If today is a hard day
Two numbers, both free and confidential. In the US, call 1-800-MY-RESET. In the UK, call 0808 8020 133. You do not need a diagnosis, a plan, or the right words before calling. Our responsible gambling page keeps these numbers and other options in one place.
A condition, not a character flaw
Compulsive gambling is a recognised medical condition. It responds to treatment the way other conditions do: not instantly, and not identically for everyone, but reliably enough that asking for help is the single most valuable move available.
That framing matters because shame is what keeps most people from telling anyone. You are not weak. You are dealing with a condition that has known, tested treatments.
CBT: the best-evidenced option
Cognitive behavioural therapy has the strongest evidence base for gambling problems. The idea is practical rather than mysterious. A therapist helps you do three things:
- Map your triggers. The situations, feelings, and times of day that come before a session.
- Question the beliefs that keep you playing. Chasing losses, numbers feeling "due", the sense that a win is close. These are predictable distortions, and they can be unlearned.
- Build replacement responses. Concrete plans for the moments when the urge arrives.
CBT is usually a short course of weekly sessions, delivered one-to-one or in a group, and increasingly by video call. Helplines can refer you to therapists who work specifically with gambling.
The other options, honestly described
| Option | What it is | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Helplines | Immediate, anonymous phone support and referral to local treatment | Free |
| CBT with a therapist | Structured short-course therapy; the best-evidenced approach | Varies; often covered by health systems or insurance |
| Gamblers Anonymous | Peer support meetings, in person and online; no appointment or referral needed | Free |
| Outpatient programmes | Regular scheduled treatment while you keep living at home | Varies |
| Residential treatment | Live-in care for severe cases, usually after other steps | Varies; usually needs a referral |
There is no standard medication for gambling problems themselves. A clinician may still prescribe for conditions that often travel with them, such as depression or anxiety, which is one more reason a proper assessment helps.
Steps that make treatment stick
- Self-exclusion. Most regulators and operators run programmes that bar you from casinos or gambling sites at your own request. Signing up removes the decision from your worst moments.
- Put distance between you and the money. Let someone you trust hold cards and passwords for a while. Urges pass faster when acting on them takes effort.
- Tell one person. Not everyone. One. Secrecy is the condition's best friend.
- Blocking software. Tools that block gambling sites on your devices are a speed bump rather than a wall, but speed bumps help.
What this page will never do
This site writes about casino games and the math behind them. This page is the exception: it contains no strategy, no odds, and nothing to buy. If gambling has stopped being entertainment you budget for, the two numbers at the top of this page are the whole point. Call one.
Where the numbers on this site come from
This article is editorial. The reference sections below derive their figures from the cards, the dice or the pay table rather than quoting them, and each one shows the working:
More in Breaking the Habit
- Alternative Hobbies That Can Replace Gambling
- Online Support Forums for Gambling Problems
- Gambling Addiction and Isolation: A Way Back
First published on this site's WordPress blog between September and December 2025; rewritten to this site's current standard in August 2026.