Gambling involves real financial risk. Only play with money you can afford to lose. If gambling has stopped being fun — or if it's affecting your finances, your work, or the people around you — free, confidential help is available right now.
Helplines by country
| Country | Service | Contact |
|---|---|---|
| USA | National Council on Problem Gambling | 1-800-GAMBLER · ncpgambling.org |
| Canada | ConnexOntario / Provincial Helplines | 1-866-531-2600 · connexontario.ca |
| UK | GamCare | 0808 8020 133 · gamcare.org.uk |
| Australia | Gambling Help Online | 1800 858 858 · gamblinghelponline.org.au |
| New Zealand | Gambling Helpline | 0800 654 655 · gamblinghelpline.co.nz |
| Japan | Gambling Addiction Support / GA | gajapan.jp |
| South Korea | Korea Center on Gambling Problems | kcgp.or.kr · 1336 |
| Thailand | Department of Mental Health Hotline | 1323 |
| Indonesia | SEJIWA Hotline (mental health) | 119 ext. 8 |
Self-assessment
If you can answer "yes" to any of the following, it's worth talking to someone:
- Have you spent more on gambling than you intended?
- Have you lied to anyone about how much you gamble?
- Have you tried to win back losses by gambling more?
- Have you borrowed money to gamble?
- Has gambling caused stress, anxiety, or sleep problems?
- Have you missed work, school, or family time because of gambling?
- Do you feel restless or irritable when you try to cut back?
These are paraphrased from the standardised Problem Gambling Severity Index (PGSI). The full self-assessment is free at the link.
Tools to limit your play
- Deposit limits — almost every regulated casino lets you set daily, weekly, or monthly limits
- Time limits — many casinos let you set session-length limits
- Loss limits — caps on how much you can lose in a defined period
- Cooling-off periods — temporary self-exclusion for a few days or weeks
- Permanent self-exclusion — irreversible blacklist via national programmes:
- UK: GAMSTOP
- USA: state-specific (e.g., individual state programs)
- Australia: BetStop
Block gambling sites at the device level
- Gamban — blocks gambling sites and apps across all devices ($25/year)
- BetBlocker — free, similar functionality
- GamCare's directory of blocking tools
Talking to someone you're worried about
If you're concerned about someone else's gambling, the helplines above will speak to family members and friends, not just the person gambling. You don't need their permission to call.