Thoughts about buying the lottery

Hi all, I'm new to the community here. I have decided to stay gambling free (casino, sports betting) from today onwards. Can I get some thoughts on buying lottery though ? Is spending let's say $10 every week on lottery considered gambling? Is it possible to do so and not risk a relapse ?

Hope to hear from your experiences.

I tried this still buying lottery n bitcoin, but it led back to gambling online, and poker rooms..

You need to shut off that part of the brain.

I did by stopping all gambling, going to GA, having help managing my money, working more to pay off debt, exercise, diet, etc...

Only at 26 days clean but the results have been amazing, and gamble free life and future is awesome.

If you are an addicted or problem gambler, the advice usually given is don't even flip a coin with a friend for a penny. It's like an alcoholic just taking a little sip of beer. The next thing you know, you'll be right back into the thick of it. Lottery games are just pie in the sky anyway. One person told me the chances of winning by buying a ticket is the same as not buying a ticket. Use that $10 for your kids if you don't care about yourself.

Timehealsall wrote:Hi all, I'm new to the community here. I have decided to stay gambling free (casino, sports betting) from today onwards. Can I get some thoughts on buying lottery though ? Is spending let's say $10 every week on lottery considered gambling? Is it possible to do so and not risk a relapse ?

Hope to hear from your experiences.

The impulse behind it is all the same. I would say staying away from gambling totally is best for our spirits and our chances for recovery.

Hmm, this is a good question

Since quitting gambling i still put in £1 for a work group syndicate - i know i have never been nor am i addicted to this form of gambling.

Something my counselor told me awhile ago when I asked if was OK to play the Lotto, that really stuck with me is this:

"If you're asking that question, you have already made the association with gambling. Don't ask for reinforcement, because you will eventually find it. Just answer yourself honestly".

I was in GA for maybe 4 months (3rd go round in over 4 years) --- I was a casino gambler by that time -- online had killed me earlier and I switched thinking I'd rather gamble in a "regulated" environment -- well that didn't work out so well either

Nonetheless, our lottery got to a record breaking amount and I decided 'this isn't my normal thing, it is such a smaller amount than I used to use, this is no big deal' - so I bought several tix 2 x.

I was so mad at my GA group instructing that it was best I reset my date. (ego running wild). So mad.

But what struck me most when I bought those tix that I never really played before --- I really thought I had a good chance at winning! (gambling addict brain activated)
OMG the things I would do when I won. I hit maybe 4 of the 6 numbers and thought WOW! look at that but not even enough to cover tix. but it gave me encouragement to gamble more. And I was amazed at the general tv NEWS stories about how to claim your money if (when) you win, legal advice, best states to buy your winning tic for tax benefits... on and on as if you were going to win

bottom line for me: It activated my love of gambling. it triggered that dopamine, serotonin, adrenaline maybe in smaller amts but it did get me. this could easily lead me back to active gambling-- maybe this time at 7 11's where i cant exclude? who knows but not a future I want not worth the risk

Thank you all for sharing your thoughts on this topic. In my country, we have the lotto style lottery (e.g. pick 6 numbers out of 50) and the 4 digit lottery draws. I think the odds of winning the 4 digits draw is slightly higher compared to lotto , and so the near misses are more frequent too (as well as not buying for a certain draw and my favourite 4 digit number is drawn). Honestly, I do think those near misses trigger me and make me upset (just like normal gambling). I shall stop buying those lottery products.