Gambling Addiction: Signs and Where to Get Help (UK)

What is gambling addiction?

The Royal College of Psychiatrists describes gambling disorder as a repeated pattern in which a person feels they have lost control over gambling, carries on or gambles more despite the damage, and lets gambling take priority over other interests ^[3]. It is also known as gambling addiction, problem gambling and compulsive gambling ^[3]. The NHS and NICE mostly talk about gambling-related harms, a phrase that covers anyone whose life is being damaged by gambling, whether or not they would call it an addiction ^[1] ^[2].

The Royal College estimates that roughly 2 to 3 in every 100 people have gambling disorder, and that 8 to 12 in every 100 gamble in ways that are either harmful or at risk of becoming harmful in the future ^[3]. If you are reading this at the kitchen table after a bad night, you are very far from the only one.

Gambling does not only mean a betting shop or a casino. The Royal College lists slot machines, scratch cards, the lottery, sports betting and casino games, and also points to betting on investment products and spending money on rewards inside mobile or online games ^[3]. It notes that people often do not see these as gambling at all, which can make it harder to admit that control has gone ^[3]. With betting apps on a phone, the chance to place a bet is there at any hour, wherever you are.

What are the signs of gambling addiction?

The NHS suggests a short set of questions for anyone unsure whether gambling is causing them problems ^[1]. Read them slowly and answer as honestly as you can, ideally somewhere private where nobody is waiting for you to say the right thing.

Do you bet more than you can afford to lose?
Do you need to gamble with larger amounts to get the same feeling?
Have you tried to win back money you have lost, which is often called chasing losses?
Have you borrowed money or sold anything to get money to gamble?
Have you wondered whether you have a problem with gambling?
Has gambling caused you health problems, including stress or anxiety?
Have other people criticised your betting or told you that you had a problem, whether or not you agreed?
Has gambling caused financial problems for you or your household?
Have you ever felt guilty about the way you gamble or what happens when you gamble?

How do I know if my gambling is a problem?

For each question the NHS scores never as 0, sometimes as 1, most of the time as 2, and almost always as 3 ^[1]. A total of 8 or higher means you, or the people closest to you, are likely to be experiencing gambling-related harms ^[1]. A total between 1 and 7 means gambling might still be having a negative effect on your life ^[1].

A number on a screen can feel like a verdict, so please treat it as information about where you are now. A high score is a good reason to make one phone call this week, and a lower score that still unsettles you is worth taking seriously too.

Some signs show up for the people around you before you see them yourself. The harms the Royal College lists include overdue bills, borrowing from family or friends, mood swings, poor sleep, and missing days or struggling to focus at work ^[3]. It also says that people with gambling disorder often struggle to recognise it as a problem, or focus on the wins and the social side ^[3]. Stigma, embarrassment, not wanting others to find out and worry about debt are among the things it says stop people asking for help ^[3].

What harm can gambling do?

The Royal College of Psychiatrists groups the harms into four areas ^[3]. Financial harms include overdue bills, borrowing from family, friends or loan sharks, large debts, selling possessions, eviction or repossession, and in some cases committing crimes such as fraud or theft to fund gambling ^[3]. Family harms include more arguments over money and debts, normal family life becoming difficult, abuse or neglect of loved ones, and separation or divorce ^[3]. Health harms include low self-esteem, anxiety, poor sleep, depression, misuse of alcohol or drugs, and suicidal thoughts and attempts ^[3]. Work and study suffer as well, through missed days, poor concentration and lost jobs ^[3].

The link with suicide needs saying plainly. NICE, which sets standards for NHS care, tells professionals to recognise that gambling can be a dominant risk factor for suicidal thoughts and suicide attempts, even when no other risk factors are present ^[2]. It adds that the risk may be highest immediately after a gambling episode ^[2].

If you have lost money you cannot afford and you are having thoughts of ending your life, please call Samaritans on 116 123 now, at any hour. If your life is at risk right now, call 999. You do not have to explain the whole story. Saying that you have had a bad loss and you are frightened is enough to start with. The debt is real, and the NHS points to the National Debtline for free help with it ^[1].

Why does gambling get such a hold?

The Royal College says there is no single cause and points to a mix of biological, genetic, environmental and psychological reasons ^[3]. Some things raise the risk. Men are four times more likely to have gambling disorder, though the rate among women is rising ^[3]. A family history of gambling or other addictions, heavy drinking or drug use, other mental health conditions, money worries, and working in a casino, betting shop or arcade all play a part ^[3]. So can experiencing or witnessing a big win at a young age or early on in your gambling ^[3].

Some medicines that affect dopamine, used for conditions such as Parkinson's disease, schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, are linked with gambling disorder ^[3]. This risk factor is easy to miss. If your urge to gamble started or grew after a change in medication, tell your GP or prescriber, and please do not stop a prescribed medicine on your own.

The Royal College also describes the beliefs that tend to come with gambling disorder, such as feeling that certain numbers are more likely to come up, that two wins in a row mean a winning streak, that a ritual brings luck, or that losses can be won back by gambling more ^[3]. From my own recovery, I know how convincing that inner voice can be, and how quickly a sensible plan turns into one more go. In counselling, we often start by slowing that moment down and noticing what happens just before the bet. I write more about this pattern in the cycle of addiction.

Where can I get help for a gambling addiction?

The National Gambling Helpline, run by GamCare, is free on 0808 8020 133 and offers information, support and counselling 24 hours a day, 7 days a week ^[1]. If you only do one thing after reading this, make that call. You do not need to have it all worked out before you ring. The NHS also lists GambleAware's National Gambling Support Network and the Primary Care Gambling Service, a national service for anyone experiencing gambling-related harms ^[1].

In England there are specialist NHS gambling treatment clinics with teams of psychiatrists and psychologists, and you can refer yourself to the one nearest you or ask your GP about local services ^[1]. The clinics can also support your family or friends ^[1]. For people in the South East, the Southern Gambling Service is a regional NHS service that works digitally, with video consultations, and accepts online self-referrals from people aged 17 and older who live in or are registered with a GP in its area ^[7]. It is open 9am to 5pm on weekdays, and out of hours it directs people to NHS 111 ^[7].

NICE recommends that gambling services offer group CBT to reduce how often and how heavily people gamble, starting as soon as possible after diagnosis, with individual CBT for people who do not wish to join a group or for whom a group is not possible or suitable ^[2]. A course is usually 8 to 10 sessions in a group or 6 to 8 sessions one to one ^[2]. NICE also says peer support should be offered as an integral part of treatment for those who want it ^[2]. If an appropriate course of therapy has not worked, or relapses keep happening, NICE says a medicine called naltrexone can be considered, started by or under the supervision of an experienced specialist ^[2].

Getting help matters. The Royal College says about 1 in 3 people with gambling disorder recover on their own, and about 2 in 3 continue to have problems, which tend to get worse ^[3]. Gamblers Anonymous holds meetings every day of the week across England, Wales and Ulster, where people with gambling problems support one another with no counsellors or professionals present, and no appointment is needed ^[6]. Citizens Advice and the National Debtline can help with the money side ^[1].

What can I do today to protect myself?

While you arrange support, a few practical steps make the next bet harder to place. The NHS and the Royal College of Psychiatrists suggest the following ^[1] ^[3].

Register with GamStop, which blocks you from gambling websites and apps for 6 months, 1 year or 5 years ^[1].
Install Gamban on your devices to block gambling sites and apps ^[1].
Ask your bank to block payments to gambling companies ^[1].
Pay important bills, such as rent or mortgage, on payday before any money can reach a bet ^[1].
Leave your cards at home, and ask friends and family not to lend you money, even if you ask them to ^[3].
Self-exclude from betting shops, casinos and bingo halls through the national schemes the Royal College lists, such as MOSES for betting shops ^[3].
Deal with debts rather than ignoring them, and tell one person you trust what has been happening ^[1].

What if someone I love has a gambling problem?

Living with someone else's gambling can leave you hurt, mistrustful, sad and anxious about money ^[3]. The Royal College recognises that conversations about gambling can feel tricky or even unsafe, and that anger can get in the way ^[3]. If you are ever afraid for your safety, call 999.

Your own support comes first, which can feel wrong when someone else is the one gambling. The Royal College suggests getting help with your feelings, protecting your finances, and getting support for children in the family ^[3]. NICE says family members and affected others should be offered support in their own right, alone or together with the person gambling if both agree ^[2]. Gam-Anon runs meetings for anyone affected by a loved one's gambling, usually on the same night as Gamblers Anonymous but in a separate room ^[5]. GamStop also has guidance for people supporting a loved one ^[4].

If the gambling has shaken your relationship, relationship counselling can give you both a calmer space to talk, alongside the help for the gambling itself.

Where the line sits between helping someone and covering for them is a hard question, and money is usually where it shows first. I look at that pull to rescue, including paying off debts, in codependency and how families get drawn in. For protecting your own money, these are the practical steps I would start with.

Keep the essentials in an account that is yours alone. GambleAware suggests setting aside money first for bills, food, rent and mortgage payments, and savings pots can help keep that money for what it is meant for ^[8].
Talk to a free debt adviser at StepChange or Citizens Advice before you pay off or take on anyone else's debts. GambleAware says they can advise you on protecting yourself and your family from gambling-related debt, including when a partner has gambling debt ^[8]. StepChange says it offers this with no judgement ^[9].
Check your own credit report if you are worried that money has been borrowed in your name, which GambleAware explains how to do ^[8]. If loan sharks are involved, it says to contact the police as soon as possible ^[8].
Saying no to lending money is allowed, even when you are asked directly. The Royal College suggests that people who gamble ask friends and family not to lend to them for exactly this reason ^[3].
You cannot block someone else's gambling for them. GamStop says you must not register another person, because it is their choice to make, unless you hold legal authority such as a valid Power of Attorney ^[10]. A bank block is set up by the account holder with their own bank ^[8], and NICE describes a family member managing the money as something that is agreed ^[2]. What you can do is register with GamStop yourself, so your details cannot be used to open gambling accounts, and tell the person about it ^[10].

How can counselling help with gambling?

I am a BACP-registered counsellor, not a doctor, and I am not a gambling clinic. I do not diagnose or prescribe, and the CBT that NICE recommends is delivered by NHS gambling services. Counselling with me is a place to talk about the person behind the gambling, including the shame, the secrecy, what the bet was helping you avoid feeling, and the relationships that have been strained.

Counselling can sit alongside the helpline, an NHS clinic or Gamblers Anonymous. You can read more about how I approach addiction counselling, and about meeting in person at my room in Hove or online. If you are wondering whether the area you live in is close enough, the towns I work with are listed here. For a practical tool you can use tonight when the urge arrives, try three strategies for cravings and urges.

Common questions

Is gambling addiction a recognised mental health condition?

Yes. Psychiatrists call it gambling disorder, and the Royal College of Psychiatrists describes it as a repeated pattern of losing control over gambling and carrying on despite the harm ^[3]. NICE has published guidance on identifying and treating gambling-related harms, and the NHS runs specialist gambling clinics in England ^[1] ^[2]. The Royal College compares the difficulty of keeping control once gambling becomes a problem with alcohol and substance use disorders ^[3].

Can scratch cards, the lottery or spending in games become an addiction?

They can. The Royal College of Psychiatrists lists scratch cards and the lottery among common forms of gambling, and notes that spending money on rewards in mobile or online games can be a type of gambling too ^[3]. People often do not recognise these as gambling, which can delay getting help ^[3]. If any of them is causing you money worries, guilt or secrecy, the NHS questions above apply to you.

Do I have to stop gambling completely?

NICE says the aim of treatment should be discussed and agreed with you, and that it is typically abstinence ^[2]. The Royal College of Psychiatrists suggests getting help first and then working out whether to stop or control your gambling, adding that many people who set out to control it later decide to stop completely ^[3]. It also warns that once gambling has become a problem, keeping control can be hard ^[3].

Can I refer myself to an NHS gambling clinic?

Yes, if you live in England. The NHS says you can self-refer to a specialist gambling treatment clinic near you, or ask a GP for information about services in your area ^[1]. Each clinic has its own referral form and area. The Southern Gambling Service, for example, takes online self-referrals from people aged 17 and older living in its part of the South East ^[7].

I have just lost money I cannot afford. What should I do right now?

Try not to chase the loss. The NHS lists trying to win back lost money among its questions about gambling problems ^[1]. Call the National Gambling Helpline on 0808 8020 133, which is free at any hour ^[1]. Ask your bank to block gambling payments ^[1]. If you are having thoughts of ending your life, call Samaritans on 116 123. Call 999 if you might act on those thoughts tonight.

Is there support for families of people who gamble?

Yes. The NHS lists Gam-Anon meetings, the GamFam peer support network, and support from NHS gambling clinics for people affected by someone else's gambling ^[1]. Gam-Anon meetings are for anyone affected by a loved one's gambling problem ^[5]. NICE says family members should be offered support in their own right ^[2]. The NHS lists the National Gambling Helpline among the free, confidential services open to friends and family as well ^[1].

Sources

Help for problems with gambling, NHS (accessed 12 Nov 2026)
Gambling-related harms: identification, assessment and management (NG248), recommendations, NICE (accessed 12 Nov 2026)
Gambling disorder, Royal College of Psychiatrists (accessed 12 Nov 2026)
Block yourself from online gambling, GamStop (accessed 12 Nov 2026)
Gam-Anon UK and Ireland, Gam-Anon UK and Ireland (accessed 12 Nov 2026)
Gamblers Anonymous England, Wales and Ulster, Gamblers Anonymous (accessed 12 Nov 2026)
Southern Gambling Service, Hampshire and Isle of Wight Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust (accessed 12 Nov 2026)
Help with budgeting and finances, GambleAware (accessed 12 Nov 2026)
Gambling and betting debts, StepChange Debt Charity (accessed 12 Nov 2026)
Support a loved one who gambles, GamStop (accessed 12 Nov 2026)

Written by Bradley Riddell, a BACP-registered counsellor (registered member 109340) with over 25 years' experience and lived experience of recovery. He is not a doctor: this article is general information, not medical advice. Check his registration. Sources checked 12 November 2026.

Gambling addiction: the signs, and where to get help in the UK

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