Hannah's story
Hannah struggled with her partner's gambling addiction for years until together, they sought help. Her partner is now in recovery, and Hannah has turned to her passion for theatre to share her story and break the stigma.
It made such a difference that registering with Gamstop also stops my partner from getting marketing emails: the constant offers and promotions can make recovery so much more challenging.
Secret gambling, financial worries
I always knew my partner liked a fruit machine in the pub, but I had no idea how far it went. Looking back, there were signs at the time, but I ignored them.
Everything came to a head one night in 2018. My partner was out, and his mum came over to visit. She asked me if I needed her to lend us any more money – and I didn’t know we’d borrowed any from them at all. I also discovered that our car, which I’d been told was on finance, had been bought for him by his parents.
That night, my partner had left his phone at home before heading out. His mum and I looked through his online banking and were shocked at the number of gambling transactions. We immediately contacted him, and he came home where we had an intervention.
Getting support and recovering from relapse
My partner started going to Gamblers Anonymous while I went to a support group for those affected by their loved ones’ gambling. As time went on, he was finding GA helpful and would come home feeling very positive.
But I was starting to feel angrier and angrier when I realised how much money he had lost – money that should’ve been for our family. He estimates he lost over £100,000 to gambling.
As the world went into lockdown in 2020, I found out my partner had relapsed. The pain it caused him was palpable but in a strange contrast, I could see the relief in his face that I now knew. We found out about Gamstop and my partner registered. I also registered to ensure that he can’t use my details to gamble online, which gives me a sense of security.
Five years on
My partner is in recovery and is no longer ashamed of his experience. We have the tools in place, and I have full control of our finances. Our relationship is now in a good place and we got married in 2024.
I turned my experience into a theatre show, Gamble, on which my partner was a consultant. This really helped build trust and heal the wounds. I don’t want people to feel how I felt when I found out about my partner, but it was also important to me that my partner didn’t come across badly or as a villain in this story; he has an addiction and that doesn’t make him a bad person.
It’s great that registering with Gamstop also stops my partner from getting marketing emails. The constant offers and promotions can make recovery so much more challenging.
Take control of your gambling
"There are people ready and willing to help you."
Stacey spent 8 years addicted to gambling and is now committed to raising awareness amongst women like herself who have struggled with gambling in silence.
"I needed to get professional help..."
Harj Gahley had a gambling addiction for over 10 years before seeking professional help with the support of his wife.
"Gamstop helped me recover."
Adam had a gambling addiction between the ages of 18-23 and registered with Gamstop to get his life back on track.
More ways to control your gambling
Gamstop Online is just the start. Many people who use Gamstop Online also use the Multi Operator Self Exclusion Scheme (MOSES) to block themselves from betting shops, install gambling blocking software on their devices, or receive advice and support from specialist organisations that support those struggling with gambling.