Responsible gambling
Gambling should be entertainment, not a way to make money, and only with money you can afford to lose. If it stops feeling like a choice, help is free, confidential, and available any time. This page lists how to recognize a problem and where to get support.
National Problem Gambling Helpline · 24/7
Free, confidential, and available 24 hours a day by phone, text, or online chat. Run by the National Council on Problem Gambling, the helpline routes you to local resources in your state.
Online: 1800myreset.org · The legacy line 1-800-522-4700 remains active.
Signs it may be a problem
No single sign is decisive, but several together are worth taking seriously, whether in yourself or someone close to you.
- Chasing lossesBetting more to win back what you have lost.
- Spending more than plannedGoing over the time or money you set aside, repeatedly.
- Hiding itLying to family or friends about how much you gamble.
- Borrowing to gambleUsing money meant for bills, or borrowing to keep going.
- RestlessnessFeeling anxious or irritable when trying to cut back.
- It is no longer funGambling to escape, or feeling unable to stop.
How to get help
The fastest step is the national helpline above, which is free and confidential and connects you to resources in your own state. Beyond that, two routes help many people: self-exclusion programs, which let you bar yourself from casinos or online play for a set period, and peer support groups.
Most states with casinos run a voluntary self-exclusion program through their gaming regulator, and individual casinos honor it. If you want to set limits before play, ask the casino about deposit, time, and loss limits at the cage or player services.
Support organizations
A note on numbers The national helpline operated by the NCPG is 1-800-MY-RESET (call or text). 1-800-GAMBLER is operated separately and is no longer the national helpline number, so check which line you are calling. We confirm every number and link on a regular schedule.
This is the page that every responsible gambling block across the site links to, so its resources are checked more often than any other. The helpline number, web address, and support organizations were re-verified on 31 May 2026 against the National Council on Problem Gambling, which operates the line. The national number moved to 1-800-MY-RESET in late January 2026; the legacy line 1-800-522-4700 stays active, and 1-800-GAMBLER is now run separately by the Council on Compulsive Gambling of New Jersey and is not the national number. These details are treated as volatile and rechecked on a short cadence.