How to Take Control of Gambling
Practical ways to handle urges, protect your money and keep going after a setback.
Blocking yourself from gambling is a strong start, but most people also want to understand what is going on underneath: why the urge feels so powerful, what sets it off and how to get through the hard moments. This guide brings together practical self-help ideas that many people find useful. It is general information, not treatment, and it is most useful alongside real support such as the National Gambling Helpline on 0808 8020 133 or, in England, an NHS gambling clinic.
Gamstop Guide is an independent self-help resource. We are not GAMSTOP, a charity or a treatment provider, and nothing here replaces advice from a GP or a specialist service.
Understanding urges
An urge to gamble can feel like an order that has to be obeyed straight away. In reality, urges behave more like waves. They build, they peak and then they fade, often within 20 to 30 minutes if you do not act on them. Each time you let an urge pass without gambling, it tends to get a little easier next time.
Urges are often wrapped in convincing thoughts. These are some of the most common:
- “I’m due a win.” Each bet is independent. Losing streaks do not make a win more likely.
- “I’ll just win back what I lost.” Chasing losses is one of the clearest signs that gambling is in charge. It usually makes losses bigger.
- “I’ve got a system.” Gambling products are designed so that, over time, the operator comes out ahead.
- “Just one bet won’t hurt.” For many people, one bet is what reopens the door.
- “I’ve already ruined today, so I might as well carry on.” Stopping now always leaves you better off than stopping later.
Spotting these thoughts and naming them, even just in your head, can take away some of their power. You might say to yourself: “That’s the gambling talking, not me.”
Finding your triggers
Triggers are the situations, feelings and times of day that make gambling more likely. They are different for everyone, which is why it helps to find your own. For a week or two, try noting down each time you feel the urge to gamble: when it was, where you were, who you were with and how you were feeling.
| Common trigger | Why it matters | An idea to try |
|---|---|---|
| Payday | Money feels available and plentiful | Pay bills and savings automatically on payday, before you can spend |
| Late nights alone | Boredom, tiredness and no one around to notice | Plan an evening routine and charge your phone outside the bedroom |
| Big sporting events | Betting is woven into how matches are shown and talked about | Watch with people who know you are stopping, or skip the pre-match build-up |
| Stress, anger or low mood | Gambling becomes a way to escape difficult feelings | Have two or three other ways to cope ready, such as a walk, a call or exercise |
| Alcohol | Drinking lowers your guard and weakens plans | Cut down, or keep blocks in place before you go out |
| Gambling adverts and messages | A message can arrive just when you are most vulnerable | Unsubscribe, mute gambling accounts and change your ad settings |
| A win or a near miss | Feels like proof that the next win is close | Remind yourself that the overall result is what counts |
Once you know your main triggers, you can plan for them in advance rather than trying to resist them in the moment, which is much harder.
Getting through an urge
When an urge arrives, having a short plan ready makes a big difference. Here is a simple routine many people use. You can adapt it to suit you.
- Pause. Tell yourself you will not decide anything for the next 30 minutes. You are not saying never, just not now.
- Change your surroundings. Stand up, leave the room, go outside or put the phone in another room.
- Talk to someone. Ring or message a friend, or call the National Gambling Helpline on 0808 8020 133. You do not have to explain everything.
- Think it through to the end. Picture the whole story, not just the win: how you would feel tomorrow, and what you would have to hide.
- Do something absorbing. Exercise, cooking, a game that does not involve money, a shower or a film can carry you past the peak.
- Notice that it passed. Each urge you get through is evidence that you can do it again.
Thinking techniques that can help
Some of the ideas above come from cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), a talking therapy often used for gambling problems. Proper CBT is delivered by a trained therapist, for example through NHS gambling services, but some of its general principles can be useful to know about on your own:
- Thoughts, feelings and actions are linked. Changing how you respond to a thought can change what you do next.
- Write down the thought. Seeing “I’ll win it back tonight” written down often makes it look less convincing.
- Look for the evidence. Ask yourself what has actually happened the last few times you followed that thought.
- Prepare a balanced response. For example: “I have lost more each time I tried to win it back. Stopping now protects what I have left.”
- Keep a simple diary. Recording urges, triggers and what helped builds a picture of your own patterns over time.
If these ideas help, it may be worth asking about structured therapy. In England, the NHS says you can refer yourself to a gambling clinic, and the National Gambling Helpline can explain what is available where you live.
Putting money controls in place
Money is the fuel for gambling, so putting distance between you and easy cash is one of the most effective things you can do. Not every step suits everyone, so pick the ones that fit your life.
| Control | How it helps |
|---|---|
| Bank gambling block | Stops card payments coded as gambling, on every card where it is switched on |
| Bills and savings paid on payday | Leaves less spare money sitting in your account |
| A separate everyday account | Keep only what you need for the week on the card you carry |
| Removing saved card details | Makes a quick deposit harder in a weak moment |
| Avoiding new credit | Credit cards cannot be used for gambling with licensed operators, but loans and overdrafts can still feed it |
| A trusted person to help with money | For a while, someone else can check statements or hold cards if you both agree |
If debts have built up, free advice from StepChange or Citizens Advice can help you work out where to start. You will find their details in our guide to gambling support services in the UK.
Talking to family and friends
Telling someone close to you can feel frightening, especially if you have been hiding gambling or money problems. Many people say that once it was out in the open, a huge weight lifted. A few things can make the conversation easier:
- Choose your moment. Pick a calm time when neither of you is rushed, tired or drinking.
- Be honest about the size of it. Half the story tends to come out later and can hurt trust more.
- Say what you are doing about it. Explaining the blocks and support you have in place shows you are taking it seriously.
- Say what would help. That might be checking in with you, helping with money for a while or just listening.
- Give them time. They may feel shocked, hurt or angry at first. That is normal, and it usually settles.
Family and friends can get support in their own right too. The National Gambling Helpline takes calls from people affected by someone else’s gambling, and GamFam and Gam-Anon run groups for them.
Filling the space gambling leaves
Gambling often fills a lot of time and offers excitement, escape or a sense of hope. When it stops, that space can feel empty and the urge can rush back in. Planning what will fill it is part of recovery, not an extra.
- Plan activities for the times you used to gamble, especially evenings and weekends
- Try something physical, such as walking, running, swimming or the gym
- Reconnect with people and hobbies you have drifted away from
- Set small goals with the money you are no longer losing, and track your progress
- Look after sleep, food and drink, which all affect how strong urges feel
What to do after a relapse
Many people who stop gambling have a slip at some point. It does not mean you have failed or that the work you have done was wasted. What matters most is what happens next.
- Stop and stay safe. Do not try to win back what you have just lost. That is the moment losses tend to grow fastest.
- Be kind to yourself. Shame pushes people back towards gambling. Treat yourself as you would treat a friend in the same position.
- Work out what happened. Which trigger was it? Which block was missing or got around?
- Close the gap. Add or extend the block that failed, whether that is GAMSTOP, a bank block or blocking software.
- Tell someone. Talk to the helpline, your support group or the person you trust.
- Get back to your plan. Pick up your routine from today, not from Monday or next month.
If you are in crisis. Gambling problems can bring very dark feelings, especially when debts feel overwhelming. If you are struggling to cope, call Samaritans free on 116 123 at any time. If you feel you might act on thoughts of harming yourself, call 999 or go to A&E. Debts can be dealt with, and help is available.
Keeping the blocks in place
Self-help is stronger with practical barriers behind it. If you have not done so yet, our guide on how to block gambling explains every route step by step, from GAMSTOP registration at gamstop.co.uk to bank blocks and blocking software. If you are unsure whether a website is licensed in Great Britain and covered by GAMSTOP, our UKGC licensed operator register explains how to check.
Need to talk to someone now?
Call the National Gambling Helpline, run by GamCare, free on 0808 8020 133 at any time of day or night, or use live chat at gamcare.org.uk. To block yourself from every gambling website and app licensed in Great Britain, register with the official national scheme at gamstop.co.uk. If you feel unable to keep yourself safe, call Samaritans free on 116 123, or call 999 in an emergency.