Responsible Play
Gambling should be entertainment, not income, not stress relief, and not a way to chase past losses.
Warning Signs
Stop and seek help if you find yourself:
- Spending more than your entertainment budget allows
- Chasing losses with bigger deposits
- Hiding gambling activity from family or partner
- Gambling longer than you intended each session
- Feeling anxious, depressed, or restless when not gambling
- Borrowing money to fund deposits
Free Help, 24/7
- National Council on Problem Gambling helpline: 1-800-GAMBLER (1-800-426-2537)
- Text: "GAMBLE" to 800-522-4700
- Live chat: ncpgambling.org
- All three are free, confidential, and staffed by trained counselors
Self-Exclusion Tools
Every legitimate online casino offers self-exclusion. Look for "Responsible Gambling" or "Account Limits" in your operator account settings:
- Deposit limit — cap how much you can fund per day/week/month
- Session timer — auto-logout after N minutes
- Loss limit — auto-pause after a set dollar loss
- Cooling-off period — 24-hour to 6-week account freeze
- Permanent self-exclusion — multi-year or lifetime lockout
For Family Members
Gam-Anon (gam-anon.org) provides free support meetings for spouses, partners, and family of problem gamblers. In-person and online meetings available nationwide.
Bankruptcy and Legal Support
If gambling has led to financial crisis, the National Foundation for Credit Counseling (nfcc.org) offers free credit counseling and debt management plans. Operator winnings cannot be garnished, but operator losses can lead to credit-card debt — get help before it escalates.
If you or someone you know is in immediate distress, call or text 988 (Suicide & Crisis Lifeline).