Gambling self assessment
A gambling self assessment is a short set of honest questions about your money, time and control that shows whether gambling is starting to cost more than you intended. It takes about ten minutes and isn't a diagnosis. Below are 18 questions, a way to read your answers, and free places to get a professional assessment.
By the Best USA Casinos team. Updated . Facts and offers checked October 28, 2026.
Key takeaways
- Answer about the last 12 months, not just your best or worst week.
- Any yes answer about borrowing, hiding or chasing is worth acting on.
- Back up your answers with a 30-day diary of real dollar amounts.
- A professional assessment is free through 1-800-MY-RESET (1-800-697-3738).
- This self assessment can't diagnose gambling disorder; a qualified counselor can.
- Time needed
- About 10 minutes
- Questions
- 18, in three groups
- Period to think about
- The last 12 months
- Free professional help
- 1-800-MY-RESET (1-800-697-3738)
- Treatment referral
- SAMHSA 1-800-662-HELP (4357)
What a gambling self assessment is, and what it isn't
A self assessment is a private check-in. You ask yourself direct questions about how you gamble and answer them as truthfully as you can. The aim is to notice patterns early, while they're still easy to change.
It isn't a medical test. Only a qualified counselor or clinician can assess gambling disorder, and the questions here aren't a validated clinical screen with a score. Think of this as a mirror rather than a verdict: it helps you decide whether to talk to someone, set limits or simply keep an eye on things.
This page is part of our responsible gambling guide. If you'd prefer a list of warning signs to read through first, start with the signs of a gambling problem, then come back to answer the questions.
How to take the self assessment honestly
A few minutes of preparation makes the answers far more useful. The most common mistake is answering from memory and feeling, rather than from the record.
- Choose a quiet time when you haven't just won or lost. Strong emotions color the answers either way.
- Open your bank, card and crypto wallet statements for the last 12 months, plus any casino account histories you can reach.
- Read each question below and answer yes or no. If you hesitate, the honest answer is usually yes.
- Write your answers down on paper or in a note on your phone, with the date.
- Count your yes answers in each of the three groups, then use the table further down to decide on a next step.
- Repeat the self assessment in a month and compare the two results.
Self assessment questions about money
These six questions look at the dollars. Statements make them the easiest group to answer accurately.
| # | Question | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Have you spent more on gambling than you could afford to lose? | It's the clearest line between entertainment and harm |
| 2 | Have you gone back another day to win back money you lost? | Chasing tends to make losses bigger |
| 3 | Have you borrowed money or used credit to gamble? | Debt raises the stakes on every session |
| 4 | Have bills, rent or savings suffered because of gambling? | It shows gambling crowding out essentials |
| 5 | Have you needed to bet larger amounts to get the same buzz? | Rising stakes are a common escalation sign |
| 6 | Have you canceled a pending withdrawal to keep playing? | Online play makes this especially easy |
If question 2 was a yes, our guide to chasing losses explains why it rarely works. For question 6, a reverse withdrawal is the term casinos use, and some players ask the casino to lock withdrawals once requested. Budget tools are covered in gambling and money and our gambling budget guide.
Questions about time, mood and control
The second group is about attention and self-control. These are harder to check against a record, so take a moment over each one.
- Have you gambled for longer than you planned more than once a month?
- Have you tried to cut down or stop and found you couldn't?
- Do you feel restless or irritable when you try to gamble less?
- Do you gamble to escape worry, stress, loneliness or low mood?
- Do you think about gambling when you're meant to be focused on something else?
- Have you gambled late at night when you'd planned to sleep?
Gambling to escape difficult feelings is common, and it's worth discussing with someone. Our page on gambling and mental health explains how mood and gambling can feed each other. Session timers and reality checks can help with long sessions, where a site offers them.
Questions about relationships, work and honesty
The last group looks at the people around you. Gambling problems often show up here before the person gambling sees them.
- Has anyone close to you criticized your gambling or said they're worried?
- Have you lied to family or friends about how much you gamble or lose?
- Have you hidden statements, accounts or a crypto wallet so nobody would see?
- Has gambling affected your work, studies or caring responsibilities?
- Have you missed family events or plans because you were gambling?
- Have you felt guilty or ashamed about your gambling afterward?
If secrecy came up, you might find it easier to start with an anonymous space before talking to family. The GamTalk online forum and Gamblers Anonymous meetings are both options.
Reading your self assessment answers
There's no pass mark. Instead, look at which questions you answered yes to, because some carry more weight than others.
| Your answers | What it may suggest | Sensible next step |
|---|---|---|
| All no | Gambling looks in proportion right now | Keep a budget and repeat the check every few months |
| One or two yes, none on borrowing, hiding or chasing | Some early warning signs | Set deposit and time limits; keep a 30-day diary |
| Any yes on chasing, borrowing, canceling withdrawals, failing to cut down or hiding gambling | Loss of control or secrecy is appearing | Talk to the helpline and install a gambling blocker |
| Several yes answers across all three groups | Gambling may be causing real harm | Ask for a professional assessment and consider self-exclusion |
| Thoughts of self-harm, at any score | You need support right away | Call or text 988, or call 911 if you're in danger |
Whatever your answers, the tools in our deposit limits and blocking software guides are useful for anyone who gambles online.
A 30-day gambling diary to check your self assessment
Memory tends to keep the wins and blur the losses. A simple diary fixes that. For 30 days, write down every session: the date, how long you played, what you put in and what you took out.
| Date | Time played | Deposited | Withdrawn | Net | Mood before |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | 45 min | $40 | $0 | –$40 | Bored |
| Day 3 | 2 hr 10 min | $150 | $60 | –$90 | Stressed after work |
| Day 4 | 1 hr 30 min | $100 | $0 | –$100 | Wanted to win back Day 3 |
| 30-day total | $290 | $60 | –$230 |
In this example, the diary shows $230 net spent in a few days, longer sessions after stressful days, and a chase on Day 4. Those patterns are much easier to see in a table than in your head. Keeping records also helps at tax time, as our guide to keeping gambling records explains.
Remember the house edge: over many sessions, a negative net figure is the expected outcome. A diary showing steady losses isn't bad luck; it's how casino games are built. Our house edge explainer shows the math.
Practical next steps after your self assessment
Your answers point to a next step, but you can take several of these at once. They work best layered together.
- Set limits before you play. A weekly deposit cap and a time limit stop small slips from growing. Our deposit limits guide covers how.
- Take a break. A cool-off period pauses an account for days or weeks.
- Block gambling sites. Tools like Gamban and BetBlocker make sites harder to reach.
- Exclude yourself. Ask each casino to close or self-exclude your account. Our self-exclusion guide and the page on state self-exclusion lists explain the options.
- Talk to someone. A friend, a peer group or the national helpline at 1-800-MY-RESET.
Getting a free professional gambling assessment
If your self assessment raised concerns, a professional can give you a proper picture and a plan. The National Council on Problem Gambling's help pages (opens in a new tab) explain how the national helpline refers callers to local counselors and treatment. The SAMHSA National Helpline, 1-800-662-HELP (4357), also offers treatment referrals around the clock, according to a February 2026 referral sheet (opens in a new tab) from the Division on Addiction.
Many states fund their own programs. A few examples:
| State | Program | Contact |
|---|---|---|
| Minnesota | Minnesota Alliance on Problem Gambling | 800-333-HOPE (4673); text HOPE to 53342 |
| Missouri | 1-888-BETSOFF | 1-888-238-7633 |
| North Carolina | More Than A Game | 877-718-5543 |
| Rhode Island | Rhode Island Problem Gambling Helpline | 1-877-GAMBLE (1-877-942-6253) |
| Tennessee | Tennessee REDLINE | 1-800-889-9789 |
| Virginia | Virginia Problem Gambling Helpline | 888-532-3500 (call, text or chat) |
Find your own state in our state problem gambling programs list, and read about treatment options to see what happens after an assessment.
Using the self assessment to help someone else
You can't take a self assessment on someone else's behalf, but the questions can help you put words to what you've noticed. Rather than quizzing them, you might say which of the behaviors you've seen and why it worries you.
Family members often carry their own stress. Gam-Anon (opens in a new tab) supports relatives and friends of people with gambling problems, and our help for families page covers how to protect shared finances while you support someone.
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).
Frequently asked questions
What is a gambling self assessment?
A gambling self assessment is a set of honest questions you answer privately to check whether your gambling is staying within healthy limits. It covers money, time, mood and relationships, usually over the last year. It isn't a diagnosis, but it can show you when to set limits or talk to someone. Our list of the signs of a gambling problem is a useful companion to the questions on this page.
Is this gambling self assessment a diagnosis?
No, this self assessment is not a diagnosis and doesn't produce a clinical score. Gambling disorder can only be assessed by a qualified counselor or clinician. The questions are meant to prompt reflection and help you decide on next steps. If your answers worry you, the national helpline at 1-800-MY-RESET can refer you for a free professional assessment. Our page on treatment options explains what that process usually involves.
How many yes answers mean I have a gambling problem?
There's no magic number, because some answers matter more than others. A single yes about borrowing to gamble, hiding it or chasing losses is a good reason to act, even if every other answer is no. Several yes answers across money, time and relationships suggest gambling may be causing real harm. Either way, talking to the National Problem Gambling Helpline is a free, confidential next step.
How often should I do a gambling self assessment?
A self assessment every few months is sensible for anyone who gambles regularly. If you've had warning signs, repeat it monthly and compare results, ideally alongside a 30-day diary of real dollar amounts. Changes between checks, such as longer sessions or new secrecy, tell you more than any single result. Pair the habit with a firm gambling budget so you have a baseline to measure against.
Can I do a self assessment for a family member?
You can't answer the questions for someone else, but you can use them to describe what you've noticed. Telling a loved one which behaviors worry you, such as missing money or late-night sessions, tends to go better than handing them a quiz. Support for you matters too. Our help for families page and Gam-Anon both focus on people affected by someone else's gambling.
Where can I get a free professional gambling assessment?
The quickest route is the National Problem Gambling Helpline at 1-800-MY-RESET (1-800-697-3738), which refers callers to local services. Many states also fund free counseling through their own programs, and the SAMHSA National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357) offers treatment referrals. Our directory of state problem gambling programs lists contacts by state so you can find the nearest option.
What should I do if my self assessment shows warning signs?
Start by pausing deposits and putting some barriers in place. Install a gambling blocker, remove saved cards and ask casinos to close or self-exclude your accounts. Then talk to someone, whether that's the helpline, a peer group or a person you trust. Our guide on how to stop gambling sets out a fuller plan, and our blocking software page explains the tools.
Does a self assessment work for online casino play?
Yes, and online play makes some questions especially relevant, such as canceling withdrawals or using crypto to keep gambling off your bank statement. Most online casinos US players see are offshore and outside state self-exclusion programs, so your own safeguards carry more weight. Our page on crypto and problem gambling covers the specific risks of fast, hard-to-track deposits.
Is there a free online gambling self assessment test?
Yes, the 18 questions on this page are a free gambling self assessment you can take privately in about ten minutes, with no sign-up. If you'd rather talk it through, the National Problem Gambling Helpline at 1-800-MY-RESET (1-800-697-3738) can go through similar questions with you by call, text or chat, at no cost. Neither replaces a clinical assessment, but the helpline can refer you for one. The guide to the national helpline explains what happens when you get in touch.
How long does a gambling self assessment take?
The questions themselves take about ten minutes, but a useful gambling self assessment takes a little longer because you check your answers against the record. Allow extra time to open 12 months of bank, card and crypto statements before you start. After that, a 30-day diary of sessions, deposits and withdrawals gives you a second, more accurate picture, and repeating the questions a month later shows whether anything has changed. Our guide to keeping gambling records has a simple layout for the diary.
Is my gambling self assessment confidential?
Yes, a self assessment is completely private, because you answer the questions yourself and nobody sees the results unless you share them. Keep your written answers somewhere only you can reach, such as a locked note on your phone. If you decide to talk to someone, the national helpline is free and confidential, and peer spaces such as the GamTalk forum let you discuss what you found without giving your name. Sharing the results with one trusted person often makes the next step easier.
Should I take a gambling self assessment right after a big win or loss?
No, it's better to wait for a calm day, because a big win or a painful loss colors the answers in either direction. After a win, the questions about chasing or borrowing can feel irrelevant; after a loss, everything can look worse than the record shows. Pick a quiet time, open your statements and answer about the last 12 months as a whole. If a loss has left you distressed right now, call or text 1-800-MY-RESET first, and read our guide to chasing losses before you play again.
Does a gambling self assessment cover crypto casino deposits?
Yes, and crypto deserves extra attention in a gambling self assessment, because deposits from a wallet don't show up on a bank statement. When you gather records, include every exchange and wallet history alongside your cards. The money question on borrowing and the honesty question on hiding a wallet are the ones crypto users most often answer yes to on reflection. If you've bought coins mainly to gamble, our page on crypto and problem gambling explains the specific risks of fast, hard-to-track deposits and how to slow them down.