How to Overcome and Treat Problem Gambling
Overcoming problem gambling or gambling addiction is not easy, but it is possible. With the right strategies, support systems, and professional help, gamblers can regain control and rebuild their lives.
If you suspect that your gambling habits have become a problem, this guide provides actionable steps and resources to help you change your relationship with gambling.
What You’ll Learn in This Guide:
Acknowledging the Problem: The First Step to Recovery
Before any real change can happen, you need to recognize and accept that gambling has become a problem. Without this step, overcoming addiction is nearly impossible.
Why is this step so difficult?
Problem gambling can feel like a powerful force controlling your mind. The nature of addiction means you can deny there’s even a problem until you’re mired so deep in your issues that you feel everything is out of your control and impossible to fix.
If you can see the truth in either one of these stages – there’s a solution to the problem.
How do you know if gambling is a problem?
If gambling has become more than just entertainment and is negatively impacting your life, it’s time to change. Even if you slightly suspect you might have a problem, it’s always better to be safe than sorry.
If you’re unsure, check out our guide on problem gambling diagnosis to assess your situation.
If you’ve acknowledged the problem, you’re already on the right path. In the next sections, we’ll explore the steps you can take to regain control, the role of social support, and available professional treatment options.
The Process of Overcoming Problem Gambling
Breaking free from problem gambling is a journey, and understanding what recovery looks like can help individuals prepare for the challenges ahead. It won’t be easy, and there will be times where it all seems too hard, but it will be worth it.
The Three Stages of Problem Gambling Recovery
Developed by Dr. Robert L. Custer, this model outlines three key stages that individuals go through when recovering from gambling addiction:
1. Critical Stage – Facing Reality & Stopping Gambling
🔹 Recognizing the negative impact of gambling and taking responsibility.
🔹 Making the decision to quit and beginning to regain control in life.
🔹 Evaluating financial damage and planning debt repayment.
✅ Key Focus: Stopping gambling & stabilizing finances.
2. Rebuild Stage – Repairing Life & Relationships
🔹 Strengthening personal growth, self-acceptance, and self-respect.
🔹 Rebuilding trust and relationships with family and friends.
🔹 Managing debt repayment and legal issues caused by gambling.
✅ Key Focus: Rebuilding self-worth, financial stability, and social connections.
3. Growth Stage – Long-Term Recovery & a New Life
🔹 Gambling thoughts fade, and emotional resilience increases.
🔹 Developing new hobbies, interests, and a sense of purpose.
🔹 Supporting others and gaining deeper personal insight.
✅ Key Focus: Long-term well-being, self-improvement, and a gambling-free life.
Breaking Free from Gambling for Good
No matter how deep into gambling addiction someone may feel, recovery is possible. The key is to take the first step, seek support, and commit to rebuilding a healthier, more fulfilling life.
Self-Help Strategies for Overcoming Problem Gambling
While some people may can quit gambling on their own, it is often the hard road. Support from family, friends, or professionals will boost your chances of success and make things much easier. However, if you choose to go it alone, here are key strategies to help you regain control.
1. Limit Your Access to Gambling
- If deposit limits and bet limits aren’t working, then move on to the cooling-off periods and self-exclusion tools on the gambling sites.
- Install gambling site-blocking apps on your devices to stop you from gambling on impulse. Of course, you can get around them, but this will give you vital minutes to regain control of your intrusive thoughts.
- Stay away from casinos, bars, or any other gambling locations. A bar around the corner from a casino is also a bad idea, and you already know that.
🔹 These tools act as barriers, but they only work when combined with self-discipline. True recovery requires deeper behavioral change.
2. Find Healthy Alternatives to Gambling
- Find better ways to spend your time. Join a gym, go hiking, learn a new skill, or join a group activity. Physical activity is especially beneficial as it burns out some of the nervous energy that goes with gambling withdrawal.
- Spend more quality time with your family and friends.
- Fill your schedule with productive activities and give your life focus to distract yourself from the thought of gambling..
3. Avoid Replacing Gambling with Another Addiction
- Do not turn to alcohol, drugs, or unhealthy behaviors as substitutes.
- Addiction recovery is mentally demanding, and you’re vulnerable to new compulsions that can hit the same brain receptors. Always be mindful of this.
- Focus on positive coping mechanisms like exercise, mindfulness, or therapy.
4. Understand That Gambling is NOT a Way to Make Money
- Face the facts: Casinos and sportsbooks always have an advantage. This advantage is known as the house edge, and it’s very publicly advertised, so drill this into your mind.
- Understand that gambling addiction is not about money. It’s about the compulsion to keep playing.
- Understand that even after a big win, most problem gamblers continue gambling until they lose everything. Really grasp the fact that compulsive gambling always ends up in the same place – a losing hand.
5. Learn to Manage Gambling Cravings
- When you feel the need to gamble, force yourself to wait 10 minutes, an hour, or a day. Often, the craving will pass.
- Remind yourself of the negative experiences and emotions gambling has caused. You do not want to relive those moments.
- Supportive people can help distract you from gambling and talk you out of a relapse. Have a good friend on speed dial for these moments.
- A slip-up doesn’t mean failure—it’s just another step on the road to recovery. Learn from it, keep going, and do better next time.
6. Repair Your Financial Situation
- Analyze the damage. Be honest now that you know gambling is not the answer to your financial problems.
- Develop a realistic budget and plan for debt repayment.
- Seek help from debt management organizations if necessary.
7. Use a Pocket Friend Reminder
Take some time to write a couple of meaningful lists on a piece of paper or your phone, where it will always be available. Those lists should detail:
- Positives of a debt-free life (self-respect, the trust of your loved ones, money in the bank)
- Negatives of gambling (Debt, relationship problems, lost trust)
Read this list whenever the temptation to gamble strikes. Combine this with some basic deep breathing and mindfulness exercises and regain control of your emotions.
8. Consider Seeking External Support
If self-help strategies aren’t enough, consider reaching out to:
- Family and friends for emotional support.
- Support groups (e.g., Gamblers Anonymous).
- Professional therapy and counseling.
- Rehabilitation programs for intensive treatment.
Final Thoughts
Fighting gambling addiction alone is actually possible, but it is challenging. Isolation is one of the contributing factors to addiction and relapses, so we recommend you keep a support network and don’t cut yourself off to struggle in silence. The best approach is to combine self-help strategies with external support. You need to help yourself, but if you do that, then the people in your life will surprise you with the support they provide.
If you struggle to quit gambling on your own, don’t hesitate to reach out for help—recovery is always within reach.
The Importance of Support from Family and Friends
Gambling addiction has a massive impact on the individual’s family, friends and colleagues. It can put a major strain on these relationships, but you’ll be amazed how often it’s the very same people that you can rely on to help you recover.
You’ll need to rebuild some bridges if you gambling truly spiralled out of control, but that will be one of the most important steps you take on the road to recovery.
Rebuilding Trust and Strengthening Relationships
- Spend quality time with family and close friends to restore relationships that may have been damaged.
- Engage in social activities to create positive distractions from gambling.
- Rebuild trust early-the longer you wait, the harder it becomes to mend relationships.
Lost trust is difficult to regain, but with honesty and effort, loved ones are likely to offer support and forgiveness.
Why External Support is Also Important
- Family and friends may want to help, but they might not fully understand gambling addiction.
- Professional support groups and counseling can educate loved ones on how to best support your recovery.
- Family therapy and support groups offer guidance for both the individual and their loved ones, helping to rebuild relationships together.
Take Action: Open up to those who care about you, seek professional advice, and don’t hesitate to join a support group. Recovery is easier when you’re not alone.
Helplines and Live Chat Services
Never be afraid to reach out for help. There are gambling helplines and live chat services you can access immediately, for free, so if you’re not ready to talk on the phone, you can still get help. Trained professionals have heard stories way worse than yours, and they’re ready to provide support 24/7, with no judgment.
So, you don’t need a full-fledged gambling addiction to reach out for help. Even the first signs of a problem can be enough to ask for help. You can discuss your concerns privately, from the comfort of your own home, and it doesn’t matter if you need urgent help, advice on treatment centers, or just a sympathetic ear and someone to talk to.
The availability of these services depends on your location. We have put together a large list of helplines and live chat resources to help you find the support you need. Speaking with professionals who understand gambling addiction can be a valuable step toward recovery. Since most of these services are free, they are an accessible and effective way to seek help.
Simply loading a chat window or dialing a number could be the first step towards a healthier, better life. So don’t wait; take that first step today.
Support Groups
There’s nothing like the support of your peers that are struggling with the same problem, and those that have already gone down this hard road, to help you through the inevitable dark times. These people understand the emotional pain, the struggles and the triggers that make you gamble in the first place, and they can help you overcome them now.
People that have beaten problem gambling can be the best inspiration, mentors and support group you can find in your own bid to beat your gambling demons. Hearing their stories and leaning on them for support can be a powerful force for good, and make you believe there is a light at the end of the tunnel.
Gamblers Anonymous (GA) began when two men with gambling problems met every week to discuss their issues in the 1950s. This has evolved into an international support group with local meetings held all round the world each and every week. Gamblers Anonymous has helped millions of people with gambling issues through to full-blown addiction.
You can find the nearest meeting through the following links:
If GA meetings are not available in your area, other organizations may offer similar support, including independent groups focused on problem gambling recovery. Some drug addiction helplines have expanded their services to help gambling addicts as well.
For those who aren’t quite ready to talk on the phone, or are used to chat communication, Gambling Therapy provides virtual support groups accessible from anywhere with an internet connection. They also host dedicated forums where you can share experiences, and lean on your fellow members who know better than most the challenges you face on a daily basis.
- Visit Gambling Therapy for access to online support groups and forums.
Joining a support group, in person or online, can be an invaluable part of the recovery process. You’ll get access to practical advice, much-needed encouragement, and a community that can help you through your weaker moments. This is a tough journey, and it’s always easier when you tackle it with a team.
Psychotherapy, Counseling, and Professional Help
Psychotherapy or counseling can be an effective way to address gambling addiction. There are root causes to most gambling addictions. Finding those emotional triggers and dealing with the underlying issues won’t just help you beat your gambling problem, it will help you live your best life.
Therapy will help you:
- Gain an honest insight into the impact of gambling on your life and relationships.
- Manage gambling urges and develop coping mechanisms.
- Recognize and accept that gambling has become a problem.
- Identify the underlying causes of gambling addiction and work toward healthier solutions.
- Build a strong foundation for a complete recovery and a better life.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Other Approaches
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is on the cutting edge of addiction treatment and is recognized as one of the best solutions to all forms of addictive behavior. The main goal is to identify and isolate the thought patterns and behaviors that cause gambling addiction, and changing them with a variety of techniques and coping mechanisms.
CBT helps confront the irrational beliefs that go hand-in-hand with gambling addiction, like the dream of a big win solving all your financial problems or the potential to ‘break a losing strak’ or win back big losses.. Patients emerge with a more realistic and healthier perspective on gambling, and a clarity that was missing from their previous life.
Other CBT techniques include exposure therapy, which will expose you to gambling triggers in a controlled environment. These techniques help you understand the negative and serious consequences of gambling, which reinforces the decision to quit.
Why Professional Help Matters
Problem gambling is often linked to deeper emotional or psychological issues like stress, anxiety or depression. Studies indicate that 34% of people with a gambling disorder also suffer with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, while there’s a significant overlap of compulsive gambling and bipolar disorder, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).
Structured therapy can help uncover these underlying issues and treat them accordingly. Even if there isn’t a major condition at the root of your gambling, therapy can still uncover a combination of anxiety and stress that needs to be addressed for you to overcome your gambling issues once and for all.
Professional counseling and therapy are especially valuable for those who have tried and failed to quit gambling on their own. A therapist provides guidance, support, and accountability, helping individuals cope with the short-term challenges of addiction and develop long-term recovery strategies.
Gambling Rehab and Residential Treatment Programs
For individuals struggling with severe gambling addiction, rehab centers and residential treatment programs provide an intensive, structured environment designed to support recovery. These programs offer 24/7 professional care, ensuring that individuals receive the guidance and support they need to break free from gambling-related behaviors.
How Rehab and Residential Treatment Can Help
- Controlled Environment: By limiting access to gambling, rehab centers create a safe space where individuals can focus entirely on their recovery.
- Specialized Support: Treatment programs are led by professionals trained in gambling addiction, providing personalized therapy and structured recovery plans.
- Peer Support: Sharing experiences with others facing the same challenges can be incredibly beneficial. Rehab facilities often include group therapy sessions, allowing individuals to connect, learn, and grow together.
Is Residential Treatment Right for You?
If your daily environment makes it difficult to stay away from gambling, a residential treatment program can provide a much-needed reset. The change of surroundings, continuous support, and structured approach can be particularly effective for those who have struggled to quit through other methods.
For those seeking intensive support, gambling rehab programs offer a comprehensive, immersive approach to overcoming addiction and building a healthier, gambling-free future.
Where to Find Help
While your options may vary depending on your location, problem gambling is a widespread issue that affects millions, so there are almost always resources you can access.
If you’re finding it difficult to connect with others who understand your struggles or to find professional support, we’ve compiled a comprehensive database of resources, including helplines, live chat services, support groups, rehab centers, and other avenues for help.
Conclusion
Problem gambling, whether referred to as pathological gambling, gambling disorder, or addiction, is a challenging and complex issue.
While the self-help strategies outlined in this article can be a helpful starting point, seeking professional help or support from loved ones can significantly enhance your chances of recovery.
By reading this article, you’ve already taken an important step toward positive change. Though the road to recovery may be long, with the right approach and support, you can overcome gambling addiction and begin living a healthier, gambling-free life.
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