Resources
A list of free and confidential services run by other organizations, for anyone affected by gambling. This page is information, not advice, and not a substitute for care from a qualified professional.
Call or text 1-800-MY-RESET (1-800-697-3738), or chat online. Free, confidential, 24/7. Run by the National Council on Problem Gambling.
If someone is in immediate danger, call 911. If someone is in crisis or thinking about suicide, call or text 988, the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, any hour.
Where to get help
Listed for convenience only. These are independent organizations. We have no arrangement with any of them, we do not screen or endorse them, and we receive nothing if you contact them. Check credentials, cost, and fit yourself before you rely on anyone.
Find help
If money is gone that was meant for rent, food, or someone else, if you are borrowing to keep going, or if you have thought about hurting yourself, call today. The line is free, it is confidential, and the person who answers has heard it before.
Online therapy for gambling and other compulsive behaviors, by video with licensed specialists, in all 50 states. Their site says most major insurance plans are accepted, often at $0 to $25 a session. A separate company; this product has no arrangement with them.
Visit Birches HealthOnline therapy and counseling for behavioral addictions including gambling, with individual therapy, coaching, and support groups. Their site says they accept major insurance and offer a free first consultation. A separate company; this product has no arrangement with them.
Visit KindbridgeThe National Council on Problem Gambling's directory of state programs, counselors, and self-exclusion options.
Find your statePeer meetings for people who want to stop gambling, in person and online. Free.
Find a meetingThe National Foundation for Credit Counseling, a nonprofit network of certified credit counselors since 1951, for the debt that gambling leaves behind: budgeting, credit card debt, and debt management plans. They do not treat gambling itself. A separate organization; this product has no arrangement with them.
Visit the NFCCPeer meetings for the family and friends of someone who gambles. Free.
Find a meeting8.9 yrs
Mean time between when gambling disorder starts and when someone gets treatment for it, longer than the same gap for OCD.
Source: CNS Spectrums, peer-reviewed study, n=298
15%
Of US adults have ever been asked about their gambling by a doctor. Nothing is screening for this.
Source: Harris Poll for NCPG, 2026
73%
Of people contacting the national gambling helpline cite financial stress. It's the single most common reason people finally reach out.
Source: National Problem Gambling Helpline, 2025
~6%
Of US college students are estimated to have a gambling problem, roughly double the adult national rate.
Source: National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG)
60%
Of 18 to 22 year olds report having bet on sports, most of it through a phone, not a casino.
Source: NCAA membership survey, 2023
19.2%
Of pathological gamblers have filed for bankruptcy, versus 5.5% of low-risk gamblers. Almost a 4x gap.
Source: Gambling Impact and Behavior Study, NORC
How to talk about it
These are conversation openers, written in plain words, adapted from suggestions published by family support groups. They are not a script, not therapy, and not a substitute for talking to a counselor.
What to do at each level
The same suggestions the app shows an accountability partner. They are one way to think about it, not instructions, and nothing here can tell you what is right for your own situation.
Nothing to do. If it comes up, tell them you saw a quiet week and leave it there.
Checking in when nothing happened teaches them that sharing brings scrutiny. Quiet weeks are the reward for sharing.Pick one of the starters, in person or by voice, not by text. Ask, then listen. Do not bring the numbers unless they ask.
A ten-minute, non-judgmental conversation is the intervention with the best evidence for reducing gambling in people who are not seeking treatment.Have the conversation, then offer to be in the room while they call or text 1-800-MY-RESET, or book a first appointment. Offer, do not insist.
People with someone in their corner stay in treatment longer. Your job is to make the first call easy, not to make it for them.A connected account that stops showing activity usually means money moved somewhere else. Ask plainly: has anything changed with your accounts?
Silence is the one signal a bank feed cannot classify. The conversation is the only way to know what it means.They are allowed to disconnect. They agreed not to do it quietly, and you were told. Ask why, and ask what they want the arrangement to be now.
Leaving is allowed. Leaving quietly is what the product was built to prevent, and it just did its job.What not to do
Adapted from Gam-Anon's guidance for family and friends.
Self-exclusion and support
Many US states run a voluntary self-exclusion program. What it covers, how long it lasts, and how to enroll differ by state and change over time, so we link to the councils that maintain the directory rather than copy their details here.
Please note. YourSafeGuard is not a healthcare provider and does not provide medical, clinical, legal, or financial advice. Nothing on this page is a diagnosis or a treatment recommendation, and no part of this product can tell you whether someone has a gambling problem. If you are worried about yourself or someone else, speak with a qualified professional. Figures below are quoted from published sources on the dates shown and may have changed.
Sources: CNS Spectrums (duration of untreated illness in gambling disorder). Harris Poll for the National Council on Problem Gambling, 2026. National Problem Gambling Helpline, 2025. National Council on Problem Gambling. NCAA membership survey, 2023. Gambling Impact and Behavior Study (NORC). Gam-Anon suggestions for family and friends.