Gambling Addiction

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Betting has never been easier to reach, and for some people it stops being a game and becomes gambling disorder, a real mental health diagnosis. This page explains the signs, what to expect when you cut back, and the treatments and free helplines that can help.

In This Article

• What Is Gambling Addiction?
• Signs and Symptoms of Gambling Addiction
• Withdrawal-Like Symptoms and Patterns of Problem Gambling
• Treatment for Gambling Addiction
• Risks and Effects of Gambling Addiction
• Gambling Addiction FAQ

What Is Gambling Addiction?

Gambling addiction, known clinically as gambling disorder in the DSM-5 diagnostic manual, is a lasting pattern of problem gambling that leads to genuine harm or distress. The DSM-5 defines gambling disorder as “Persistent and recurrent problematic gambling behavior leading to clinically significant impairment or distress,” according to the Connecticut Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services. The National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG) describes problem gambling more plainly, as gambling behavior that damages a person or their family, also called gambling addiction or gambling disorder.

NCPG estimates that 2.5 million U.S. adults, about 1%, meet the criteria for a severe gambling problem each year, and that another 5 to 8 million adults, about 2% to 3%, have mild or moderate problems. NCPG does not attach these estimates to a specific survey or year.

Gambling disorder can begin at any age, according to the American Psychiatric Association (APA). Younger age and male gender may be risk factors, the APA notes, women can progress to problem gambling much faster, and low income, unemployment and poverty are linked to the disorder. Gambling addiction is one of the behavioral addictions.

Sports Betting and Online Gambling

Sports betting is one of the most common types of gambling, according to the Cleveland Clinic, and a trigger can be almost anywhere, from a game on a phone to a sports ad during a televised match. Online gambling keeps the same games a tap away at any hour, and NCPG lists fast speed of play as one factor that can make a particular game more likely to cause problems. For someone who bets on games or apps, sports betting addiction and the signs of online gambling addiction follow the same pattern as any other gambling problem.

Signs and Symptoms of Gambling Addiction

The signs tend to form a pattern: betting larger amounts to feel the same excitement, chasing losses, hiding gambling from others, repeated failed efforts to cut back, and growing money or relationship problems. Compared with drug or alcohol use, gambling leaves few visible traces, so the earliest signs usually show up in behavior and money. Only a clinician can diagnose gambling disorder, the clinical name for the condition.

Clinicians diagnose it with the DSM-5, the standard diagnostic manual. A gambling disorder diagnosis “requires at least four of the following during the past year,” according to the American Psychiatric Association (APA), out of nine criteria that range from betting increasing amounts to relying on others for money after losses. The gambling behavior also cannot be better explained by a manic episode. The APA grades severity by how many criteria are met: four to five is mild, six to seven is moderate, and eight to nine is severe.

The 10 signs of gambling addiction page looks at each of these warning signs on its own. And if you have come across older terms such as compulsive gambling or pathological gambling, the page on problem gambling vs. pathological gambling: what the older terms mean explains how they relate to the diagnosis used today.

Visible and Money Signs

Because gambling leaves no physical trace, what a household usually notices first is practical:

• Borrowing money, or asking friends and family for it, to cover gambling losses
• Unexplained debt, new loans or money that has gone missing
• Lying about where the time or the money went
• Missing work, school or family events because of gambling
• Long stretches spent on betting apps or gambling sites

Behavioral Signs

The National Council on Problem Gambling describes one of the clearest behavioral warning signs in plain words: going back to try to win your money back, widely known as chasing losses. Other changes in behavior include:

• Needing to bet larger and larger amounts to feel the same thrill
• Repeatedly trying to cut back or stop, without success
• Returning to gamble after a loss in an attempt to get even
• Gambling to escape feeling upset, helpless, guilty or anxious

Psychological Signs

Some of the strongest signs are internal:

• Constantly thinking about gambling, reliving past bets, planning the next one or working out ways to get money for it
• Feeling restless or irritable when not gambling or when trying to cut down
• Guilt, anxiety or low mood that gathers around gambling

Gambling disorder also tends to arrive with company. The Cleveland Clinic reports that it commonly co-occurs with anxiety, mood disorders including depression, and substance use disorder.

If You’re Worried About Someone

You cannot force someone else to stop gambling; what you can do is safeguard your own money, talk calmly about what you have noticed, and find support for yourself. Gam-Anon, which Gamblers Anonymous lists as help for the friends and family of people with gambling problems, exists for exactly that. Reading about how gambling affects families can also prepare you for a conversation about how to help a loved one.

Whether the signs point to your own gambling or to someone you care about, a conversation with a professional is what turns a worry into a clear picture.

If you or someone you love is experiencing a substance use disorder, help is available.

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Withdrawal-Like Symptoms and Patterns of Problem Gambling

When someone with gambling disorder tries to cut back or stop, feeling restless or irritable is common enough that the DSM-5 lists it as a criterion for the condition, according to Connecticut DMHAS. The larger danger is to mental health: Cleveland Clinic notes that complications can include depression, anxiety and even thoughts of suicide, and the American Psychiatric Association reports that gambling disorder carries the highest suicide risk of any substance use or addictive disorder, so anyone in crisis should call or text 988 right away. The same urges behind that restlessness also fuel patterns like chasing losses and betting more and more.

> If you are having thoughts of suicide, call or text 988 now. Gambling disorder carries a high suicide risk (American Psychiatric Association). In an emergency, call 911.

Cleveland Clinic explains that gambling disorder changes the way the brain works and can bring on withdrawal, tolerance and cravings. When a person tries to gamble less or stop entirely, the most common withdrawal-like symptoms include:

• Restlessness or feeling on edge
• Irritability or anger
• Strong urges or cravings to bet
• Trouble thinking about anything other than gambling
• A low mood, guilt or anxiety

The patterns below come from the DSM-5 criteria published by Connecticut DMHAS, and the National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG) also describes chasing losses. No two people show these patterns in the same way or on the same schedule: no verified source gives them a set timeline the way withdrawal timelines by substance are mapped for alcohol or drugs.

Triggers can also be constant. Cleveland Clinic points out that they range from games on a phone to sports ads on TV, and NCPG includes fast speed of play among possible risk factors. Sports betting apps combine the two, which helps explain how sports betting apps keep you playing and why app-based betting can speed up escalation and chasing.

For anyone who also drinks or uses drugs, one distinction matters: quitting alcohol or certain drugs can cause medical withdrawal, a different situation from what gambling brings, and medically supervised detox exists for exactly that.

When to Get Help

Reach out right away if any of these sound familiar:

• Suicidal thoughts or self-harm: call or text the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988, or chat online; it is available 24/7/365, free and confidential.
• An emergency: call 911.
• Chasing losses or an inability to cut back: call, text or chat the National Problem Gambling Helpline at 1-800-MY-RESET (1-800-697-3738), available 24/7, free and confidential; NCPG says the helpline connects people “to local resources,” and the earlier number, 1-800-522-4700, remains active.
• Debt or legal trouble from gambling: NCPG says the helpline also connects callers to local help.
• Drinking or drug use alongside gambling: if stopping is the plan, talk to a doctor first, because alcohol and some drugs can involve medical withdrawal.

Treatment for Gambling Addiction

Treatment for gambling disorder centers on talk therapy, above all cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), along with peer support such as Gamblers Anonymous (GA). No medication is approved specifically for it, but no-cost helplines and state programs can point you toward local help, and some states let you block yourself from licensed betting. Care most often means outpatient counseling, within the levels of care that run up to inpatient or residential stays; residential programs for gambling are available but not as common.

Medications

There are no FDA-approved medications to treat gambling disorders, according to the American Psychiatric Association (APA), and the Cleveland Clinic likewise notes that no medication is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) specifically for gambling disorder. A doctor may still prescribe medication for conditions that often occur alongside it, such as depression or anxiety.

Therapy

The APA names four approaches used for gambling disorder: cognitive behavioral therapy, psychodynamic therapy, group therapy and family therapy, and reports that only one in ten people with gambling disorder seek treatment. CBT has the most research behind it. A 2012 Cochrane review by Cowlishaw S “supports the efficacy of CBT in reducing gambling behaviour” right after treatment, though “the durability of therapeutic gain is unknown,” and evidence across therapies was rated very low to low. A 2017 paper, “A systematic review of treatments for problem gambling,” found “some benefits of CB therapy (alone or combined with MI),” MI being motivational interviewing, in the short term, but “only a handful of studies demonstrated any long-term benefits,” and “therapist contact generally improved outcomes relative to entirely self-directed interventions.”

According to the Cleveland Clinic, a counselor can help you “Manage gambling habits and urges,” “Cope with stress in healthy ways,” “Fix relationships,” “Take better care of your finances” and manage other mental health conditions.

Peer Support

According to GA, there are “No dues or fees,” meetings run “In Person, Virtual, or Telephone,” and the 20 Questions, a “self-assessment questionnaire,” “can help you determine if you have a gambling problem.” GA also lists “Gam-Anon: Help Friends & Family,” a group for the friends and family of someone with a gambling problem.

Helplines, State Programs and Self-Exclusion

The National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG) runs the National Problem Gambling Helpline at 1-800-MY-RESET (1-800-697-3738), by call, text or online chat, and describes it as “available 24/7, is free and confidential”; the earlier number, 1-800-522-4700, remains active. NCPG says the network “includes contact centers covering all 50 states and U.S. territories” and calls it “a one-stop hub connecting people looking for assistance with a gambling problem to local resources.” Its “Help by State” page links local support for each state. For gambling that comes with drug or alcohol use, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) runs its National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357), “a free, confidential, 24/7, 365-day-a-year treatment referral and information service” in English and Spanish.

Free, confidential lines to know:

• National Problem Gambling Helpline: call or text 1-800-MY-RESET (1-800-697-3738)
• 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: call or text 988
• SAMHSA National Helpline: 1-800-662-HELP (4357), for drug or alcohol concerns too

Some states also run voluntary self-exclusion programs. North Carolina is one example: its Voluntary Self-Exclusion Program lets people “exclude themselves from sports and pari-mutuel wagering for one year, three years, five years, or a lifetime,” according to the North Carolina State Lottery Commission, which adds that “All licensed gambling operators are required to participate” and that exclusion usually takes effect within 3 to 4 business days. Rules and coverage vary by state.

Next Steps

If reaching out feels hard, a few things make it easier:

• Learning how to ask for help gives you words for a first conversation.
• Knowing what to expect when you call a treatment program removes the unknowns.
• You can find treatment programs near you and ask about gambling counseling.
• You can reach the National Problem Gambling Helpline at 1-800-MY-RESET any hour of the day for a connection to local support.

The gambling addiction treatment options page goes deeper into each approach covered here.

Risks and Effects of Gambling Addiction

Gambling disorder can lead to serious problems with money, relationships, work or school, and the law, and it raises the risk of depression, anxiety and thoughts of suicide. It often occurs together with other mental health conditions and with substance use. According to the Cleveland Clinic, the complications of gambling disorder can include:

• Money problems that grow as the gambling continues
• Damaged relationships with partners, family and friends
• Trouble keeping up at work or at school
• Breaking the law to get money or to cover losses
• Depression, anxiety and thoughts of suicide

The suicide risk deserves plain words. The American Psychiatric Association reports that people with gambling problems are at increased risk of suicide, and that gambling disorder carries a higher suicide risk than any substance use or other addictive disorder. Anyone having thoughts of suicide can call or text 988, the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, at any time, for free and confidential support.

Gambling, Alcohol and Drugs

Gambling disorder rarely occurs on its own. The Cleveland Clinic notes that it is common for it to appear together with a substance use disorder, anxiety disorders, mood disorders such as depression, and impulse control disorders. When gambling overlaps with alcohol use disorder or another substance problem, treatment tends to work best when it addresses both at the same time rather than each one separately.

Gambling Addiction FAQ

Is gambling addiction a real diagnosis?

Yes. Gambling addiction appears in the DSM-5, the diagnostic manual clinicians use, under the name gambling disorder, and the criteria text published by Connecticut DMHAS describes the diagnosis as a pattern of at least 4 of 9 listed criteria over the course of a year. The signs and symptoms section walks through what those criteria look like in daily life.

What is gambling withdrawal?

Gambling withdrawal is the restlessness or irritability a person can feel when they try to cut back or stop gambling, and the American Psychiatric Association (APA) counts it among the DSM-5 criteria for gambling disorder. Cleveland Clinic notes that a low mood and even thoughts of suicide can come with it, so anyone in crisis should call or text 988, the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, at any hour. The withdrawal section covers these symptoms and the patterns behind them in more depth.

Is there medication for gambling addiction?

No. Neither the APA nor Cleveland Clinic lists any FDA-approved medication for gambling disorder. Care is built around talk therapy and peer support instead, and the treatment section explains the main options.

How do I block myself from betting?

Some states run voluntary self-exclusion programs that let a person ban themselves from licensed betting. North Carolina’s program, for example, applies to sports and horse-race wagering and runs for a chosen term of 1, 3 or 5 years, or for a lifetime, according to the NC State Lottery Commission. The National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG) keeps a Help by State page where you can check what your state offers, and many betting sites and apps also carry their own limit and blocking tools.

Where can I get free help for a gambling problem?

NCPG runs the National Problem Gambling Helpline at 1-800-MY-RESET, which is free, confidential and staffed around the clock by call, text or chat. Gamblers Anonymous, a peer support fellowship, charges no dues or fees, and Gam-Anon offers support for the family and friends of a person with a gambling problem.