For the newcomer

Do I have a gambling problem?

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If you are asking the question at all, some part of you already senses the answer is worth looking at. That does not make you a compulsive gambler, and you do not have to decide what you are today. It just means it is worth an honest look.

Signs people recognise

No single one of these settles it, and having a few does not hand you a label. But the more that feel familiar, the more your gambling is worth paying attention to.

  • You go back to win back what you lost, and it rarely stops there.
  • You bet more than you can really afford to lose.
  • You gamble to escape stress, boredom or low mood.
  • You have borrowed money or sold things to keep gambling.
  • You hide it, or play down how much, to people you trust.
  • Money, work or relationships are slipping because of it.
  • You have tried to cut down or stop, and it has not stuck.
  • You feel guilty or anxious about it afterwards.

There is a two-minute check

If you would rather answer questions than read a list, the PGSI is a short, widely used screen. It is scored on your device, and nothing is saved or sent.

Practical steps that help today

Gambling is unusual in recovery: some of the most effective help is practical and you can set it up in minutes. Register with GAMSTOP, the free national self-exclusion scheme that blocks UK gambling sites and apps. Turn on the free gambling block most UK banks now offer in their app. And call the National Gambling Helpline on 0808 8020 133, free and open 24 hours, to talk it through with no judgement.

You do not have to call yourself a compulsive gambler

You do not have to decide what you are before you are allowed help. The only requirement for Gamblers Anonymous membership is a desire to stop gambling, and you can sit in on an open meeting with nothing but curiosity. If a 12-step approach is not for you, the National Gambling Helpline and your GP can help too.

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