Hi Michael,
I will repeat my initial advice here so that you have everything one place.
Welldone on looking for help.
Well done on arranging the self exclusion and getting your counselling session set up.
You are worried about when you next get paid? Good, now you can use that awareness. Read the other stories in the My Journal Forum and you will see that financial barriers and accountability help. Who could help you with this? A family member you trust maybe? Put thigns in plaec to limit your access to gambling funds and payday becomes just another day. Arrange that accountability, I strongly suggest you do this BEFORE payday.
At this point you don’t need to understand your addiction – you need to put thigns in place so that you can’t act on it. That will give you the breathing space you need to start work on recovery.
You can stop gambling I promise you.