Gambling experience and recovery journey

Hi, I want to share my experience in the hopes that it helps others. I’m a middle-aged man from the Philippines, and my gambling journey started early, back in elementary school. From Lucky 9, Pusoy Dos, Tong-its, and Pusoy to Videokarera and Perya, I’ve tried almost every form of gambling.

At first, I thought I had control. I only gambled with small amounts I could afford to lose. Whenever I won big, I made sure to buy something tangible, shoes, watches, clothes, or a nice meal, so that my winnings wouldn’t just go back into gambling.

Then the pandemic changed everything. Online gambling became more accessible than ever. I started with Online Sabong, then moved on to online casinos through GCash and Maya. At one point, I was winning consistently for two straight months. My GCash balance would hit its limit just days into each month. But as they say, “Hindi araw-araw Pasko,” not every day is Christmas.

Despite winning six figures multiple times, I couldn’t stop. Every time I told myself, “This is the last bet, if I lose, I’ll cash out,” I ended up chasing losses instead. Before I knew it, my winnings were gone along with my savings.

Still, I didn’t learn. As soon as my salary hit my account, I would gamble it away within minutes. The guilt and regret were overwhelming, but the addiction was stronger. I tried quitting and even stayed gambling-free for two months, but I relapsed. I installed Gamban (a gambling-blocking app), but whenever I felt the urge, I would just uninstall it. For me, it wasn’t effective.

Breaking Free

Right now, I’m 18 days gambling-free. For fellow Filipinos struggling with gambling addiction, I reached out to GCash and asked if they could block casino games from my account. Their response was disappointing, they claimed they had no control over these gambling features. It’s frustrating that financial platforms don’t offer proper gambling restrictions, and that our government fails to regulate this growing problem. Gambling addiction is more than just a personal struggle, it’s a silent epidemic draining savings, destroying families, and impacting mental health. The ease of access through our phones has only made things worse.

But there is hope. Here’s what I did, I contacted customer service for each gambling site linked to my GCash and Maya accounts and requested immediate deactivation. So far, it’s working.

If you’re struggling, take it one day at a time. Be proud of every gambling-free day, it’s a victory worth celebrating.

We can do this!!