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• I Think I Have A Gambling Problem Occurred
• I Think I Have A Gambling Problem Solving
• I Think I Have A Gambling Problem Among
• I Think I Have A Gambling Problem Involving
• I Think I Have A Gambling Problem

But there are many who may not be that far along the path to extreme destruction. For those who may think that gambling is not as harmful as drugs or alcohol, you are wrong. It destroys families, it destroys lives, and it can lead to prison, insanity or death as surely as any other addiction. I am fortunate- I have survived. I did not do it. Understand the Problem. You can’t fix something that you don’t understand. To eliminate gambling from your life, you must learn about the issue and admit you have a gambling problem. The American Psychiatric Association identifies gambling as a mental health disorder similar to addictions triggered by alcohol and drugs. If you think you may have a gambling problem but are not sure, ask yourself: Is gambling making me unhappy at work or at home? Is gambling making it hard to sleep at night or concentrate during the day? Am I lying to other people and myself about how much I gamble? Am I gambling to get away from problems or worries? Is problem gambling affecting you, or those close to you? Being a compulsive gambler can harm your health and relationships, and leave you in serious debt. GamCare operates the National Gambling HelpLine and remains the first port of call for anyone experiencing problems with gambling, including family.

Being a compulsive gambler can harm your health and relationships, and leave you in serious debt.

If you have a problem with gambling and you'd like to stop, support and treatment is available.

Are you a problem gambler?

Try this questionnaire:

• Do you bet more than you can afford to lose?
• Do you need to gamble with larger amounts of money to get the same feeling?
• Have you tried to win back money you have lost (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 your gambling caused you any health problems, including feelings of stress or anxiety?
• Have other people criticised your betting or told you that you had a gambling problem (regardless of whether or not you thought it was true)?
• Has your gambling caused any financial problems for you or your household?
• Have you ever felt guilty about the way you gamble or what happens when you gamble?

Score 0 for each time you answer 'never'
Score 1 for each time you answer 'sometimes'
Score 2 for each time you answer 'most of the time'
Score 3 for each time you answer 'almost always'

If your total score is 8 or higher, you may be a problem gambler.

Help for problem gamblers

There's evidence that gambling can be successfully treated in the same way as other addictions. Cognitive behavioural therapy usually has the best results.

Treatment and support groups are available for people who want to stop gambling:

GamCareGamCare offers free information, support and counselling for problem gamblers in the UK.

It runs the National Gambling Helpline (0808 8020 133) and also offers face-to-face counselling.

National Problem Gambling Clinic If you live in England or Wales, are aged 13 or over and have complex problems related to gambling, you can refer yourself to this specialist NHS clinic for problem gamblers.

See if you meet the criteria for this service.

Gordon Moody Association The Gordon Moody Association offers residential courses for men and women who have problems with gambling – email help@gordonmoody.org.uk or call 01384 241292 to find out more.

It also runs the Gambling Therapy website, which offers online support to problem gamblers and their friends and family.

Gamblers Anonymous UKGamblers Anonymous UK runs local support groups that use the same 12-step approach to recovery from addiction as Alcoholics Anonymous. There are also GamAnon support groups for friends and family.

I Think I Have A Gambling Problem Occurred

Self-help tips for problem gamblers

Do:

• pay important bills, such as your mortgage, on payday before you gamble
• spend more time with family and friends who don't gamble
• deal with your debts rather than ignoring them – visit the National Debtline for tips

Don't:

• view gambling as a way to make money – try to see it as entertainment instead
• bottle up your worries about your gambling – talk to someone
• take credit cards with you when you go gambling

For more self-help tips, see the Royal College of Psychiatrists website.

If you're affected by someone's gambling

If you're having problems because of another person's gambling, it's best to be honest with them about it. They need to know how their behaviour is affecting you.

Support is also available to people who are worried about someone else's gambling:

GamCare Gamcare offers support and information for partners, friends and family of people who gamble compulsively.

GamAnon
Local support groups for anyone affected by someone else's gambling problem – find your nearest group.

I Think I Have A Gambling Problem Solving

Real stories of recovery from gambling

Tell your own story and post messages of support in the GamCare recovery diaries forum.

Page last reviewed: 31 December 2017
Next review due: 31 December 2020

Problem gambling is defined as gambling that is disruptive or damaging to you or your family, or interferes with your daily life.Most people in the UK gambled or played the lottery in the last year- activities like playing the lottery once or twice a week aren’t harmful. However, for around 9 in 1000 people, gambling becomes a problem or an addiction.

Signs of problem gambling

If you think you might have a gambling problem, help is available.

To start, answer these 10 questions with ‘yes’ or ‘no’:

• Do you spend a lot of time thinking about gambling?
• Are you spending more money on gambling as time goes on?
• Have you ever tried to stop gambling, or cut down on or control your gambling, and not been able to?
• Do you get restless or irritable if you try to cut down on gambling?
• Do you gamble to escape from difficulties in your life, or to cheer yourself up?
• Do you keep playing after losing money to try to win it back – often called ‘chasing losses’?
• Have you lied to other people about how much time or money you’ve spent gambling, or how much you’ve lost?
• Have you ever stolen money to fund gambling?
• Has gambling affected your job, relationships, or home life?
• Do you ask other people to lend you money when you’ve lost money through gambling?

If you’ve answered yes:

• To 1 question – you might have a problem, and it would be a good idea to seek help.
• To 3 questions – gambling probably feels like it’s a problem, and you should seek help.
• To 5 or more questions – it’s likely gambling feels like it’s affecting every part of your life. You should get help as soon as possible.

Effects of problem gambling

While problem gambling itself doesn’t have physical symptoms, the negative effects can appear in many areas of life. These include:

• reduced quality of life – having less money or free time
• problems with your social life – avoiding seeing friends or going out
• physical illnesses caused by spending more time gambling and less time being active, as well as potentially drinking more alcohol
• financial problems – running up debts, and not having enough money for essentials
• relationship problems and conflict at home – this can include arguments with family and friends, or conflict with your partner about financial difficulties
• criminal activity – problem gambling doesn’t make you a criminal, but some people find themselves committing crimes to fund their gambling habit
• unemployment or difficulties at work – if you gamble at work, or miss work due to gambling, it can lead to issues at work and potentially unemployment

Even if you haven’t experienced any of these issues yet, if your gambling is becoming a problem it’s possible these negative effects will happen in the future. It’s important to be mindful of the impact gambling could have on you or your family.

How problem gambling happens

Some people seem to be more likely to develop a gambling problem than others.

Men tend to be more vulnerable to developing a gambling problem than women, likely becausewomen usually gamble less than men.

While a gambling problem can start at any age, people who start as teenagers or young adults can grow into problem gamblers. Children as young as 7 can struggle to control how much time they spend playing video and mobile games, many of which ask for micro-transactions and payments. Older people who feel isolated or bored can also be attracted to gambling.

People who work in casinos, betting shops or arcades can be more likely to develop a gambling habit.

Certain types of gambling can be more likely to lead to a problem than others:

• mobile or internet gambling – like betting or bingo websites and apps
• video poker
• roulette
• dice games
• the stock market
• playing sports for money

Engaging in these activities doesn't mean you have a problem with gambling, but it’s important to be aware that these types of gambling are particularly addictive.

Things that could make problem gambling more likely

There are some factors that can make a person more vulnerable to developing a gambling problem. These include:

• having a mental health condition
• having an alcohol or drug problem
• being in prison
• having a family member, particularly a parent, with a gambling addiction
• a gambling habit that started early – some people start gambling as young as 7 or 8
• having trouble controlling your gambling from the first time you did it, even if you don’t actually gamble very often

This doesn’t mean that everyone in these circumstances will develop a problem, but it’s important to be aware of the risk if gambling is something you do.

Self-help for problem gambling

If you feel your gambling has become a problem, there are steps you can take right away to start improving your situation.

1. Limit how much money you can spend gambling

• Pay all your essential bills, like rent/mortgage, utilities, council tax, food, and childcare costs, as soon as you get paid.
• Set yourself a weekly limit on how much you’re willing to spend on gambling, and be sure to stick to it.
• If you go out to gamble, leave your debit and credit cards at home and only take cash, so you can’t spend more than planned.
• On gambling websites and apps, set a limit on your account so you can’t overspend.
• Talk to your bank about blocking certain websites or locations, like betting websites or casinos.
• UseGAMSTOPto block yourself from accessing online gambling sites and gambling apps. GAMSTOP doesn’t cover every site or app operating in the UK, but you can contact ones you use that aren’t signed up to this scheme and ask them to block you.

I Think I Have A Gambling Problem Among

2. Reduce the time you spend gambling

• Set a limit on how often you gamble in a week. Be specific and name the days – for example: “I will only gamble on Tuesdays and Fridays.”
• Resist the temptation to open up gambling sites or apps for a ‘quick go’ or just to make one bet – it’s likely that you’ll find it hard to stick to just one.
• Set alarms or alerts on your phone, watch, or computer to remind you when it’s time to close the site or app and stop gambling for the day.

3. Don’t think of gambling as a way to make money

• Remind yourself frequently that gambling isn’t a way to make money – you’re paying for entertainment. It’s not an investment, and you’re not earning money by gambling.
• When you gamble, always prepare yourself to lose. Remind yourself that winning is by chance, and not something that happens more often than losing.
• Never spend money from savings or investments on gambling.
• Tell your friends and family not to lend you money if you ask.

4. Fill up your time with other things

• Spend more time with friends and family.
• Spend less time with people you know who gamble, or people you usually gamble with.
• Join clubs or social groups that don’t involve gambling – this could be a good time to take up a new hobby, or restart one you haven’t done for a while.
• Talk to friends and family about your situation and your concerns, rather than ‘bottling up’ your feelings.

I Think I Have A Gambling Problem Involving

For more self-help advice and tools, you can access resources on the GamCare website.

Getting help with problem gambling

There are a lot of ways to access help with problem gambling. There's also support available if you have a loved one with a gambling problem.

Gamblers Anonymous Scotland has meetings every day, and is free to attend. The meetings are informal and friendly, and there are currently around 70 meetings held in Scotland every day. Gamblers Anonymous also has a 24-hour helpline you can phone on 0370 050 8881.

If you have a loved one with a gambling problem, support is available from Gam-Anon Scotland. The organisation has supportive, confidential meetings that are separate from Gamblers Anonymous meetings. You can also phone the Gam-Anon 24-hour helpline on 0370 050 8881.

I Think I Have A Gambling Problem

GamCare provides information, advice and support for anyone affected by problem gambling. It operates the National Gambling Helpline, and provides treatment for problem gamblers and their families. You can phone the National Gambling Helpline 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, on 0808 8020 133.

If you’re looking for ways to stop yourself from gambling, GAMSTOP allows you to block your access to certain gambling websites and apps.

For advice on gambling as safely as possible, or help reporting a gambling business that’s breaking the law,visit the Gambling Commission website.

If you’re looking for help educating a young person about gambling, or need educational materials for a class or youth group, the Fast Forward Gambling Education Hub has a number of useful resources.

You can also visit your local primary care team for support and information about resources in your local area. Visit Scotland’s Service Directory for information on services near you.

For other help and support, use Scotland's Service Directory to find counselling, mental wellbeing, and money advice services in your area.

If you’re struggling with the impact gambling is having on your life, or the life of a loved one, phoneBreathing Spaceon 0800 83 85 87 for support and counselling. Breathing Space is open:

• Weekdays: Monday to Thursday 6pm to 2am
• Weekends: Friday 6pm to Monday 6am