Treat the loss as gone and block the next bet

The money is gone, and part of you is already working out how one more bet could put it back. That pull is what this page is about. One person describes the first days after a huge loss as the hardest, because the mind keeps going back over it and reaching for money that is no longer there.

If you have lost control of your gambling, treat the money you lost as gone, make the next bet hard to place, and call a gambling helpline.

This page is for someone who has already lost more than they meant to. If you gamble inside a limit and it is fine, the page you want is Set the loss before you go, and ban yourself if it breaks. If it is someone else’s gambling that is hurting you, the last section is for you.

Treat the loss as gone

Some people say the core trap is trying to win the money back, and their advice is to accept that it is gone and not to bet to recover it. One person warns that small wins can be more dangerous than losses, because a win rewards the habit. One person says that when racing thoughts come, doing nothing is better than acting on them, and one says the racing thoughts and the regret were part of the cycle and eased with outside help.

One person suggests a small written habit: write down the trigger, the bet and how you felt straight afterwards, then read the entry back when the next urge comes.

Make the next bet hard to place

The aim is to put time and effort between the urge and the bet. Here is what some people suggest, and what the official sources say.

Block yourself from the sites and apps. Some people say self-exclusion from every gambling site and app is the first step. In Great Britain, the NHS recommends signing up to GAMSTOP, a free national scheme that blocks you from gambling websites and apps for 6 months, 1 year or 5 years. In the US there is no single national scheme: self-exclusion is mostly run state by state, so search your state’s gaming board for “self-exclusion”, or ask the national helpline at the end of this page to point you to it. Some people warn that self-exclusion is not enough on its own, because the mind keeps racing with excuses, and because gambling ads and chances are everywhere.

Add friction around the money. Some people suggest handing control of the money to someone you trust, or keeping accounts that you cannot get into yourself. One person suggests telling a trusted person so that they can see what you spend. This only works if the other person agrees, and this page does not cover the legal side of shared accounts. Some people also note that a betting app takes away the moment of handing over cash, which makes it easier to lose track. One person suggests freezing cards and limiting cash, one suggests deleting the apps, and one suggests swapping a smartphone for a basic phone. One person suggests turning off casino notifications and emails.

Some people say not to pay for bets with a credit card, and not to borrow to cover a loss. Some people warn against loans to cover gambling losses, and one specifically against payday loans. One person warns that a card deposit can trigger cash-advance rates and fees. In the US, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau says card issuers that allow betting largely treat it as a cash advance, with most charging a fee of the greater of 10 dollars or 5 percent, interest from the day of the transaction, and 30 percent a year the most common rate in the agreements it reviewed, even if you normally pay the card off in full.

Watch the moments that tip you. One person warns that betting while tired, bored or after drinking is high risk. Some people say not following sport takes away the cue to bet. One person says the real enemy is boredom plus the triggers, and suggests filling the time with the gym or learning something. Some people warn that some substitutes can keep the same pull alive: one says fake-money casino games might maintain the pattern, and one says gambling streams may keep the fixation going.

Change the sentence you say about yourself. Some people suggest moving from “someone who gambles sometimes” to “a non-gambler”, and say that makes refusing automatic, not a daily negotiation, in the way it can with quitting smoking.

Knowing the odds helps some people and not others

Some people say learning how the odds work, and that the house comes out ahead over time, took the appeal away. One person warns that for people whose gambling is driven by mental health struggles or desperation, the maths does not change the urge, and describes explaining it to a relative without effect. One person says some people’s brains react so strongly to the reward that they cannot just walk away. So the odds are worth knowing, but they are not the plan.

Get help that is more than willpower

Some people say to seek help from Gamblers Anonymous, a therapist or a psychiatrist rather than relying on willpower alone, and some say that self-help and financial advice are not enough. One person adds a doctor and a trusted person who keeps watch over your money to the list, and one says medication may also be needed, which is a question for a doctor. One person says internet advice is not enough, and that a GP or a helpline is the better first call. Nothing here is a reason to start or stop a medicine yourself.

The free, confidential helplines are open at any hour. In the US, the National Problem Gambling Helpline is 1-800-MY-RESET (1-800-697-3738), by call, text or online chat. In Great Britain, the National Gambling Helpline run by GamCare is 0808 8020 133, by phone, web chat or WhatsApp. The NHS in England says you can self-refer to a gambling clinic near you, or ask a GP about services in your area; the clinics have psychiatrists and psychologists who can treat you if gambling is causing problems.

Tell someone

Some people say that telling family, even though you fear their anger, is part of rebuilding trust. One person says it is hard to talk about at all when betting is normal among the people around you, and that shame makes it harder. If telling someone is not safe or you cannot yet, the helpline is a person you can tell first, and it is private.

Some people push back on shaming. They say anyone can develop an addiction, whatever their intelligence or intent, and that empathy helps more than blame.

The money afterwards

Some people suggest a written plan for paying the debt down, with a small cash cushion so that you are not pushed to borrow again. Some people warn, as above, against loans taken to cover gambling losses. A free debt adviser can look at the whole picture before you borrow anything: in the US, the National Foundation for Credit Counseling (a nonprofit), and in the UK National Debtline or MoneyHelper. This page does not cover disputing gambling charges or bankruptcy.

Who this page is not for

If you gamble within a limit and it is fine, this is not your page. Set the loss before you go is.

If the person gambling is a parent, a partner or someone else, the helplines above also support people affected by someone else’s gambling, and the NHS lists GamAnon meetings for families. One person wrote about a parent who drained shared accounts, and people who replied advised them to open accounts at a bank the parent had no tie to and to freeze their credit. One person warns that internet advice on joint accounts is unreliable because the rules vary by place, so ask a lawyer or a free legal advice service about your own.

If the loss has left you in danger or thinking of ending your life, the numbers at the top of this page come first: 988 in the US, 116 123 (Samaritans) in the UK, 911 or 999 in an emergency.