaving the addict helpless.
~

Although I've never heard about GAMCARE, I absolutely agree with you because I've never heard a story that such an institution helped anyone either. All those organizations are really care about is funding which they spend on high salaries to their employees, business class travelling to exotic places where they hold their conferences etc. Basically, all similar organizations exploit the existing problem, gambling addiction in this case, to get the financing and live a wealthy life doing nothing. "But who are those working in them?" - you may ask - "Maybe I can get such a job too?" Well, if you are not an acquaintance or a relative of someone from the government, your chances are slim. Such "jobs" are reserved to those people generally.

But let's be optimistic. With the implementation of blockchain technologies all the activities and expenses of such organizations will become absolutely transparent, and the society will get a chance to fund those who really do something helpful.

[eternalgloom]

Hadn't heard of them before either, but I took a look at there website and did find some concerning bits of information.

So, when you actually want to get help for your gambling, all they do is point you towards their own services, like the hotline for example.
What they should be doing is at least point you towards independent mental health professionals.

You're not going to stop gambling after a phone call, you'd need actual therapy and I really doubt that they offer that.

They do seem to offer free treatment, but what kind of treatment options are they exactly offering?

[leowonderful]

As others here have said, quitting an addiction such as one with gambling takes dedication and stamina to push through the initial wave of pain and discomfort that may come along with quitting, but it's entirely possible if you have the drive to commit. I strongly agree with avikz here, and even if you are pointed towards a real hotline you can call or something of the sort that will get you to real assistance, you'll still need to have the mental willpower to eventually break free of a gambling addiction; I would not suggest gambling at all if you don't have much mental willpower, as I find people who are mentally weaker tend to become addicted to things extremely easily.

[buwaytress]

I can somewhat agree with some of the points, or rather, I can see why your logic appeals. This is one of the eternal questions non-profits deal with: "are we part of the problem or solution?". I know because I worked in non-profit for most of my adult life, not in gambling but in development and emergency aid. So I'm used to people telling me my work or my organisation was not helping. And that refugees or whichever label of people should take self control and get themselves out of their crisis.

I'll say one thing. Just as you can't possibly really comment on refugees (or whatever label) until you understand their situation, you can't really speak about whether or not these organisations are helping people with gambling compulsions, until you've had a gambling compulsion or have had some kind of involvement with them. Maybe they do help? I doubt any one of us here commenting have ever tried them, OP's commentary is what you'd call circumstantial evidence or hearsay.

I'm just as suspicious of intentions when it comes to guys like GAMCARE too, and yeah, they could probably train employees to be more helpful and maybe teach and educate people about apps like Monzo.

But these "addicts"... they don't use the same logic as you or I could. Easy for me to say: I will self exclude myself if I have a problem. But I don't have that problem. So I couldn't possibly comprehend what it means to be psychologically and mentally crippled to the extent I'm unable to make that decision or carry through with self-exclusion.

And maybe if I were, maybe virtual hugs and sharing sad stories might work for me.

[kryptqnick]

So what does work for gambling addicts, and what can set them free?!

• Self-Exclusion. Self-Exclusion is one of the most powerful tools out there. If you have a gambling problem ask for a PERMANENT closure of your account, ask for it in live chat, email, however you can contact the website you are using.
• For UK residents (and some European now) - Monzo is a great App that can block your gambling transactions, so if you only need a single one bank account - go ahead and open your bank with Monzo, you would have no troubles blocking gambling transactions and even limiting your ATM withdrawals.
• Cash access - if you are really desparate then get someone else to control your finance, don't have any access to funds except for a small amount you need for living purposes only, the rest should be held by someone you trust who has no gambling issues (e.g. spouse).

Controlling the funds, blocking transactions and your casino accounts sounds good, but I am pretty sure it will be very hard for an addict to make oneself do all this stuff and go through it. It also sounds very rough and might cause additional damage to mental health. I think what's important is for an addict to have people that love this person and are ready to help rather than judge him or her. Moreover, it is important to realize the reason the person is gambling. Is it boredom? Is it loneliness? Is it a wish to earn money or perhaps experience excitement? Once the main reason is determined, it is possible to work on solutions (finding a suitable job, trying to be more socially active, doing sports etc.). What do you think about this?