National Problem Gambling Helpline

The number is 1-800-MY-RESET, which is 1-800-697-3738. The National Council on Problem Gambling runs it, and you can call or text it 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. It's free and confidential, and there's also an online chat on the NCPG website. Our short explainer what is 1-800-MY-RESET covers the basics, and our help and support page lists other services.

No. After September 29, 2025, 1-800-GAMBLER is no longer the National Problem Gambling Helpline number, according to NCPG. The national line is now 1-800-MY-RESET (1-800-697-3738). Some websites and state materials haven't caught up, so you may still see the old number printed. When in doubt, use 1-800-MY-RESET. Our guide to state problem gambling programs lists state-run lines separately.

Yes. NCPG describes the National Problem Gambling Helpline as free and confidential, open around the clock every day of the year. You decide how much to share, and you don't need to give a reason for contacting it beyond wanting to talk. If cost is a worry for longer-term care, ask about state-funded options. Our treatment options page explains how counseling and other support are usually arranged.

Yes, you can text 1-800-MY-RESET (1-800-697-3738). Published texting details vary a little: NCPG's SMS terms also list 1-800-522-4700, and one 2026 referral sheet mentions texting 800GAM. Start with 1-800-MY-RESET, and if a text doesn't seem to go through, use the online chat on the NCPG website instead. For other quiet ways to get support, see our GamTalk guide.

Yes. You don't need to gamble yourself to contact the helpline. Partners, parents, children and friends of someone who gambles can reach out for support and information about local services. Many families also find Gam-Anon helpful, since it's built for relatives and friends. Read our guides to help for families and how to help a friend who gambles for practical next steps.

You reach a free, confidential service where you can talk about your concerns and ask about help near you. You can share as much or as little as you want. It helps to have a rough idea of what you'd like, such as a counselor, a peer group or information on self-exclusion, but it isn't required. Write down any referrals you're given. Our help and support guide explains how each type of service works.

No. NCPG says 1-800-MY-RESET is not a crisis hotline. If you're thinking about suicide or feel unsafe, call or text 988 for the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, or call 911 if anyone is in immediate danger. Once you're safe, the gambling helpline can help with the next steps. Our page on gambling and mental health covers why these problems often appear together.

Yes. You can contact the helpline about any kind of gambling, including online casinos, sports betting, lottery games and sweepstakes sites. It doesn't matter whether you played at a state-licensed site or an offshore one. If online play is the issue, pairing the helpline with device blocking can make a big difference. See our guide to blocking software and our page on self-exclusion at offshore casinos.

Yes, 1-800-MY-RESET is a nationwide number, so you can call or text it from any US state, and it can point you to services where you live. Some states promote it as their own line: the District of Columbia's Office of Lottery and Gaming and the New Hampshire Lottery both list it. Others, such as New York, Massachusetts and Oregon, also run separate state helplines. You can use either route; the national number simply works everywhere. Our state problem gambling programs page lists state lines, and the states hub covers each state's gambling law.

Since September 29, 2025, a call to 1-800-GAMBLER no longer reaches the National Problem Gambling Helpline. NCPG says those calls are routed by the Council on Compulsive Gambling of New Jersey, and texts to 1-800-GAMBLER were to be undeliverable until new routing was set up. You may still get help, but it's no longer the national service. To reach the national line directly, call or text 1-800-MY-RESET (1-800-697-3738). Our explainer on what 1-800-MY-RESET is covers the change, and the New Jersey state page explains that state's gambling rules.

Yes, the National Problem Gambling Helpline can give you information on voluntary self-exclusion, and national referral materials also point to the National Voluntary Self-Exclusion Program at nvsep.org. Self-exclusion rules differ by state and by operator, so the helpline is a useful place to ask which programs cover the gambling you do. Offshore casinos sit outside state programs, so you'd need to ask each one directly as well. Our guides to state self-exclusion lists and what self-exclusion is explain how the programs work.

Yes, NCPG offers online chat for the National Problem Gambling Helpline on its website, alongside calls and texts to 1-800-MY-RESET. Chat lets you type at your own pace from a phone or computer, which suits people who can't speak privately or find writing easier than talking. Like the phone line, it's described as free, confidential and open 24/7. If chat isn't available on your device, texting is the next quietest option. Our help and support page lists every way to reach help, and GamTalk covers a written peer forum.

The National Problem Gambling Helpline can help you talk through gambling debt and point you to local support, though it isn't a debt management service. Many people contact it because money worries have become too heavy to carry alone, and the line can refer you to counseling and other services in your area. The practical money steps, such as protecting essential bills and contacting lenders early, are worth starting alongside that call. Our pages on gambling and debt and gambling and money set those steps out.

The National Problem Gambling Helpline is run by the National Council on Problem Gambling, known as NCPG. NCPG promotes 1-800-MY-RESET (1-800-697-3738) as the national number and publishes the helpline's chat, texting terms and stakeholder FAQ on its website. It also lists peer support resources such as Gamblers Anonymous, Gam-Anon, GamTalk and SMART Recovery. Many state programs work alongside the national line. Our Gamblers Anonymous page covers one of those peer groups, and treatment options explains the professional care the helpline can refer you to.

1-800-522-4700 was a temporary route, and the number NCPG now promotes is 1-800-MY-RESET (1-800-697-3738). From 11:59 p.m. ET on September 29, 2025, NCPG moved helpline calls and texts to 1-800-522-4700 until a permanent solution was set. Its helpline page, last modified March 2, 2026, promotes 1-800-MY-RESET, though NCPG's SMS terms still list both numbers for texting. If you have the older number saved, replace it. Our help and support guide and the state problem gambling programs directory list the current contacts.