Getting Help for Online Gambling Problems

How to tell if you might be addicted to gaming and where to find support on your path to recovery

Josh Rosengren,

AARP

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Published May 12, 2026

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Pete Ryan

The shame and remorse over gambling losses can lead to some dark places. A Swedish study published last year found that problem gamblers were four times more likely to die from suicide than the general population. (If you are having thoughts of suicide, please call the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988 to talk with someone.)

Jack F, 81, a former chief with the Jersey City Fire Department, got drawn into gambling on his iPhone, and eventually racked up a debt of about $60,000, far more than his firefighter pension could cover (read more about his story here). He was constantly on edge, scrambling to cover his losses, sweating over his wife’s scrutiny, telling himself, I won’t get caught. His daughter Deanna, who lived downstairs, overheard her parents arguing about his gambling. She also confronted Jack about it. “You need help,” she told him. “You’re out of control.”

When Jack reached the point where he was desperate to get control of his online gambling, he entered a 12-step Gamblers Anonymous program. He says he hasn’t placed a bet since Dec. 7, 2024. He even put himself on New Jersey’s exclusion list, which blocked him from using the gambling apps on his phone or visiting a casino in the state.

He attends therapy sessions once every three weeks at a local Veterans Affairs center. And he continues to attend his recovery group's weekly meetings.

“Walking into that room to this day makes me feel so much better about what had been transpiring over the past couple years,” he says. “And the people in it, they share their problems, their issues, and we work things out together. We’re there for each other. It’s really just comforting knowing that you’re not alone.”

How to find help for problem gambling

If you are seeking help for yourself or someone else with a gambling problem, you can call the National Problem Gambling Helpline (800-MY-RESET/697-3738). Calls are answered 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and are routed to the state or U.S. territory of the area code of the phone being used. There is a Spanish language option. The staff members who answer the phone provide referrals to counselors and treatment centers. The organization’s website (ncpgambling.org) offers directories of gambling counselors and treatment centers, tips for selecting a treatment center, a place to sign up for motivational text messages, a self-assessment tool and other resources.

Another option is Gamblers Anonymous, which, in its own words, “is a fellowship of men and women who share their experience, strength and hope with each other that they may solve their common problem and help others to recover from a gambling problem.” The 12-step program’s meetings are free to attend and open to anyone with a desire to stop gambling. You can find a meeting directory and list of state hotlines at gamblersanonymous.org, the organization’s website.

Treatment options include residential and intensive outpatient programs, as well as individual therapy with trained counselors. “The best success I’ve seen is people who’ve had clinical treatment and continued attendance in Gamblers Anonymous,” says Marc Lefkowitz, a certified gambling counselor in Prescott, Arizona. He recommends that family members seek help through therapy or Gam-Anon (gam-anon.org), the 12-step sister program of GA for those affected by another’s gambling.

If you aren’t sure whether you have a problem

The American Psychiatric Association provides the following list for those wondering if gambling has become a problem in their lives. If you’ve experienced at least four of these behaviors in the past 12 months, consider looking for help.

Frequent thoughts about gambling (such as reliving past gambling or planning future gambling)
A need to gamble with increasing amounts of money to achieve the desired level of excitement
Repeated unsuccessful efforts to control, cut back or stop gambling
Restlessness or irritability when trying to cut down or stop gambling
Gambling to escape problems, a negative mood or stress
After losing money while gambling, feeling the need to continue to “get even” (also known as chasing one’s losses)
Lying to hide the extent of your involvement in gambling
Losing close relationships or important opportunities, such as a job or school achievements, due to gambling
Often gambling when feeling distressed
Relying on others to help with money problems caused by gambling