I kept gambling even after self-exclusion would something like this have helped you?

Hey everyone,

I’m not here to promote anything. I just want to be honest and ask for opinions.

I struggled with online gambling for years. I registered for self-exclusion, blocked sites, did everything people say you “should” do and I still kept gambling. Not because I didn’t know it was a problem, but because in certain moments my brain just didn’t want to stop. Especially after losing.

What I personally missed wasn’t another blocker or someone telling me to just quit. The hardest part for me was the moment the urge hits. That moment where you think one more bet, I’ll fix it.

So I’m thinking about building a very simple mobile app focused only on that moment. Not therapy, no streaks, no guilt or shame.

The idea would be something like a panic button you can press when the urge hits, short pause or grounding exercises to slow you down, honest reminders about loss chasing without judging, and an AI-style buddy that asks questions instead of telling you what to do. Everything would be fully anonymous, with no “you failed” messages.

The goal wouldn’t be to force people to quit gambling forever. It’s more about helping you not go further than you actually want to in that moment.

Before I build anything, I really want to know what others think. Would something like this have helped you? Do you feel the real problem is impulse and mindset, not just access? And what would make an app like this actually worth using or paying for?

If you think it’s a bad idea, I want to hear that too. I don’t want to build something people don’t actually need.

Thanks for reading.