A gambling helpline is a free phone, text or chat service where trained staff listen and point you to support. You do not need to be sure you have a problem to use one. This guide lists services by country, explains what to expect, and covers self-exclusion tools and help for family and friends, as of October 2026.
It is part of our Responsible gambling and psychology section. Chancepedia is not a helpline or a treatment service. Every service below is run by another organization, and we copied each number from that organization’s own website.
If you are in danger right now, call your local emergency number. In Great Britain, the GambleAware help page also lists Samaritans on 116 123, which it says you can call at any time.
Which gambling helpline can you call in your country?
The table lists a national gambling helpline for the US, England and Scotland, Wales, Ontario, Australia, Ireland and New Zealand. Each describes itself as free and open around the clock. Find your country, then call, text or chat. If yours is missing, the next section shows where to look.
| Country | Service | Phone | Text or chat | Hours and cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | National Problem Gambling Helpline (NCPG) | 1-800-MY-RESET (1-800-697-3738) | Text the same number, or chat online | Described as free, confidential and available 24/7. Message and data rates may apply to texts. |
| England and Scotland | National Gambling Helpline (GamCare) | 0808 8020 133 | Live chat, and WhatsApp on the same number | Open 24 hours a day, every day of the year. Free. |
| Wales | NHS Wales Helpline | 0808 2819 265 | Not stated on the page we checked | Free, 24/7. |
| Canada (Ontario) | ConnexOntario | 1-866-531-2600 | Text CONNEX to 247247, or live chat | Open 24/7. Free and confidential. Covers Ontario, and also mental health and addiction. |
| Australia | Gambling Help Online | 1800 858 858 | Online chat, and email counselling | Open 24/7. Free and confidential. |
| Ireland | GamblingCare.ie National Helpline | 1800 936 725 | No text or chat details on the page we checked | Open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Free and confidential. |
| New Zealand | Gambling Helpline Aotearoa | 0800 654 655 | Text 8006, anonymously if you like | Open 24 hours. Free; completely anonymous. |
Need help?
Free, confidential help is available. Choose your country to see helplines.
Find a helplineWhat if your country is not in the table?
We only print a number when we could confirm it on the service’s own site. For other countries, start with the directory that GamCare publishes. It names services in dozens of places, but GamCare says it has not vetted them. You can also use a free online service that is not tied to one country.
The directory lists, for example, the South African Responsible Gambling Foundation and Singapore’s National Council on Problem Gambling, each with a website. We have not confirmed numbers for them, so we print none. We also could not confirm a gambling-specific number for India.
Read more: Gambling Scams and Unlicensed Sites
Gambling Therapy is run by Gordon Moody and describes itself as a global service giving free practical advice and emotional support to anyone affected by gambling. Its site offers multilingual forums and a language menu with dozens of options. Its home page does not say how live support works, so read the site first.
A national health service or gambling regulator in your own country is another route. Search “problem gambling help” plus your country, and check the page belongs to a government body, a health service or a recognized charity.
Which way of reaching out suits you?
Most services offer more than one way in: phone, text, live chat, email or a peer forum. Phone suits you if you want a voice. Text, chat or email suit you if talking feels like too much today. This table matches common situations to options on the sites we opened.
| If you would rather | Options named on the sites we checked |
|---|---|
| Speak to someone now | Any of the phone lines in the table above. Most are open around the clock. |
| Type instead of talk | Live chat at GamCare, ConnexOntario, Gambling Help Online and the US helpline, or text in the US, Ontario and New Zealand. |
| Use an app you already have | WhatsApp to GamCare on 0808 8020 133. |
| Stay anonymous | New Zealand’s text line calls itself anonymous. Gambling Help Online offers chat with a counsellor anonymously. GambleAware’s page says you can contact GamCare anonymously. |
| Write it down first | Email counselling at Gambling Help Online, and an email form at GamCare. |
| Read what others say | Forums and chatrooms at GamCare, a community forum at Gambling Help Online, and multilingual forums at Gambling Therapy. |
What happens when you call or chat?
The sites we read describe listening, advice and help finding local support. GamCare says its advisers give one-to-one confidential advice, and Gambling Help Online says its counsellors assess the situation and suggest options. Wording differs by service, so ask what to expect when you connect.
The US helpline says it is a hub connecting people to local resources, with contact centers covering all 50 states and territories. ConnexOntario says it helps you find programs across Ontario. New Zealand’s line says a text gets a personalized response from its counsellors.
GamCare says it keeps call recordings and chat transcripts for 28 days for quality assurance. It is fair to ask any service at the start how your details are handled.
How do self-exclusion and blocking tools work?
Read more: Self-Exclusion and Blocking Tools Explained
Self-exclusion lets you ask to be blocked from gambling accounts for a set period. GAMSTOP in Great Britain and BetStop in Australia are both free. Each blocks licensed providers in its own area. Neither blocks every kind of gambling, and neither replaces support from a person.
| GAMSTOP | BetStop | BetBlocker | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Where | Great Britain | Australia | Any country (a software tool) |
| Run by | The National Online Self Exclusion Scheme Limited | Australian Government | A Scottish registered charity |
| Cost | Free | Free | Free |
| What it does | Blocks access to your accounts on gambling websites and apps | Licensed online and phone providers cannot let you bet, open new accounts, or send you marketing | Blocks gambling websites and apps in its database, on your own devices |
| Length | The NHS says 6 months, 1 year or 5 years | Not stated on the home page; you can register at any time | A set period; once started it generally cannot be lifted early |
| Not covered | Betting shops: a separate scheme, GAMSTOP Betting Shops | Unlicensed providers and other forms of gambling are not addressed on the page | Sites outside its database |
GAMSTOP says you can extend your registration through your account. BetStop lets you nominate someone to support you, and says joining takes about 5 minutes. Neither home page says what happens when a period ends, so read that part before you register.
In Ireland, GamblingCare.ie describes self-exclusion as a formal process where you ask a betting operator to stop you using its services for a set period.
What can you do about money and devices?
Money steps work alongside a helpline, not instead of one. The NHS suggests asking your bank to stop payments to gambling sites and apps, setting up direct debits for essential bills so they are paid on payday, and getting debt advice from the National Debtline. Blocking software on your phone adds another layer.
The NHS names Gamban as one blocking option, and BetBlocker is free. Gambling Help Online and GambleAware both offer calculators that estimate the time and money you spend. Our guide to setting a gambling budget and time limit covers the planning side.
Where can family and friends find support?
Family and friends can get help in their own right. Gambling Help Online welcomes friends and families, GambleAware has a friends and family check-in, and the NHS names GamAnon, GamFam and Gambling with Lives.
- GamAnon. The NHS lists it as meetings for people affected by someone else’s gambling. Gam-Anon’s own site gives a hotline of 844-475-4213 and a meeting directory with US, Canada, virtual and international listings.
- GamFam. The NHS describes it as a lived experience support network.
- Gambling with Lives. The NHS lists it as support for people bereaved by gambling-related suicide.
- New Zealand. The Gambling Helpline has a section for people worried about a whānau member’s gambling.
- Gambling Therapy. It has a section for friends, family and colleagues affected by someone else’s gambling.
If you are wondering how to raise the subject, read our guide on how to help someone who gambles.
Can peer support meetings help?
Peer support means meeting people who have been through something similar. Gamblers Anonymous says it is here for people who think they might have a gambling problem, with no dues or fees. Meetings are in person, virtual or by telephone.
Its site lists a National Hotline of 855-222-5542 and a self-assessment called the 20 Questions. GamCare also describes peer forums and daily chatrooms. Whether a group suits you is personal, and it is fine to try one and leave.
What can you do today?
You can take one small step today. Choosing a contact method and a time is enough, and a first contact can be short. These six steps suit most readers, whichever country you are in, and you can stop after any of them.
- Pick one service from the table. Choose the one for your country, or a free online service if yours is not listed.
- Choose the channel that feels easiest. Call, text, chat or email. You can switch later.
- Write down one or two things you want to say. It can be as simple as “I am worried about my gambling” or “I am worried about someone else”.
- Ask what is free and what is nearby. Ask how your details are kept, and whether they cover your area.
- Try a self-check if you want one. The NHS page has a nine-question check, GambleAware has a seven-question one, and Gambling Help Online offers an assessment.
- Think about a block. If you want an extra layer, look at GAMSTOP, BetStop or BetBlocker, and ask your bank about a gambling payment block.
If the first try does not work, such as a busy line or a chat that does not suit you, try another service or another day. That says nothing about you.
How did we check these listings?
We opened every service named here on its own website on 13 October 2026, and copied the number, hours and cost wording from that page. We include nothing from forums, review sites or operator pages. Services change, so treat the date as a guide.
Two limits are worth knowing. The US help page does not state hours, but its chat page says 24/7. The Wales line comes from the GambleAware and UK Gambling Commission pages, not a Wales-only site.
Where can you get help today?
Start with the service for your country in the first table, or use the Gambling Therapy site if yours is not listed. A call, a text or a chat is a first step, and you can ask a question without committing to anything. If you are helping someone else, begin with a family service.
Our pages on warning signs and what problem gambling is, and our Get help page, bring more together. You do not have to do this alone.