Gambling and Mental Health: The Link and Where to Get Help

Gambling and mental health are closely connected. Stress, low mood and anxiety can push some people towards gambling, and gambling harm can make those feelings much worse. This guide covers readers in the UK, US, Ireland, Canada and Australia, and it is general information rather than medical advice.

If you recognise yourself here, you are not weak and you are not alone. Talking to a professional is a practical step, in the same way you would see a doctor about any other health concern.

How the link works

Gambling harm and mental health problems often appear together. The NHS lists stress and anxiety among the effects of gambling, and clinicians often look at gambling and mental health together. Heavy alcohol or drug use can also be part of the picture.

The link runs in both directions, and it is rarely a simple cause and effect. Some people gamble to escape worry, loneliness or boredom. Others develop anxiety or depression after gambling losses, debt or secrecy damage their lives. Often the two feed each other. We cannot say which came first for any one person, and a professional can help you work that out.

Why gambling can make things worse

Several features of gambling harm affect mental health directly:

• Money pressure. Debts, missed bills and borrowing create constant worry, and worry affects sleep, concentration and mood.
• Secrecy and shame. Hiding losses from family is exhausting. Shame makes people less likely to ask for help.
• Chasing losses. Trying to win money back keeps the cycle going. See the psychology of losing for why this feels so compelling.
• Broken routines. Late-night sessions, missed work and lost time with friends all reduce the things that normally protect mental health.
• Relationship strain. Arguments and mistrust at home add to isolation.

Warning signs to take seriously

Signs that gambling may be affecting your wellbeing include:

• Gambling to escape problems or to lift a bad mood.
• Feeling anxious, irritable or low when you cannot gamble.
• Betting more than you can afford, or borrowing and selling things to gamble.
• Poor sleep, constant money worries or feeling guilty.
• Pulling away from friends and family.
• Thoughts of hopelessness, self-harm or suicide.

The NHS offers a short self-check questionnaire for gambling problems. A friend, partner or GP can also give an outside view that is hard to see from the inside.

What help looks like

You do not need to reach a crisis before asking for help. Common routes include:

• A doctor. A GP or family doctor can discuss your mood and sleep, check for related conditions and point you to local services.
• Talking therapies. Cognitive behavioural therapy, often called CBT, is widely used for gambling problems. It helps people notice the thoughts and habits that keep gambling going. The counselling guide explains what a first session can involve.
• Specialist clinics. In England the NHS runs specialist gambling clinics, and you can usually self-refer or ask your GP.
• Helplines and peer groups. Free confidential helplines exist in every country listed below. Peer groups such as Gamblers Anonymous offer shared experience.
• Practical tools. Self-exclusion and blocking software remove temptation while you recover.

Only a qualified professional can diagnose a mental health condition or advise on treatment or medication. Do not stop any medication without medical advice.

If you are in crisis

If there is immediate danger, or someone cannot stay safe, call your local emergency number now: 999 in the UK, 911 in the US and Canada, 112 or 999 in Ireland, and 000 in Australia. If you are thinking about harming yourself or ending your life but are not in immediate danger, call or text a crisis line, listed below, and tell someone close to you where you are. Crisis lines are different from gambling helplines, and they are free to call. You do not have to be sure that gambling is the cause.

Rules by country

• United Kingdom: The National Gambling Helpline (GamCare) is free and open 24/7 on 0808 8020 133. NHS gambling clinics operate in England, and GamCare offers free counselling across Great Britain. Samaritans can be reached on 116 123.
• United States: The National Problem Gambling Helpline is 1-800-522-4700 and is open 24/7. The 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline is reached by calling or texting 988. Help and funding vary by state.
• Ireland: Speak to your GP or the HSE about mental health and addiction supports. Samaritans operates in Ireland on 116 123. Irish health services have historically focused on drug and alcohol treatment, so ask your doctor what is available locally.
• Canada: Provinces run their own gambling helplines, for example ConnexOntario on 1-866-531-2600 in Ontario. The 9-8-8 Suicide Crisis Helpline is available by call or text.
• Australia: Gambling Help Online on 1800 858 858 is free, confidential and open 24/7. Lifeline is on 13 11 14. The national BetStop register lets you self-exclude from licensed online wagering.

Numbers can change, so check the provider’s official website when you can, but never delay calling in an emergency to look one up.

Looking after your wellbeing day to day

Small habits help while you get support. Keep to a budget and a hard limit, or stop gambling altogether if that feels safer. Track what you spend with the free spend tracker so that the real cost is visible. Look after sleep, meals and movement, and spend time with people who do not gamble. Tell one trusted person how you are feeling.

The bottom line

Gambling harm and poor mental health often go hand in hand, each making the other worse, and neither is a personal failing. Warning signs such as gambling to escape low mood, secrecy, debt or hopeless thoughts are good reasons to talk to a doctor, a helpline or a support group. Help is free, confidential and available in all five countries covered here, and asking early makes recovery easier.

Sources

• Gambling addiction (nhs.uk)
• Support for people affected by gambling (gamcare.org.uk)
• Gambling Help Online: support and helpline (gamblinghelponline.org.au)
• Problem gambling FAQ (ncpgambling.org)

18+ only (21 in most US states, 19 in most Canadian provinces for casino and betting). Gambling can be addictive. Free, confidential help is available: Great Britain: England and Scotland 0808 8020 133, Wales 0808 2819 265 (free, 24 hours), and GAMSTOP (gamstop.co.uk); US: National Problem Gambling Helpline 1-800-MY-RESET (the older 1-800-522-4700 also works); Australia: Gambling Help Online 1800 858 858 and BetStop (betstop.gov.au); Ontario, Canada: ConnexOntario 1-866-531-2600; Ireland: speak to your GP or the HSE. Never gamble money you need for living costs.