Supporting someone with a gambling problem

Problem gambling is when someone gambles continuously despite the negative impact it has on their life.

It can be hard to know what to do if someone in your life is a problem gambler, but there are things you can do to support them.

How can I tell if someone is a problem gambler?

It’s not always easy to tell if someone has harmful gambling habits, as many people who gamble hide it from others. Some ways to tell if someone has a problem with gambling are if they:

• Talk a lot about gambling
• Spend more and more money on gambling
• Gamble for the thrill of it
• Lose control over their gambling, spending more than they can afford
• Spending more and more time on gambling and neglecting other parts of their life
• Gamble when they are anxious or stressed
• Can’t admit they have a problem
• Don’t seek help until they have built up a substantial amount of debt

Learn more about the signs that someone has a gambling problem here.

What can I do to help?

If you’re worried about your friend’s gambling, there are things you can do to help.

Talk to them

Approach them and calmly tell them your concerns. Do this somewhere you both feel comfortable, where it will be easier to talk about it. Listen to what they have to say and don’t judge them.

Avoid judgement

Remember, gambling can be an addiction and people need help to overcome gambling. Let your friend know that you don’t judge them and you understand it’s a complicated problem.

Direct them to a service

There are professional services that can help people overcome gambling. You can read about them here.

A Gambler’s Anonymous meeting can be a good place to start. At these meetings, people who gamble can talk to each other in a supportive, non-judgemental environment.

Look after yourself

It can be really tough helping someone who is going through a hard time. Remember there is only so much you can do, and no matter how much you want to help, you can’t do everything. Look after your own mental health, talk to others about how you’re feeling, and do things every day that make you feel good.

There are a number of support services for family and friends of people with harmful gambling habits. These include:

• Gambler’s Anonymous Ireland hold meetings for family and friends of people with gambling problems, giving members the opportunity to listen to and support each other.

Feeling overwhelmed and want to talk to someone?

• Get anonymous support 24/7 with our text message support service
• Connect with a trained volunteer who will listen to you, and help you to move forward feeling better
• Free-text SPUNOUT to 50808 to begin
• Find out more about our text message support service

If you are a customer of the 48 or An Post network or cannot get through using the ‘50808’ short code please text HELLO to 086 1800 280 (standard message rates may apply). Some smaller networks do not support short codes like ‘50808’.