Where to Get Help, by Country
Numbers checked
Every service on this page is free and confidential. None of them will ask you to call yourself a problem gambler, and all of them take calls from family and friends as well as players. You do not need to have decided anything before you call.
- Every helpline here is free and confidential, day and night.
- You do not have to call yourself a problem gambler to use one.
- They take calls from family and friends too, not only players.
- Self-exclusion is separate: one form can cover every licensed operator in your country.
- US 1-800-GAMBLER · UK 0808 8020 133 · full list by country below.
United States
Two national helplines run side by side, both free, confidential and open around the clock. Either one will get you to help.
| Service | Contact | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| National Problem Gambling Helpline National Council on Problem Gambling | Call or text 1-800-MY-RESET (1-800-697-3738) Chat at ncpgambling.org/chat | 24/7 |
| 1-800-GAMBLER Council on Compulsive Gambling of New Jersey | Call 1-800-GAMBLER (1-800-426-2537) Text 800GAMBLER to 53342 Chat at 800gambler.org | 24 hours |
Self-exclusion. There is no national register. Several states operate their own for licensed online play, and individual casinos keep their own lists — ask at the cage or through the operator's account settings. Your state's gambling regulator will say which applies.
United Kingdom
| Service | Contact | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| National Gambling Helpline GamCare | Call 0808 8020 133 Live chat and WhatsApp at gamcare.org.uk | 24 hours, 365 days |
The helpline is free from UK landlines and mobiles and covers Great Britain. Beyond the phone line, the National Gambling Support Network provides free treatment — by phone, online and face to face — alongside the NHS.
Self-exclusion. GAMSTOP blocks you from every gambling website and app licensed in Great Britain, in a single free registration for UK residents. Land-based casinos run their own separate scheme. TalkBanStop combines GAMSTOP with the Gamban blocking software and GamCare support in one place, free.
Ireland
| Service | Contact | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Gambling Care Helpline | Republic: 1800 936 725 Northern Ireland: 08000 886 725 | 24 hours |
| Extern Problem Gambling | Call-back service, request at problemgambling.ie | Mon–Fri, 9am–5pm |
Self-exclusion. Ireland does not yet have a national register. The Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland, established in March 2025, is building one to cover all licensed operators alongside the full licensing framework. Until it launches, exclusion has to be requested operator by operator, and blocking software is the more practical option.
Canada
Canada has no single national helpline — problem gambling services are run province by province, and the number you want depends on where you live.
| Service | Contact | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Ontario ConnexOntario | Call 1-866-531-2600 Also chat, text and email | 24/7, 170 languages |
For every other province, the Responsible Gambling Council keeps a directory of provincial helplines at responsiblegambling.org.
Self-exclusion. Provincial, run by each province's gambling authority and usually covering that province's licensed venues and online site.
Australia
| Service | Contact | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| National Gambling Helpline | Call 1800 858 858 | 24/7 |
| Gambling Help Online | Online counseling, live chat and email at gamblinghelponline.org.au | 24/7 |
Self-exclusion. BetStop is the National Self-Exclusion Register. One free registration excludes you from every licensed online and phone wagering provider in Australia — roughly 150 of them — for anything from three months to life. You need a mobile number, an email address and either an Australian driver's license or a Medicare card. Physical venues are excluded separately, through your state's scheme.
Anywhere else
Gambling Therapy is a free international service run by the UK charity Gordon Moody. It offers one-to-one and group support online, in multiple languages, to anyone in the world, along with a free app. If your country has no national helpline, or you would rather not use it, this is the place to start.
Many countries also run a service through their national health system rather than a gambling-specific charity, so a GP or family doctor is often a faster route than it sounds.
What self-exclusion actually covers
Self-exclusion is the strongest tool on this page, and the one people most often assume does more than it does. Every scheme covers a defined set of operators. None of them covers everything.
Wherever you are, BetBlocker works: it is free worldwide, run by a registered charity, and covers devices rather than operators — so it does not care which country licensed the site. More on the tools that hold.
What actually happens when you call
The step people stall on is the first one, usually because they imagine something more formal than it is.
- You do not have to give your name. These lines are confidential and most take anonymous calls.
- Nobody is going to lecture you. The person answering does this all day and has heard every version of it.
- You will not be signed up to anything. A first call is usually a conversation and, if you want it, a referral.
- You do not need a diagnosis or a number. “I think I might be spending too much” is a completely normal reason to call.
- You can call about somebody else. A large share of the calls these services take are from family and friends.
How current this page is
Every number here was checked against the operating organization on 23 August 2026. Helpline numbers do change — the American national number changed in September 2025 — so if you find one here that is wrong or dead, tell us and it will be fixed the same week. On a site whose whole point is that its numbers are right, this is the page where it matters most.
By Martin Kosek · Owl Count is independent, takes no bets and links to no operator.
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