Well I already messed up.. Guess I should at least prepare for BK

[bkfiler]

hehe, that would be great!

[badgambler]

First and foremost I would like to thank everyone who has taken the time to offer their own personal experiences and advice in this matter. Really makes me feel better..

I am setting up a appt with the attorney who wrote that article for next week. He is near me so hopefully he is as understanding as his writings lead you to believe.

I would like to mention on the whole fraud thing. Would it be harder for them to prove any type of fraud since I have in the past racked up 45k in balances and have paid them all off with a HELOC loan ?

[bkfiler]

HELOC = home equity line of credit

if you are saying that you have racked it up before, taken a loan to pay it off, and have racked it up again and now you still owe...

then it may help you because it would show a pattern of taking care of it before.

[badgambler]

HELOC = home equity line of credit

if you are saying that you have racked it up before, taken a loan to pay it off, and have racked it up again and now you still owe...

then it may help you because it would show a pattern of taking care of it before.

That is unfortunatly correct..

We racked up 45k in credit card debit when we moved into our new home fence, patio, furniture, and so forth. Then took a HELOC loan out on the property to pay off the credit card debit about 6 months after moving in.. Was totally credit card debit free for about 5 months before I messed it all up..

[bkfiler]

welcome to our life too lol - you think we are any different?

nope. dont worry its all in the past. take it one day at a time. the future will work itself out that way.

[cpw111]

In all reality gamblers should not be treated any differently than compulsive shoppers. IMO I would go ahead and file.

This may be old info but it is worth the read/.

http://www.usdoj.gov/ust/eo/public_affairs/articles/docs/gambling.htm

[AAAArt]

Congrats on quitting Gambling. Several of us on this board are in IL. You're over-worrying and feeling guilt. Don't let that stop you. Gamblers are dreamers (ask me how I know), always think that things will get better and "bad gamblers (again, ask me how I know) play the longest and the hardest when they are down.
You have realized the fix you are in and need to deal with it. NOW, not 2007. You're seeing an atty. GREAT!!! See more than one. Stop making cc payments. You will receive the same calls and threats whether or not you making small, but below the minimum payments or no payments at all. No difference in how they will treat you or how the court will view your situation.
Quit worrying about your checking acct. The fact that there were large deposits and withdrawals is also a good thing. You weren't always losing.
Gambling is stress. Living with debt is stress. Get out from under the stress by filing. You will feel really rotten and really great at the same time, but as time passes, the rotten lessens and being able to be financially responsible again stays and makes you feel great.
You ARE NOT a "bad" person for having gambled away 10's of thousands of dollars. You have quit and stayed clean for 8 months. You were powerless over your addition and your life had become out of control.
Different people will say different things about "making amends". To me, the greatest amend that you can make is to you and your family by getting this under control and handling finances responsibly in the future.
Realize nt hing right now. PLEASE! You have a constitutional "right" to a new start. It's not like you are cheating the cc's or the casinos. They figure Bks into their bottom line and both have the same motto. "I can't wait until tomorrow to see if I make money, or make even more money."
Quit beating up on yourself. You are not bad, evil or stupendously foolish...you are human. Cut yourself some slack. Get some help and take it.
One final thing. I have heard that the 2 most difficult things to say are "no" and "thank you". You've said no to gambling. You;ve made bold major steps by going to GA and coming here. Now take the advice and the relief offered and say thank you.
The only problem with normal for people like us is that it is boring as hell until you get used to it. Once you do, it can be really great.
Best wishes, Art

[bkfiler]

hi art hope all is progressing well so far with you. keep in touch. one day at a time

[JimH]

The only problem with normal for people like us is that it is boring as hell until you get used to it. Once you do, it can be really great.
Best wishes, Art

Is there any hope? Being normal is pretty risky for me. The mundane drone of life always leads me to abnormality.

[badgambler]

Congrats on quitting Gambling. Several of us on this board are in IL. You're over-worrying and feeling guilt. Don't let that stop you. Gamblers are dreamers (ask me how I know), always think that things will get better and "bad gamblers (again, ask me how I know) play the longest and the hardest when they are down.
You have realized the fix you are in and need to deal with it. NOW, not 2007. You're seeing an atty. GREAT!!! See more than one. Stop making cc payments. You will receive the same calls and threats whether or not you making small, but below the minimum payments or no payments at all. No difference in how they will treat you or how the court will view your situation.
Quit worrying about your checking acct. The fact that there were large deposits and withdrawals is also a good thing. You weren't always losing.
Gambling is stress. Living with debt is stress. Get out from under the stress by filing. You will feel really rotten and really great at the same time, but as time passes, the rotten lessens and being able to be financially responsible again stays and makes you feel great.
You ARE NOT a "bad" person for having gambled away 10's of thousands of dollars. You have quit and stayed clean for 8 months. You were powerless over your addition and your life had become out of control.
Different people will say different things about "making amends". To me, the greatest amend that you can make is to you and your family by getting this under control and handling finances responsibly in the future.
Realize nt hing right now. PLEASE! You have a constitutional "right" to a new start. It's not like you are cheating the cc's or the casinos. They figure Bks into their bottom line and both have the same motto. "I can't wait until tomorrow to see if I make money, or make even more money."
Quit beating up on yourself. You are not bad, evil or stupendously foolish...you are human. Cut yourself some slack. Get some help and take it.
One final thing. I have heard that the 2 most difficult things to say are "no" and "thank you". You've said no to gambling. You;ve made bold major steps by going to GA and coming here. Now take the advice and the relief offered and say thank you.
The only problem with normal for people like us is that it is boring as hell until you get used to it. Once you do, it can be really great.
Best wishes, Art

Wow my friend we have traveled in the same shoes without a doubt.

You mentioned so many things that are exactly what I felt and am feeling. Specially the chasing of the money... I make 644 after taxes a week.. and was playing $500 dollar hands of blackjack at a time.. I had 40k in my casino account before my final gambling outting.. Ran the 40k up to 63k then down to zero.. Yep.. ZERO.. All within 6 hours.. Thats when I had to take a hard look at myself and my family and choose.. It really had come down to that.. I could not continue to gamble and keep a family.. Well needless to say my family won..I am going to GA meeting all over, seen three different counslers, and saw a shrink who put me on wellbutrin to curb my compulsions towards gambling.. Wife has taken control of all our financies..That was something elet me tell ya... When we first met I fought with all three CRA's to get her credit scored raised.. Letters upon letters upon letters.. To get her raised to a 695.. NOw she is the one in charge of it all... Go figure.. lol

Once again everyone.. Thanks for the words of encouragment and advice

[jennga]

Hey BG, I had to turn my finances over to DH..... I felt like someone had pulled my life support system! lol That was tough, he had no idea what a "bad gambler" I was. I broke the news to him by telling him we needed to get a divorce because I hadn't thought of bk but I had thought of suicide and divorce. I thought if we get a divorce we would have to sell our house and I would get x amount of money to pay on my credit cards.

Just writing that cracks me up at this point, I was going to give up my marriage to get money to pay on my cc's. Now that is sick. But that is the mind of a gambler, and beside that I was already thinking it would give me some extra cash to gamble with. My name on our home was the only good debt with my name on it and that was because DH took care of it.

I ditto every single word Aaart had to say, sounds like there are enough of us bad gamblers on this forum to start our own group.

[Minnymouth]

HAT'S OFF TO ALL OF YOU THAT ARE TRYING TO "KICK THE HABIT OF GAMBLING"........
Makes no difference, gambling, impulsive shopping, all kinds of addictions can help force us into bankrutpcy....
Its "up to us" to REALIZE what is causing the problem and then SOLVE THE PROBLEM.....
Many file bankruptcy due to medical expenses, etc and crisis in our lives. Others, gambling and shopping addictions due us in....

Hat's off to you for taking the "bull by the horns", and curing the problems that cause you so much greif in your lives.

Minny

[bkfiler]

hi minny, where you been? glad to see you.

also, you wear a hat?

[AAAArt]

Wow my friend we have traveled in the same shoes without a doubt.

You mentioned so many things that are exactly what I felt and am feeling. Specially the chasing of the money... I make 644 after taxes a week.. and was playing $500 dollar hands of blackjack at a time.. I had 40k in my casino account before my final gambling outting.
Once again everyone.. Thanks for the words of encouragment and advice

That's another aspect that many people don't take into account. When you are playing big money, not only is there the adrenaline rush, but you are treated like royalty by the casino. $500 hands won't get you into the "whale's suites" but man, you buy a lot of friends at the casino and get treated like you're big sh*t. Everybody knows your name, dinners and valet parking are free...they go out of their way to make you feel like that's where you belong. VERY enticing and heady stuff...but it's all a science to them. They know that they will win if we just play enough hands.
And don't even get me started about card counting. Going to 6-8 deck shoes and random shufflers. Card counting is not illegal, but if you do it successfully, they ban you from the casino.
The TV show "Numbers" did an episode on card counting last week. They even pitched in with the line that "It hurts the llittle guy" Tell me how? (rant)They are going to make their bets the same regardles of how much I bet on given hands. If they're aware enough to the table, they'll even spot people raising their bets in certain situations and follow suit.
Now that I've looked hard at my finances and my gambling, the thought of walking into a casino with even $500 scares me.
Take care and "one day at a time" Art

[bkfiler]

gambling is very serious problem. problem gamblers thrive on the attention they get and the deversion from real life problems they avoid. its worse then drug addicts.

drug addicts can only go on for so long. the end result is damn near death.

gamblers keep going back each time they have cash in hand. and htat happens each paycheck basically. or they go to sell things they own, or their friends own (lol, its funny but very true dont laugh). its a very bad cycle that cannot be controlled. it ruins people for life in many cases.

and no one does anything to help. nothing real. why would they, they are making money from addicts tho their lights, sounds, music and attention. they couldnt care less about the addiction and how it affects peoples entire lives.

people have stolen funds from their parents live savings, swindled money from their jobs, commited fraud to get money, murdered as well, and lied to their loved ones all the while this was going on. its a very bad disease.