Possible signs of gambling harm include spending more than is affordable, increasing amounts, chasing losses, borrowing, hiding activity, stress or anxiety, guilt, financial problems, criticism or conflict, and difficulty stopping. The NHS gambling-harm guide uses questions across these areas and notes that even lower scores can indicate a negative impact. A web page cannot diagnose gambling disorder.
Signs can appear in several areas
| Area | Examples to take seriously |
|---|---|
| Money | Unaffordable spending, borrowing, missed bills, debt, hidden transactions, or repeated deposits |
| Behaviour | Chasing losses, increasing amounts, failed attempts to stop, bypassing limits, or persistent checking |
| Mental and physical health | Stress, anxiety, low mood, guilt, sleep loss, or neglect linked to gambling |
| Work or study | Lost time, reduced concentration, absence, or performance effects |
| Relationships | Secrecy, criticism, conflict, broken agreements, or financial effects on others |
| Safety | Suicidal thoughts, self-harm, inability to stay safe, or an immediate crisis |
This is not a scoring table. Do not count reassuring rows against a serious signal. One material effect can justify stopping and seeking help.
What official guidance says
The NHS guide asks about affordability, increasing amounts, chasing, borrowing, stress or anxiety, criticism, financial problems, and guilt. It states that a score from 1 to 7 may still indicate a negative impact and a score of 8 or more suggests likely harm. Those screening questions are a route to support, not a diagnosis from this page.
NICE's gambling-related harms guidance covers identification, assessment, treatment, relapse, and support for families and others affected. Qualified services can assess individual circumstances and co-occurring needs.
Take action now
- Stop the current gambling session and do not make a recovery transaction.
- Protect essential money and ask the bank about gambling-payment blocks.
- Use operator restrictions, blocking software, and self-exclusion.
- Remove promotions, saved payment routes, and gambling-related notifications.
- Tell a trusted person or qualified service what is happening.
- Contact GamCare or NHS treatment services.
- Use urgent or emergency help if safety is at risk.
GamCare offers free confidential support for people affected by their own or someone else's gambling through the National Gambling Helpline on 0808 8020 133, 24 hours a day.
The NHS clinic information describes self-referral to specialist services in England. Ask a GP about local services elsewhere. The Gambling Commission separately lists 0808 2819 265 for gambling support in Wales, free at any time.
Urgent mental-health help
In England, the NHS advises calling 111 and selecting the mental-health option or asking for an urgent GP appointment when urgent help is needed. Call 999 or go to A&E if someone cannot keep themselves or another person safe. Samaritans can be reached on 116 123.
Next step
Use Responsible Gambling Guide for the next part of this topic.
Continue learning
- Next guide: Social Pressure in Betting
- Related guide: When a Betting Losing Streak Affects Mental Health
Assumptions and limitations
This page is not a diagnostic instrument or clinical assessment. Signs can have more than one cause, and some harm may be hidden or noticed first by another person. Service details were rechecked on 12 October 2026 and can change; official NHS, NICE, and GamCare information governs.
NICE NG248 is cited for the published scope of its recommendations, which was checked on its overview page during this review. Current support contacts and urgent actions were checked against the accessible official services above.
GambleAware
GamCare
Gambling Therapy
GAMSTOP