How to stop gambling: a practical plan, and what to expect

If gambling has cost you money you can't spare, start here

If you are behind on bills, borrowing to gamble or hiding losses, a helpline or self-exclusion comes first, before any app or plan. In the US, the National Problem Gambling Helpline is 1-800-MY-RESET (1-800-697-3738): call, text or chat online, and they connect you with local help. Helplines for other countries are at the end of this page.

If you are thinking about suicide, call or text 988 in the US, or your local emergency number. Gambling debt can feel final. It isn't.

Is gambling a mental illness?

Problem gambling can be. Gambling disorder is a recognized diagnosis. In the DSM-5, the American Psychiatric Association placed it in a category on behavioral addictions, because research shows it resembles substance-related disorders in how it presents, its brain basis and its treatment. The WHO's ICD-11 lists it as gambling disorder (6C50).

A diagnosis requires at least four signs from a list during the past year. You don't need one to decide to stop. If you have tried to cut back and keep going back, that is reason enough.

Warning signs of problem gambling

There is no official list of seven, but these signs from the APA's description of gambling disorder are the ones people recognize most:

• You think about gambling a lot: replaying past sessions or planning the next.
• You need larger amounts to get the same excitement.
• You have tried to cut back or stop, and it didn't hold.
• You feel restless or irritable when you try to cut down.
• You gamble to escape stress, problems or a low mood.
• After losing, you go back to win it back ("chasing" losses).
• You lie about how much you gamble, or rely on others to cover money problems it caused.

For a structured check, take the free self-test below. It uses the Problem Gambling Severity Index, the nine-question screen used in gambling research.

How to stop gambling: the plan

1. Decide on a clear goalIf limits haven't worked for you before, aim for no gambling at all for a set period, written down with a start date. "Gamble less" is easy to renegotiate on a Saturday night.
2. Self-excludeAsk operators to refuse you: GAMSTOP for online gambling licensed in Great Britain, your state's self-exclusion program in the US, and the responsible gaming settings of every operator you have an account with. Choose the longest period offered.
3. Block apps and sites on every deviceDelete the apps, block reinstalls and add a gambling blocker. Our guide to blocking gambling on iPhone walks through each layer.
4. Block the paymentsTurn on your bank's gambling block if it has one, remove saved cards from gambling accounts and ask your bank about lower card or withdrawal limits.
5. Hand over the spare money for a whileLet someone you trust help manage savings or a second account for the first months. Fewer funds within reach means fewer impulsive decisions.
6. Write an if-then plan for urgesKnow your high-risk moments (payday, game day, a bad night, being alone) and decide in advance: "If the urge hits after dinner, then I call my brother and go for a walk."
7. Tell one person and find supportA partner, friend or a group. NCPG lists peer support including Gamblers Anonymous, SMART Recovery and Gam-Anon for family members, plus a directory of gambling counselors.

Gambling withdrawal symptoms: what the first weeks feel like

Stopping gambling can feel physical. Feeling restless or irritable when you cut down is one of the diagnostic signs of gambling disorder. In a study of 312 adult gamblers recruited from the community, 41 percent reported other withdrawal-like symptoms when they tried to quit or control their gambling, and anger, guilt and disappointment were linked to gambling disorder alongside restlessness and irritability.

“…they need to keep gambling not to feel good from winning, but just to not feel bad.”

Anna Lembke, psychiatrist, on the Rational Reminder podcast (episode 177, 2021)

That is her clinical view, not a measured finding. Expect the pull at the times gambling used to fill: evenings, weekends, the hour after payday. Fill those slots on purpose. The APA's practical advice for cravings is simple: reach out to someone, distract yourself, postpone the decision, think through what happens after you gamble, and avoid being alone with the urge.

How to stop gambling online

Online gambling is open around the clock and lives in the phone you carry. That makes the environment matter more than willpower:

• Self-exclusion matters most online, because it closes the accounts, not just the apps.
• Unsubscribe from operator emails and texts, and turn off notifications from sports and odds apps.
• Block on every device, including an old tablet or a work laptop.
• Keep a balance of zero in any gambling account you can't close yet.

Deal with the money, not just the urges

Chasing losses is one of the core signs of gambling disorder, and it is the trap that turns a bad week into debt. Accept the money as gone. Trying to win it back is the habit talking.

Make a list of what you owe and to whom, and talk to a nonprofit credit counselor before you borrow more. NCPG's peer support list includes Debtors Anonymous, and the 1-800-MY-RESET helpline can point you to local services. If someone close to you is affected, Gam-Anon is for them.

Can gambling addiction be cured?

There is no one-time cure, but gambling disorder is treatable and people do recover. The APA notes that some people stop on their own while many need help, and that only about one in ten people with gambling disorder seek treatment.

The best-studied treatment is cognitive behavioral therapy. A Cochrane review of randomized trials found that CBT reduced gambling and its symptoms right after therapy. How long the gains last is unknown, and the evidence was rated very low to low quality. There are no FDA-approved medicines for gambling disorder, though a doctor can treat depression or anxiety that comes with it. Symptoms can also come and go, so keep your protections in place after the first good month.