Get help with gambling

UK helplines and support

Support for friends and family

If you are worried about someone else, GamCare and BeGambleAware both offer dedicated support for affected others. Living with someone who has a gambling problem can be stressful and isolating, and you deserve help too.

You can also encourage the person you are worried about to register with GamStop, set deposit limits at the operators they use or self-exclude with their bank, many of which now offer a gambling block on debit and credit cards.

Practical first steps

• Call the National Gambling Helpline on 0808 8020 133.
• Register with GamStop at gamstop.co.uk.
• Set a deposit, loss or session limit on every gambling account you hold.
• Turn on the gambling block in your banking app.
• Install blocking software such as Gamban or BetBlocker on every device.
• Speak to your GP if your mental health is suffering.

Whatever you decide to do next, reading this page is a strong first step. Help is free, it is confidential, and it is available right now.

What happens when you call the helpline

The National Gambling Helpline on 0808 8020 133 is staffed by qualified advisers from GamCare. The call is free from any UK landline or mobile, does not appear on the bill and is fully confidential. You can give a first name only, or no name at all.

The adviser will listen, ask a few questions to understand your situation and talk you through the options that fit best. Nothing is forced. You are in control of the conversation from the first second to the last. If you would rather not talk on the phone, GamCare also runs a live chat at gamcare.org.uk that works exactly the same way.

Free counselling and treatment

NHS England runs a network of gambling treatment clinics across the country, with referrals available through your GP or directly via the GamCare partner network. Treatment is free at the point of use and typically includes one-to-one therapy, group support and structured cognitive behavioural therapy programmes.

Gordon Moody offers residential treatment for the most severe cases, with multi-week programmes designed around relapse prevention and rebuilding daily life. All of these services are free for UK residents and do not require private health insurance.

Financial help

Gambling harm and money worries usually travel together. StepChange (stepchange.org), National Debtline (nationaldebtline.org) and Citizens Advice all offer free, independent debt advice and can help you put together a realistic plan. None of them will judge you and none of them charge a fee.

Many UK banks also offer a freeze on gambling transactions inside their mobile apps, with a 24 to 48 hour delay before the freeze can be lifted. Combined with GamStop and blocking software, this gives a layered defence that buys you time when an urge hits.

How to recognise harmful patterns

Harmful gambling rarely starts as a single dramatic event. It builds in small steps: a slightly longer session, a deposit above your normal pattern, a quiet decision not to mention a loss to your partner. The PGSI (Problem Gambling Severity Index) used by the NHS asks a short list of questions about frequency, money spent, borrowing, regret and impact on others. GamCare and BeGambleAware both host the questionnaire free of charge and the result is private.

A score does not define you. It simply helps you and any clinician understand the picture. People who have asked for help at every level of the scale, from mild concern through to severe harm, have moved forward with their lives. The earlier the conversation, the easier the changes tend to be.

Cultural and faith-based support

Some players prefer a service that understands their cultural or faith background. The Gambling With Lives charity offers bereavement support to families who have lost someone to gambling-related suicide. The Big Step focuses on the relationship between football and gambling. EPIC Risk Management runs programmes inside the armed forces, prisons and large workplaces. All of these services are free at the point of use and confidential.

If English is not your first language, the National Gambling Helpline can arrange a translator. GamCare also publishes self-help materials in a range of community languages and can refer you to peer-support groups across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Self-help and peer support

Gamblers Anonymous runs free meetings across the UK, both in person and online. Meetings are anonymous, member-led and based on the same twelve-step model used for other recovery groups. Gam-Anon offers the same structure for family members and partners. The GamCare online forum lets you post anonymously and read other people's stories at any hour of the day or night.

Many players find that combining a structured service (counselling, helpline or clinic) with peer support gives the strongest result. Hearing other people describe the same patterns can be a powerful reminder that recovery is possible, and that you are far from alone.

If you are in crisis

If you are having thoughts of suicide or self-harm, please call 999 immediately, or contact the Samaritans on 116 123. Both lines are free, available 24 hours a day and confidential. Gambling harm can be devastating, but it is treatable and you do not have to face it alone tonight.