Gambling

I've found writing down my spending each day helps me see patterns and stop before it gets out of hand. Setting daily limits with the bank also gave me more control.

I’ve had times where gambling stuff pulled me in too, especially things like online sabong asia. There's something about how quick the wins can feel that gets really addictive. What helped me a bit was switching focus to something else that still gave me a buzz but wasn’t tied to money. Also, talking it out with someone who didn’t judge made a big difference.

I used to get stuck in those loops too, especially with online games that made it easy to spend without thinking. What helped me was checking out sites like https://non-ukcasinos.org — seeing how different systems work made me more aware of how these platforms are built to pull you in. It gave me a bit more space to pause before clicking, which made a difference.

I had a similar issue and found it helped to put limits on my spending and talk to someone I trusted when I felt the urge. Distraction worked sometimes too.

I’ve had my own struggles with gambling, and I’ve found that it can really hit hard, especially when you're looking for an escape or something to focus on. For me, it often felt like a way to deal with boredom or stress. I also noticed that my tendency to fixate on patterns made the whole thing harder to stop once I’d started. What helped me was setting small, manageable boundaries. I started by blocking gambling sites on my devices – I used apps that made it harder to access them, which was a bit of a lifesaver. I also had to get a trusted friend or family member involved to help with budgeting, just so I didn’t have access to large amounts of money. That way, I wasn’t tempted to go on a streak that I couldn’t control. It wasn’t easy, and it took a lot of time, but finding things that gave me the same kind of focus or distraction (like video games, puzzles, or even just getting out for walks) helped. I also had some counseling, which I found really useful, especially with someone who understood the unique way that autism can interact with these kinds of challenges.

In regular betting, it is just luck, even if you seem to have a winning streak. You won't win the long run, e.g. slots, lottery.

This assumes the game is fair and not rigged and you are not in on the inside, e.g. if you know a horse is doped, but this can be illegal.

You can make money on gambling though, but you need games of skill, which is things like card games (poker) or backgammon. You need to know odds in you go head and play based on strategies. You are banking on being better at this than the other person or people. This is what the professional gamblers do.

The other way is to place multiple bets, like a hedging strategy if you work for a financial firm, is what I believe some do. You are are looking for discrepancies in odds. But you will often get banned if you are successful. Also with modern tech the betting companies may well be wise this.

Best to view it as fun. Bank on losing the money and then anything you make is a welcome bonus.

On a side note I also really enjoy studying capitals - countries, US state capitals etc and wordle. 

I recently gambled on football very frequently, I loved analysing the statistics and making bets accordingly. Not on wild 20/1 odds but realistic even odds. I turned £10 into nearly £200! That then dropped to £100 in a rough spell. It lost its appeal! I find losing money much more powerful than winning (I didn't even lose money). Anyway I love numbers, property, inflation, economics, FT, 

Mark homer, clear barratt, property hub, wake up to money etc

 Gambling can be fun if you approach it with the right mindset. It's easy to get caught up in the excitement, but I've learned that it's all about having control. I usually set a budget before playing, so I know exactly how much I'm willing to risk.

It has the potential to be very addictive. Which is why I personally don't get involved with it. 

I used to work in stockbroking and my father was an accountant all his career. I tend to gravitate to gambling related activities and have managed to resist investing it in overall so far e.g. I play backgammon online in the last few years and only use fantasy money not pay for chips etc on there (I've done similar with online poker in the past too)

Don't know how familiar you are with singer/actress/life coach Suzanne Shaw but she has ADHD and the numbers form of dyslexia so you're definitely not alone as her description of not being able to read numbers sounds similar to how you say you see numbers.

I love to go to bingo and a casino too so much fun

spot on the bookies have the percentages in their favour

No, I don't understand numbers at all, I can't pass a GCSE grade C with special teaching, numbers tend to swim about when I look at them and numbers on a digital screen are even worse as they're all based around the number 8 and I can see all the lines that make up the 8 even when the number is 4 or something. My eyes get drawn into figuring out whats not there as much as what is there. I think I must be the only person who can put the same simple sum into a calculator three times and three diferent answers!

I've never seen the attraction of gambling, I did the lottery for 6 months and barely got my stake money back, I felt like my money would be safer in a jar under the bed.

no the good news was I hated losing money so now I have gone back to doing it for fun and studying form etc.I am one of these people that get an idea there is a system and pattern and the bookies don't know about it!

Cat Loving Man said:

Just wanted some views.I used to gamble too much and chase losses .I had this view you could beat the bookies if you just had enough money.it did not work.Now I find gambling boring and ma very selective when I do it.I do it within reason and either lose small amounts or win small amounts.

I was just wondering is my type of obsessions with numbers typical of Autism.I am also very into money and the stock market etc and love the FT.

Look forward to some views on the above

It's also common for anyone with a strong analytical mind to be drawn to these areas, whether they're on the spectrum or not. The key is how it affects your life—if it's something you can manage well, then it's just part of who you are. If you're curious or concerned about how these traits align with autism, it might be worth exploring further with a professional.

Going back to cats they are super intelligent one of mine can open doors including the front door !

The financial editor had to independently chose shares to buy, sell and keep, thats why he got his cat to help, cats not being known for caring about such things was unbiased, but still did very well.