Stopped gambling a couple of days ago after an abnormally high loss. I still have some urges to gamble but those desires have subsided more than initially anticipated when I first decided to quit — at that moment it felt like a part of me had died. I believe I’ve gotten over this quicker than expected because I now have an incredibly strong motivation to grind and succeed in the world of software entrepreneurship. For context, my background is in software, my university degrees are in CS and I work in big tech. So this idea isn’t necessarily out of nowhere, going to university in the SF Bay Area I think every single one of us had a dream of being a successful founder in tech. So this is more of a dream “revived” that kind of died after getting high paying internships and job offers in college.
At the surface I know this looks like it couldn’t be anything but positive, however, I’m concerned that I’m replacing my addiction to gambling in casinos/stocks/sports is just being replaced by a desire to take chances in entrepreneurship. The cost to start the ideas I have in software entrepreneurship would be maybe 1/8th of what I’d lose a month gambling but my gambling losses also started small. I’m worried my ventures will fail and it’ll feel like a gambling loss and the cycle continues.
Has anyone had a similar experience and could share some insights? Anyone get addicted to entrepreneurship after quitting gambling and also ended up in financial turmoil? Also, I wouldn’t be quitting my job.
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I also had, better still, have. In my experience it lead to more financial loss, especially when things don’t go the way I expected. Be cautious, you, we, are in a very tenuous situation. It is not wise to think you are free from this evil that torments us, it is just waiting for an opportunity.
Clearly it’s a risk that is actually worthwhile: genuinely achieving a purpose and a drive for success—beyond shallow games of chance. Even if you can call it a compulsion, it would be very, *very* different.
After big loss, many get same feeling. The dangerous part is that the feeling usually fades away and it makes vulnerable to relapses. Some call it pink cloud. So if i were in your situation, i would close casinos, seek help and move money to safe where it cant played. But yes its good to start grinding now and leave those games alone which ruin lives.👍
I’m a huge believer in sublimation in recovery, transferring your energy and attention from a destructive to a productive habit.
The biggest danger though is if whatever pain gambling was being used to cope with, is just being substituted with entrepreneurship (guys getting into weightlifting/intense sport is another big one).
The habit is healthy but if underlying causes are never addressed than they will always be lurking under the surface. When the business hits a lull or the weightlifter tears a bicep, there is nothing to distract them anymore and they go back to casino for escape and dopamine.
I don’t know you so not saying this is you, but it seems like you have strong self awareness if you are bringing up the concern.
Might be helpful to journal about what is driving you. Just simple question – what is meaningful to me about starting the business? What do I hope to accomplish with it? Which of my values does it align with? And even What is my plan if it does not succeed at first? If I lose my investment? Would be good questions for self reflection imo.