Free help for gambling addiction, starting today.
Helplines, meetings, blocking tools, counsellors and family support. None of it is run by this show and almost all of it is free. Start with the phone number.
Helplines, meetings and a self-assessment
Pick whichever one you can actually do in the next hour.
- National Problem Gambling HelplineCall or text 1-800-MY-RESETFree and confidential, day or night. Routes you to help in your own state.
- Gamblers AnonymousIn person and online meetingsNo fees, no forms, no waiting list. Meetings run somewhere every day.
- GamTalkFree peer forum, 24/7 chatModerated peer forum, open 24/7. Useful when a meeting is hours away.
- Take the self assessmentTen questions, private, two minutesTen private questions, if you are still arguing with yourself about it.
- 988 Suicide and Crisis LifelineCall or text 988Use this first if tonight is that kind of night.
Help for families, partners and parents
You need support too, and you are rarely offered any.
- Gam-AnonMeetings for family and friendsThe companion fellowship to GA, for the people living alongside it.
- Helpline for family members1-800-MY-RESETYou do not have to be the gambler to call. Ask for family resources.
- Warning signs to look forSigns to watch forSecrecy about money and phones, unexplained borrowing, mood tied to results.
- Protect the household money firstNon-profit credit counsellingSeparate the accounts and get a neutral third party on the debt.
- Episodes from families14 episodesPartners and parents, in their own words.
Blocking apps and self-exclusion
Software and programmes that make a bet harder to place. Most take minutes to set up.
- GambanPaid, all devicesBlocks 185,000+ gambling sites and apps across all your devices.
- Self-exclusion in your stateAll 50 statesEvery US state with legal gambling runs one. Start with your state council.
- National Voluntary Self-Exclusion ProgramMulti-state, one formOne form to self-exclude across participating operators in several states.
- Debt helpFree and low-cost counsellingFree non-profit counselling. Do not take a loan from whoever found you first.
Counsellors and treatment programmes
Gambling disorder responds to treatment, and in many states it is free.
- Certified gambling counsellor directorySearch by stateCounsellors trained specifically in gambling disorder, searchable by state.
- Treatment facilitiesInpatient and outpatientProgrammes with a dedicated gambling track, inpatient and outpatient.
- Gambling TherapyInternational, freeFree multilingual support outside the US, run by Gordon Moody.
Help in Illinois
State-specific help for Illinois residents.
What gambling costs, with sources
Every number here names its source and the year it was published, and links to the original reporting.
Across the United States
- 2.5m
- US adults meet the criteria for a severe gambling problem in a given yearNational Council on Problem Gambling · Year to be confirmed
In Illinois
- $7.7b
- lost by Illinois residents to gambling in a single yearCapitol News Illinois · 2026
- 6¢
- goes back into treatment for every $100 of gambling revenue the state collectsCapitol News Illinois · 2026
- 58
- certified gambling counsellors for the entire state of IllinoisCapitol News Illinois · 2026
Gambling Recovery: Taking Back Your Life is not affiliated with Gamblers Anonymous, and nothing here is medical advice or treatment. I am a person in recovery, not a clinician. If you are in immediate danger, call 911 or go to your nearest emergency room.