Responsible gambling

Free, confidential gambling help in the US

You don't need to be in crisis to reach out, and you don't need to have decided to stop. The National Problem Gambling Helpline (opens in a new tab), run by the National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG), answers calls and texts at 1-800-MY-RESET (1-800-697-3738), and offers online chat (opens in a new tab). It's free, confidential and open every day of the year. It can connect you with counseling, treatment and support near you.

1-800-MY-RESET is not a crisis line. If you're thinking about harming yourself, call or text 988, the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, or call 911 in an emergency.

Signs gambling is becoming a problem

Problems rarely start all at once. These are common signs that gambling is taking more than it should. If several sound familiar, it's a good moment to talk to someone.

• Spending more money or time than you planned, again and again.
• Chasing losses: betting more to win back what you've lost.
• Borrowing money, using credit or selling things to gamble.
• Hiding gambling from family, or feeling irritable when you try to cut back.
• Gambling to escape stress, low mood or money worries.

Our signs of a gambling problem page and the short self-assessment can help you think it through. Gambling and money worries often go together, so read gambling and debt and gambling and mental health too.

All pages in this section

Practical tools to stay in control

Tools work best when you set them up before you need them. A plan you make on a calm day is easier to keep than a decision made mid-session. It also helps to remember how the games work: every casino game has a house edge, so over time the casino keeps a share of what's staked. Losses are the expected cost of the entertainment, not a debt the next bet can repay.

1. Set a monthly gambling budget you can afford to lose, separate from bills and savings.
2. Ask the casino for deposit limits or time limits. Offshore casinos vary, and some offer these only on request through support; see deposit limits.
3. Take a break with a cool-off, or close your account with self-exclusion. Our self-exclusion at offshore casinos page explains how requests usually work.
4. Install blocking software such as Gamban or BetBlocker on every device. Gamban's published pricing (opens in a new tab) is $6.99 a month or $41.99 a year.
5. If you live in a state with licensed gambling, consider the state self-exclusion list.

Worried about someone else? Our help for families page has practical steps and words to use. Parents can read young people and gambling. Crypto deposits move fast and are hard to reverse, so our crypto and problem gambling page suggests extra safeguards, and gambling and money covers budgeting. For a full list of services, see help and support and treatment options.

What gambling costs: a budget worked out in dollars

Every casino game is built to keep part of what's staked, so the honest way to budget is to treat losses as the price of the entertainment. The expected cost is simple: total amount staked × house edge.

Here's an example with one assumption stated plainly: a player spins a 95% RTP slot at $1 a spin, 300 spins an hour.

Those are averages. Real results swing widely, and a bad week can cost far more. Seeing the yearly figure helps many people decide what a fair budget is. Our gambling and money page has a simple budgeting method.

Responsible gambling tools offshore casinos publish

Offshore casinos aren't covered by state self-exclusion programs, so the tools each casino offers matter. Here's what casinos US players often ask about publish, or what third-party reviews report. Ask support in writing to set any tool up, and keep the confirmation.

Where a casino lists no tools, rely on tools you control: blocking software, removing saved payment details and a budget you set outside the casino. Our deposit limits page explains how to word a request.

How to self-exclude from online casinos, step by step

1. List every casino where you have an account, including ones you haven't used for a while.
2. Contact each one in writing and ask to self-exclude. Say how long, or ask for permanent exclusion.
3. Ask for written confirmation, and save it.
4. Withdraw or close out any remaining balance as part of the request, where the casino allows it.
5. Install blocking software on every device, so new casinos are blocked too.
6. Remove saved cards and delete crypto wallet shortcuts that make depositing quick.
7. Tell someone you trust, and line up support through the helpline or a peer group.

For state-licensed operators, many states run their own lists; see state self-exclusion lists. Information on the National Voluntary Self-Exclusion Program is available at nvsep.org or through the NCPG helpline. Neither reaches offshore casinos, which is why the steps above go casino by casino.

Blocking gambling sites and payments

Blocking works best in layers: one for websites and apps, one for money.

• Site and app blocking. Gamban lists site and app blocking, progress monitoring and layered self-exclusion, with apps on the Apple App Store and Google Play. Its published price is $6.99 a month or $41.99 a year after a 7-day trial. BetBlocker is another option; check its site for current features.
• Card blocks. Card networks tag gambling with merchant code 7995, and some banks let customers block it. We couldn't verify a published feature from a named US bank, so ask yours directly.
• Crypto. Crypto deposits move fast and can't usually be reversed, so the safest step is removing the easy route: delete exchange apps or wallet shortcuts you use for gambling. See crypto and problem gambling.

If debts have built up, our gambling and debt page explains first steps, and the National Problem Gambling Helpline can connect you with counseling and support near you.

More free help: treatment, crisis and peer support

Beyond the national helpline, these free services can help. They're confidential and open to anyone, including family members.

Our treatment options page explains what counseling and treatment involve, and gambling and mental health covers how gambling problems and low mood or anxiety can feed each other.

Gambling myths that keep people playing

• "I'm due a win." Each spin or hand is independent. A losing run doesn't make the next result more likely to win.
• "I can win it back." Chasing losses usually means betting more, and the house edge applies to every extra bet.
• "My system works." Betting systems don't change the edge. Doubling after losses can need a $640 bet after seven losses from $5.
• "The bonus means I'm playing with the casino's money." Bonuses come with wagering that keeps you betting longer, which raises the expected cost.
• "I'll stop when I'm ahead." Plans made mid-session are hard to keep; set limits before you start.

If these thoughts sound familiar, the self-assessment is a private way to check in with yourself, and help and support lists who to call.

How to support someone whose gambling worries you

Gambling problems affect partners, parents and friends too, often through money worries and broken trust. You can't make someone stop, but you can make it easier for them to get help and protect yourself while they do.

1. Pick a calm, private moment, not straight after a loss or an argument.
2. Describe what you've seen and how it affects you, using "I" statements rather than blame.
3. Listen more than you talk, and expect denial the first time.
4. Offer specific help: sitting with them while they call 1-800-MY-RESET, or finding a Gamblers Anonymous meeting together.
5. Don't pay off gambling debts or lend money to cover losses; it can delay change.
6. Protect shared money: separate accounts, change passwords and check credit reports if you're worried.
7. Get support for yourself from Gam-Anon or the helpline, which also talks with family members.

Our help for families page has words you can use, and young people and gambling covers signs to watch for in teenagers, including gambling-style games and sweepstakes apps. If someone talks about harming themselves, call or text 988 straight away.

If you slip after deciding to stop

Setbacks are common and don't mean you've failed. What matters is what you do next. Stop and step away from the device, then tell someone you trust or call the helpline at 1-800-MY-RESET (1-800-697-3738). Check that your self-exclusions and blocks are still in place, and close any gap that let you back in, such as a new casino or a saved card.

Write down what led up to it: the time of day, your mood, what you'd just seen or heard. Those triggers are useful to bring to a counselor or a Gamblers Anonymous meeting. The national problem gambling helpline page explains what happens when you call or text.

21+ (18+ where allowed). 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: responsible gambling tools and free help. Gambling problem? Call or text 1-800-MY-RESET (1-800-697-3738).