90-Minute Gambling Addiction Webinar Overview

Title: “Am I Losing Control? Understanding Gambling Addiction and How to Take Back Power”
Format: Live webinar (Zoom / YouTube Live)
Audience: People who suspect they may have a gambling problem, family members, or concerned friends
Facilitator: Gambling & addiction recovery coach

 0–10 min: Welcome & Safety Container

• Introduction of facilitator (credibility + lived experience or coaching background)

• Ground rules: confidentiality, no judgment, participation is optional

• Normalize the experience: gambling addiction is often hidden, not obvious

• Quick disclaimer: educational session, not therapy or diagnosis

 10–25 min: “Is This Me?” – Understanding the Problem

• What gambling addiction actually is (beyond stereotypes)

• Difference between entertainment gambling vs compulsive gambling

• Early warning signs:

  • Chasing losses

  • Lying about gambling

  • Borrowing money or debt cycles

  • Emotional dependence (stress, boredom, escape)

• Short self-reflection quiz: “Where am I on the spectrum?”

 25–45 min: The Psychology of Gambling

• Why the brain gets hooked (dopamine reward loops)

• Near-miss effect and false hope cycles

• “Just one more win” thinking trap

• Emotional drivers:

  • Stress relief

  • Escape from pressure

  • Anxiety reduction

• How online betting apps are designed to keep people engaged

 45–60 min: The Real Cost (Not Just Money)

• Financial impact: debt cycles, hidden losses

• Emotional impact: shame, secrecy, anxiety, irritability

• Relationship impact: trust breakdown, isolation

• Identity impact: “I am becoming someone I don’t recognise”

• Short story/example case study (real-life style narrative)

 60–75 min: How People Start Reversing It

• The turning point: awareness → honesty → choice

• 3 practical stabilisation steps:

  • Pause access (limits, blocking apps, removing triggers)

  • Interrupt the loop (delays, accountability, friction)

  • Replace the habit (structured alternatives for dopamine)

• Introduction to support systems:

  • Coaching

  • Support groups like Gamblers Anonymous

  • Family accountability systems

 75–85 min: Recovery Pathway (Simple Framework)

• What recovery actually looks like (not instant, but structured)

• 3-stage model:

  • Stabilise (stop damage)

  • Rebuild (habits + finances + trust)

  • Rewire (identity + long-term behaviour change)

• Common relapse triggers and how to prepare for them

 85–90 min: Closing + Next Steps

• Summary of key insights

• Invitation to take a self-assessment or book a follow-up session

• Offer of support options (group coaching / 1:1 coaching / WhatsApp support group)

• Final message: recovery is a process, not a single decision

 Optional Add-On Elements

• Anonymous live Q&A

• Chat poll (“Have you tried to stop before?”)

• Downloadable worksheet: “My Gambling Trigger Map”

• Free follow-up 15-minute clarity call

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 5 MODERN TECHNIQUES USED

1. Friction Design (make gambling hard)

2. Dopamine Replacement (swap the reward system)

3. Cognitive Rewiring (change thinking patterns)

4. Accountability Systems (external control loops)

5. Identity & Environment Reset (become a different person in a different system)

1 FRICTION DESIGN (MAKE GAMBLING HARD)

Goal: add barriers between urge and action

1. Self-exclude from betting sites

2. Install gambling blockers on phone (e.g. BetBlocker-type tools)

3. Delete all gambling apps

4. Remove saved payment methods from browsers

5. Freeze or close online banking cards used for betting

6. Set bank transaction limits

7. Ask bank to block gambling merchant codes

8. Use prepaid cards with limited funds

9. Give financial control to a trusted person temporarily

10. Change passwords to something random and store away

11. Log out of all betting accounts permanently

12. Remove crypto wallets if used for gambling

13. Unsubscribe from betting emails/SMS

14. Block gambling ads on social media

15. Avoid sports betting-related pages/accounts

16. Delete bookmarks to gambling sites

17. Use website restriction tools on all devices

18. Remove quick-access shortcuts on phone home screen

19. Disable one-click payments (Apple Pay / Google Pay)

20. Physically avoid betting locations (shops, casinos, bars with machines)

2 DOPAMINE REPLACEMENT (SWAP THE REWARD SYSTEM)

Goal: replace gambling reward with healthier dopamine sources

21. Go for 10-minute walks when urge hits

22. Do push-ups or quick physical exercise bursts

23. Cold shower when craving starts

24. Watch short educational videos instead of betting content

25. Play mobile games without money stakes

26. Start a new hobby (drawing, music, writing)

27. Learn something skill-based (coding, trading simulation without money)

28. Cook something immediately when urge appears

29. Call someone and talk instead of acting

30. Listen to high-energy music playlist

31. Use breathing exercises (box breathing 4-4-4-4)

32. Journal feelings for 5 minutes

33. Do house cleaning as a “reset task”

34. Go outside and change environment immediately

35. Watch recovery stories on YouTube

36. Replace betting time with gym time

37. Do meditation or guided mindfulness apps

38. Play strategy games (non-gambling)

39. Work on side-income skills

40. Take short naps to break urge cycles

3 COGNITIVE REWIRING (CHANGE THINKING PATTERNS)

Goal: break mental illusions that fuel gambling

41. Write down every loss honestly

42. Track total lifetime gambling cost

43. Challenge “I’m due for a win” thinking

44. Learn about probability and house edge

45. Write: “What does winning actually lead to for me?”

46. Replace “I can win it back” with “I’m paying to play”

47. Identify triggers (stress, boredom, loneliness)

48. Keep a “urge diary”

49. Label thoughts as “brain trick” not truth

50. Read CBT-based addiction material

51. Practice delay rule: “Wait 15 minutes before any decision”

52. Ask: “Would I recommend this to someone I love?”

53. Visualise future self debt-free

54. Write consequences of continued gambling

55. Reframe losses as “cost of learning” not investment

56. Identify emotional state before every urge

57. Replace fantasy thinking with factual accounting

58. Create personal “truth statements”

59. Study gambling addiction psychology

60. Repeat: “Urges are temporary, consequences are permanent”

4 ACCOUNTABILITY SYSTEMS (EXTERNAL CONTROL LOOPS)

Goal: don’t rely on willpower alone

61. Tell one trusted person everything honestly

62. Join a peer support group (e.g. Gamblers Anonymous)

63. Schedule weekly accountability check-ins

64. Share bank statements with someone

65. Use accountability apps that track behaviour

66. Work with a recovery coach

67. Set public commitment (tell friends/family)

68. Create “no gambling contract” with penalties

69. Have someone hold your debit card temporarily

70. Join online recovery communities

71. Set daily reporting (yes/no gambling check-in)

72. Use buddy system when urges hit

73. Replace secrecy with transparency

74. Block self from borrowing money

75. Let someone monitor finances short-term

76. Attend weekly recovery meetings

77. Use phone screen-sharing during vulnerable periods

78. Keep emergency contact list visible

79. Create “urge hotline” contact person

80. Schedule structured daily routine with others involved

5 IDENTITY & ENVIRONMENT RESET (BECOME A DIFFERENT PERSON)

Goal: change who you are, not just what you do

81. Say “I am someone who doesn’t gamble” daily

82. Change daily routine completely

83. Avoid friends who trigger gambling

84. Build new social circles

85. Remove gambling-related content from feeds

86. Redesign phone home screen for productivity

87. Move money out of easy access accounts

88. Create new goals unrelated to gambling

89. Start exercising identity (“I am building discipline”)

90. Write a personal recovery mission statement

91. Replace gambling time slots with structured activities

92. Avoid alcohol/drugs during early recovery

93. Redesign weekends (high-risk times)

94. Create “busy schedule blocks” for trigger times

95. Change physical environment (new café, gym, spaces)

96. Build income goals to replace “quick win thinking”

97. Track streak of gambling-free days

98. Reward non-gambling milestones

99. Build a new personal narrative (“I rebuild systems, not chase luck”)

100. Commit to a 90-day reset period with no gambling exposure

 KEY INSIGHT

Stopping gambling is not about willpower — it’s about:

• making it harder to start

• making urges pass safely

• rewiring reward systems

• adding accountability

• rebuilding identity