Where can I get help with gambling?

Where can I get help with gambling? Start with one call

If you want help with gambling today, call the National Gambling Helpline on 0808 8020 133. It is run by GamCare, costs nothing and is open 24 hours a day, every day. If talking feels too much, the same service runs live chat and WhatsApp. The adviser will listen, help you work out what you want to change and point you to the right next step, whether that's counselling, treatment, blocking tools or debt advice.

You don't need to have hit rock bottom, and you don't need to be sure you have a problem. People call because they're worried about one bad month, because a partner has raised it, or because they want help setting limits. If you're still deciding whether your gambling is a concern, our page on how to tell if gambling is a problem has a short self-check.

If you feel at risk of harming yourself, call 999 or go to your nearest A&E. You can also call NHS 111.

Free gambling help services in the UK at a glance

Here is every main source of support in one place. All of these are free to use.

Our gambling support services page keeps a longer list, and the safer gambling hub covers every tool in detail.

The National Gambling Helpline: what happens when you call

The helpline is the front door to most UK gambling support. Alongside the helpline, GamCare's support services (opens in a new tab) page sets out the further help it offers, and advisers can point you on to treatment and other services near you.

1. Call 0808 8020 133, or open live chat or WhatsApp if you'd rather type.
2. Tell the adviser as much or as little as you feel ready to share.
3. Talk through what's been happening and what you'd like to change.
4. Agree a next step, such as counselling, a referral to treatment, or setting up blocks.
5. Call back whenever you need to; there's no limit on how often you use the service.

NHS help for gambling problems

Gambling harm is treated as a health issue, and the NHS offers specialist care. In England you can refer yourself to an NHS gambling clinic without going through your GP, including the National Problem Gambling Clinic run by Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust, part of its National Centre for Behavioural Addictions (opens in a new tab). The NHS guide to help for gambling problems (opens in a new tab) explains the options.

In Wales, the NHS Wales gambling helpline is on 0808 2819 265. Your GP is also a good first contact anywhere in the UK, especially if gambling is affecting your sleep, mood or anxiety. Our page on NHS gambling treatment explains what treatment usually involves, and gambling and mental health covers the overlap with depression and anxiety.

Peer support: Gamblers Anonymous and group help

Some people find it easiest to talk to others who have been through the same thing. Gamblers Anonymous (opens in a new tab) runs regular meetings across England, Wales and Ulster, where members share experiences and support each other to stop. Its website lists meetings, so you can find one near you.

Group support can sit alongside counselling or NHS treatment rather than replacing it. Many people use several kinds of help at once: professional treatment for the causes, peer meetings for ongoing encouragement, and blocking tools to remove temptation while both take effect.

Practical tools that help while you get support

Support works best with barriers in place. These tools don't replace talking to someone, but they buy you time when an urge hits.

Once you're registered with GAMSTOP, licensed operators must refuse you service, close your accounts, return your funds and remove you from marketing. Read our guides to GAMSTOP, bank gambling blocks and blocking software to set each one up.

Getting help with gambling debts

Money worries often drive the urge to gamble more, so tackling debt early matters. Free debt charities such as StepChange (opens in a new tab) can look at everything you owe, help you prioritise bills and talk to lenders for you. Avoid paid debt management firms that charge for what charities do at no cost.

Never borrow to pay off gambling losses or gamble to clear a debt; the house edge means losses are likely over time, so gambling can't be a way out of money problems. Our gambling debt help page covers your options step by step.

Help for family and friends of someone who gambles

Gambling harm reaches partners, children, parents and friends too, and they are entitled to support in their own right. The National Gambling Helpline takes calls from people worried about someone else, and GamCare's guidance for people affected by someone else's gambling (opens in a new tab) explains how to look after yourself as well as the person gambling.

Our guides for affected family and friends and on how to talk to someone about gambling suggest ways to raise the subject calmly, protect shared money and avoid blame. If you're worried about a teenager, see gambling and young people.

Help from the casino itself and how to complain

Licensed casinos must offer tools such as deposit limits, time-outs and self-exclusion, and their staff must signpost support. Each of our partner casinos has a safer gambling page; for example, see 10bet's safer gambling tools. Using these tools is something to feel positive about, not embarrassed by.

If a casino let you gamble after you self-excluded or ignored clear signs of harm, you can complain. Use the operator's complaints process first; if it isn't settled within 8 weeks, the operator must offer referral to an independent dispute service. The complaints and ADR page explains each stage.

Which gambling help is right for you?

There's no wrong place to start, and you can use more than one. For quick answers to related questions, browse our casino questions hub.

18+. Every casino game has a built-in house edge, so over time you should expect to lose what you stake. Set a budget before you play and stop when it’s gone: safer gambling tools and support. Free, confidential help: National Gambling Helpline 0808 8020 133.