I think I have a problem
You are already ahead of most people just by asking the question. The assessment gives you an honest read in about 2 minutes.
Take the assessmentI am worried about someone
A spouse, a parent, a friend. Take the assessment on their behalf, answering based on what you have seen. Their denial does not have to be your dead end.
Assess my loved oneI already know I need help
Skip the quiz. Tell us your state and situation, and our team will follow up with options near you, usually the same day.
Get connected nowWarning Signs
Signs of gambling addiction
Gambling disorder is diagnosed by patterns, not by how much money you have lost. Clinicians look for signs like these over a 12 month period. Our assessment walks you through each one.
Needing to bet more money to feel the same excitement
Feeling restless or irritable when you try to cut back
Trying to stop or cut back and not being able to
Thinking about gambling constantly: reliving past bets, planning the next one
Gambling to escape stress, guilt, anxiety, or depression
Chasing losses: going back to win back money you lost
Lying to family or friends about how much you gamble
Risking or losing a relationship, job, or opportunity because of gambling
Relying on others to bail you out of money problems caused by gambling
Hiding losses, bank statements, or betting apps from people close to you
The Assessment
Does gambling have a grip? Take the 2 minute assessment.
Ten yes or no questions about the past 12 months, built on the criteria clinicians use. Take it for yourself, or on behalf of someone you love based on what you have observed. Answer honestly. Nobody sees your answers until you choose to share them.
Question 1 of 10
In the past 12 months, have you needed to gamble with more money to get the same feeling of excitement?
Question 2 of 10
Do you feel restless or irritable when you try to cut down or stop gambling?
Question 3 of 10
Have you tried to cut back or stop gambling and found you could not?
Question 4 of 10
Do you spend a lot of time thinking about gambling: reliving past bets, planning the next one, or figuring out how to get money to bet?
Question 5 of 10
Do you gamble when you feel stressed, anxious, down, or guilty?
Question 6 of 10
After losing money gambling, do you often go back another day to try to win it back?
Question 7 of 10
Have you lied to people close to you about how much you gamble or how much you have lost?
Question 8 of 10
Has gambling put a relationship, a job, or an important opportunity at risk?
Question 9 of 10
Have you needed others to help with money problems caused by gambling?
Question 10 of 10
Do you hide bank statements, betting apps, or losses from the people closest to you?
Your results are ready.
Tell us where to send them. You will see your results on the next screen instantly, and we will email you a copy along with next steps that match your answers and your state.
Your answers show few of the patterns clinicians look for.
Based on what you shared, your gambling does not currently match the pattern of gambling disorder. That said, you searched for this page and took the assessment, and that instinct is worth trusting. If something already feels off, this is the easiest possible moment to set limits.
We emailed your results along with a short guide to healthy guardrails: deposit limits, time limits, and the early signs that mean it is time to check in again.
Your answers show real warning signs worth taking seriously.
You are not at the most severe end of the scale, but the patterns you identified are the same ones that tend to grow quietly: chasing, escaping, hiding. The encouraging news is that this is the stage where change is easiest, before the losses and the secrecy compound.
We emailed your results with specific next steps for where you are. The single most useful one: talk to a real person about it once. Our team can set that up in your state, free and without obligation.
Your answers match the pattern clinicians associate with gambling disorder.
Four or more of these signs in the same 12 months is the threshold clinicians use when diagnosing gambling disorder. This self assessment is not a diagnosis, but it is a strong signal, and you already knew something was wrong or you would not be here.
Here is what we want you to hear: this is one of the most treatable addictions there is. People with answers like yours get their lives, marriages, and finances back every day. It starts with one conversation, and our team will make that conversation easy. Tell us your situation and we will follow up with real options in your state, usually the same day.
If you are having thoughts of harming yourself, do not wait for an email. Call or text 988 right now, free and confidential, 24 hours a day.
What you described shows few of the patterns clinicians look for.
Based on what you have observed, their gambling does not currently match the pattern of gambling disorder. But you noticed enough to search for this page and answer ten questions, and that instinct deserves respect. Family members usually see the truth before anyone else, and often before the gambler does.
We emailed your results with a short guide: the early signs to watch for, and how to bring gambling up without it turning into a fight. If something changes, come back and take this again.
What you described shows real warning signs worth taking seriously.
The patterns you have noticed, the escalation, the defensiveness, the going back after losses, are the same ones that tend to grow quietly until the damage is much larger. You are not imagining it, and you are not overreacting. This is the stage where a conversation can still change the trajectory.
We emailed your results along with how to protect your family's finances and how to start the conversation. Our team can also walk you through it personally and connect you with options in your state, free and without obligation.
What you described matches the pattern clinicians associate with gambling disorder.
Four or more of these signs in the same 12 months is the threshold clinicians use when diagnosing gambling disorder. This assessment is not a diagnosis, but based on what you have seen, your loved one is very likely struggling with a real addiction, not a bad habit or a character flaw.
Two things are true at once. First, this is one of the most treatable addictions there is, and family involvement dramatically improves the odds. Second, you cannot recover for them, and you should not carry this alone. Our team helps families in exactly your position: protecting your finances, planning the conversation, and lining up real options in your state so that the moment they say yes, the door is already open.
One more thing, because it matters. If your loved one ever talks about harming themselves, or if this situation has you in a dark place, call or text 988 right away, free and confidential, 24 hours a day.
Understanding It
What gambling addiction actually is
Gambling addiction, also called gambling disorder or compulsive gambling, is a recognized behavioral addiction in the DSM 5, the manual clinicians use to diagnose mental health conditions. It is the first behavioral addiction ever classified alongside substance use disorders, because brain imaging shows it activates the same reward circuitry as drugs and alcohol.
That matters for one reason: it explains why you cannot simply decide your way out of it. The near miss on a slot machine, the parlay that almost hit, the "one more hand" urge, these are not personal failures. They are a hijacked reward system doing exactly what addiction does. Online sportsbooks and casino apps have made it worse by putting a casino in every pocket, open 24 hours a day.
The good news is just as real. Gambling disorder responds well to treatment, and the biggest gap is not treatment quality, it is that most people never get matched with the right kind of help for their situation. That matching is exactly what we do.
What Works
Treatment for gambling addiction
There is no single path. Most people who recover combine two or three of these. When you get connected with our team, we help you figure out which combination fits your situation, your state, and your budget.
Counseling and therapy
Cognitive behavioral therapy is the most studied treatment for gambling disorder. It helps you spot the thoughts that trigger a bet ("I'm due for a win," "I can win it back") and rewire how you respond to urges. We can connect you with counselors who specialize in gambling, including telehealth options.
Peer support groups
Sitting in a room, in person or online, with people who have been exactly where you are changes things. Twelve step groups and science based alternatives both work, and they cost nothing. We help you find the meeting format and community that fits.
Treatment programs
For severe gambling addiction, especially when it comes with depression, substance use, or thoughts of self harm, structured outpatient or residential programs give you daily support and distance from triggers. We help you find programs your state or insurance may cover.
Self exclusion and blocking tools
Every state with legal gambling offers a self exclusion program that bans you from casinos and betting apps, in some states for one year, five years, or life. Paired with blocking software on your devices, it puts real distance between you and the bet. We walk you through setting it up in your state.
Financial guardrails
Recovery gets easier when the money is out of reach. Common steps include handing account access to a trusted person, removing your name from credit offers, setting up direct deposit with limited cash access, and working on a repayment plan for gambling debt.
Not sure which of these fits your situation?
Take the 2 minute assessment first, or skip straight to our team. Either way, a real person follows up with options in your state, free and without obligation.
For Families
Signs your husband, wife, or family member has a gambling problem
Gambling addiction is sometimes called the hidden addiction because there are no slurred words or bloodshot eyes. Families often discover it only when the money is gone: the drained savings, the secret credit card, the mood that rises and falls with games you did not know they were betting on. If that is where you are, your pain is real and you deserve support of your own.
You do not need their permission or participation to start. Take the assessment on their behalf, answering from what you have observed, and our team will follow up with a plan for your family.
Take the assessment for them- Protect your finances first. Separate accounts, freeze joint credit, and get your name off shared cards before anything else.
- Talk without shaming. "I love you and I'm worried" opens doors. Ultimatums delivered in anger usually close them.
- Stop the bailouts. Paying off gambling debt feels loving, but it removes the consequence that often drives someone to get help.
- Do not try to be the treatment. You can love them, set boundaries, and share resources. You cannot recover for them.
- Get support for you. A counselor, a support community, trusted friends. Families need recovery too.
Watch
Videos and stories from recovery
Sometimes the thing that finally lands is hearing someone describe your exact life back to you. These stories are worth your next twenty minutes. Browse the full video library and our guides for more.
"I lost everything twice"
A firsthand recovery story: rock bottom, the first meeting, and what year one of not gambling actually feels like.
Your brain on gambling
Why near misses feel like wins, why chasing losses is so hard to resist, and what that means for getting free.
For the family
What spouses and parents wish they had known sooner, from people who have lived on that side of the addiction.
Questions
Gambling addiction FAQ
How do I know if I have a gambling problem?
Clinicians diagnose gambling disorder by patterns, not dollar amounts: chasing losses, betting more to feel the same excitement, failed attempts to cut back, hiding it from people close to you. Our free 2 minute assessment walks you through the same criteria clinicians use and gives you an honest read on where you stand.
Is gambling addiction a real medical condition?
Yes. Gambling disorder is recognized in the DSM 5 as a behavioral addiction. It changes the brain's reward system in ways similar to substance addiction, which is why willpower alone is rarely enough and why treatment works.
Is the assessment really free and private?
Yes. The assessment is free and takes about 2 minutes. Your answers are private. We ask for your email and state so we can send your results and have a real person follow up with options near you. You are never obligated to use anything we suggest.
Can you recover from gambling addiction?
Yes. Many people recover fully with the right support. Proven paths include cognitive behavioral therapy, peer support, structured treatment, self exclusion, and financial guardrails. Recovery usually combines several of these, and we help you figure out which combination fits your life.
How do I know if my husband or wife has a gambling problem?
Watch for money that disappears without explanation, defensiveness when gambling comes up, secret accounts or betting apps, mood swings tied to wins and losses, and broken promises to stop. You can take our free assessment on their behalf, answering from what you have observed, and our team will follow up with options for your family.
How can I help a family member who gambles?
Start by protecting your own finances and getting support for yourself. Talk to your loved one without shaming them, and remember you cannot force recovery, but you can stop enabling and stay connected. Our team can walk you through options for your specific situation.
Get Connected
Find gambling addiction help in your state
Tell us where you are and a little about your situation. A real person will follow up with options near you, which may include counselors, treatment programs, support groups, and free state resources. Private, free, and no obligation.