Warning signs · Immediate help · Limits · Self-exclusion
Gambling should be optional entertainment—not a way to make money, escape a problem, or recover a previous loss. If gambling is harming your finances, health, work, or relationships, confidential help is available. You do not need to wait for the situation to become worse.
Need help now?
United States: call or text 1-800-MY-RESET (1-800-697-3738), or use the National Problem Gambling Helpline. It connects callers with local resources 24/7/365.
The gambling helpline is not an emergency service. If you or someone else may be in immediate danger in the U.S., call 911 or call/text 988. Elsewhere, contact your local emergency or crisis service.
Signs gambling may be causing harm
- Chasing losses or increasing stakes to get even.
- Using money intended for rent, bills, food, debt, or savings.
- Borrowing, selling possessions, or using credit to gamble.
- Hiding the amount of money or time spent gambling.
- Feeling restless, anxious, irritable, or unable to stop.
- Missing work, school, sleep, or family commitments.
- Gambling to escape distress rather than for entertainment.
- Repeatedly breaking limits you set for yourself.
One sign can be enough to take seriously. A friend or family member can also contact a helpline for guidance.
Support by country
| Location | Current support resource |
|---|---|
| United States | NCPG National Problem Gambling Helpline: call or text 1-800-MY-RESET; chat and local referrals are available. |
| United Kingdom | GamCare National Gambling Helpline: 0808 8020 133, free and available 24/7, plus live chat. |
| Canada | Responsible Gambling Council’s provincial help directory. |
| Australia | Healthdirect’s gambling-support directory: 1800 858 858 for free and confidential support, with online chat also available. |
| Elsewhere | Use your national health service or gambling regulator to find a local helpline. In an emergency, contact local emergency services. |
Steps you can take today
- Stop the current session. Do not place one final bet to recover a loss.
- Contact support. A helpline can explain local counseling, treatment, and peer-support options.
- Reduce access to money. Ask a trusted person for help, remove stored payment methods, and contact your bank about gambling-payment controls where available.
- Use self-exclusion. Enroll directly through the operator, venue, regulator, or official multi-operator program in your jurisdiction.
- Install blocking software. Device and network blocks add friction; they work best alongside financial controls and human support.
- Tell someone you trust. Secrecy makes it easier for harm to continue.
Safer-play tools
| Tool | What it does | Important limitation |
|---|---|---|
| Deposit limit | Caps deposits over a day, week, or month | It may apply to only one operator. |
| Loss or spend limit | Restricts net loss or total wagering | Definitions and reset periods vary. |
| Time or session limit | Shows reminders or ends a session | A reminder is useful only if followed. |
| Timeout | Temporarily blocks account access | It is shorter and narrower than self-exclusion. |
| Self-exclusion | Blocks access for a chosen or required period | Coverage differs by venue, operator, and jurisdiction. |
| Bank transaction block | Declines certain gambling merchant payments | Cash and some payment methods may not be covered. |
Do not pay an unofficial site to self-exclude. Start with the gambling regulator, government health service, licensed operator, or recognized national help organization for your location.
If you choose to gamble
- Use only money you can afford to lose completely.
- Set money and time limits before starting; never raise them mid-session.
- Do not gamble while distressed, intoxicated, or trying to escape another problem.
- Do not borrow to gamble or treat credit as a bankroll.
- Understand that no craps system removes the house edge.
- Take breaks and keep other activities in your schedule.
- Stop if gambling is no longer fun or easy to leave.
Our editorial position
CrapsPit explains rules, probability, casino procedures, and gambling claims. We do not promise that a player can beat a game of chance. Strategy pages must distinguish lower house edge from positive expectation, and commercial relationships must not change the math or the warning attached to a risky wager.
This page is general information, not medical, legal, or financial advice. Support numbers and programs can change; the linked official organizations are the source of record. Last reviewed: August 2026.