Gambling addiction treatment: a complete guide
How gambling disorder is recognized and treated, what evidence-based care looks like, and where to get help right now.
Written by the Specialty Rehabs editorial team · Updated
What gambling disorder is
Gambling disorder is a recognized behavioral addiction. People with it keep gambling despite harm — chasing losses, hiding the extent of their gambling, borrowing or taking money they cannot afford to lose, and damaging relationships and work. It occurs across ages and income levels and takes many forms: casinos, sports betting, online games and slots, poker and lottery products.
It is a health condition, not a lack of willpower or a moral failing. Gambling can activate the brain’s reward system in ways that resemble substances, and it often occurs alongside depression, anxiety, trauma and substance use.
Common warning signs
- Constant thoughts about gambling or planning the next bet
- Needing to gamble larger amounts to feel the same excitement
- Gambling to escape stress, guilt or low mood
- Chasing losses — trying to win back what was lost
- Lying to family or hiding financial problems
- Failed attempts to cut back or stop
- Borrowing money, selling belongings or facing legal or work problems because of gambling
Get help right now
The National Problem Gambling Helpline is free, confidential and open at any hour: call 1-800-GAMBLER (1-800-522-4700), or text 800GAM. Gambling problems are linked with a higher risk of suicidal thoughts. If you are in crisis, call or text 988, or call 911 in an emergency.
Treatments with evidence
No medication is currently approved specifically for gambling disorder, though a prescriber may treat co-occurring conditions with medication.
- Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), the best-supported treatment, which targets the thoughts and urges that drive gambling
- Motivational interviewing, which strengthens a person’s own reasons for change
- Peer support such as Gamblers Anonymous and family support groups
- Treatment of co-occurring conditions such as depression, anxiety, trauma and substance use
- Financial counseling and practical steps such as limiting access to money and using self-exclusion programs offered by casinos and betting sites
Choosing a program
Few treatment centers specialize in gambling, so it is worth asking directly. Ask whether the program has staff with gambling-specific training or credentials, whether gambling is treated as a primary focus or an add-on, and how it handles co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders.
- Who on staff has gambling-specific training or certification?
- Is there a dedicated gambling track or group?
- How will the program address debt and financial recovery?
- How is family included?
- What aftercare and peer support will I have near home?
Support for families
Families often carry the financial and emotional fallout. Family support groups, financial counseling, protecting shared accounts and credit, and clear boundaries can help — and so can getting your own support, whatever your loved one decides.
Sources
- National Council on Problem Gambling
- SAMHSA — Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
This guide is informational and not medical advice. If you are in crisis, call or text 988; in an emergency, call 911.