Blog
How to Stop Gambling: Blocking Tools, Self-Exclusion, and Daily Habits That Help
How to stop gambling: block access, protect your money, handle urges and chasing losses, and find free specialist support in your country.
Published:
If you’re working out how to stop gambling, start with barriers: make gambling hard to reach first, then build support around you. That means blocking gambling sites and apps, barring yourself from venues, protecting your money, and getting free specialist help. You don’t have to do it all today: begin with whatever stops the next bet.
Thinking about suicide, or feel you can’t cope with the losses? Please contact your local emergency number or a crisis line now. You’re not alone in feeling this. NICE guidance says gambling harm can be a dominant risk factor for suicidal thoughts and suicide attempts, and that the risk may be highest right after gambling. Free numbers are in “Get help now” at the end of this article.
How to stop gambling: the short answer
Think of stopping in five parts:
- Access: block gambling on your devices and self-exclude.
- Money: block gambling payments and make cash harder to reach.
- Mind: learn how urges and chasing losses work.
- Time: plan what fills the hours gambling took.
- Support: use free helplines, therapy, and groups.
Gambling disorder is a recognized health condition, not a personal failing. The World Health Organization describes three core features: losing control over gambling, gambling taking priority over the rest of life, and carrying on despite the harm.
You don’t need a diagnosis to want to stop. If you bet on sports and aren’t sure where you stand, these signs that sports betting is becoming a problem can help.
Step 1: Block access with a gambling blocker and self-exclusion
Barriers buy you time. GambleAware says blocking software can help reduce unplanned gambling and create space to think more clearly.
Install a gambling blocker on every device
Blockers stop gambling websites and apps from loading. GambleAware lists two. BetBlocker is free and lets you choose how long the block lasts. Gamban has a 7-day free trial, then a paid subscription.
- Put a blocker on your phone, tablet, and computer. One unblocked device is enough for a bet.
- Self-exclude from each betting site or app you use, then delete the apps.
- Unsubscribe from gambling emails and texts. Mute or unfollow betting accounts.
- Remove saved cards from browsers and payment apps.
Self-exclusion schemes by country
Self-exclusion means asking to be barred from gambling for a set time. National schemes cover many companies at once.
| Where | Scheme | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Great Britain | GamStop Online | Sites and apps licensed in Great Britain |
| Great Britain | GamStop Betting Shops | Bookmakers in your area |
| Great Britain | SENSE | Licensed casinos |
| Great Britain | BISES | Licensed bingo venues |
| Australia | BetStop | Licensed online and phone betting |
| United States | State programs | Varies by state |
The UK Gambling Commission lists these free British schemes, plus schemes for arcades. The NHS notes that GamStop lets you block yourself for 6 months, 1 year, or 5 years. Australia’s BetStop register runs from 3 months to a lifetime.
In the US, self-exclusion is run state by state. Researchers at East Carolina University found that names and rules vary, and some states have no statewide option. Check with your state’s gaming regulator.
One gap: self-exclusion covers licensed companies only. BetStop, for example, doesn’t cover sites operating illegally in Australia, so add a device blocker too.
Step 2: Protect your money with a bank gambling block
Many banks can block gambling payments on your card. In the UK, the Gambling Commission lists banks that offer a gambling block, including Barclays, HSBC, Lloyds, Monzo, NatWest, Santander, and Starling. Some, like HSBC, add a cooling-off period: you can lift the block, but gambling payments are still declined until the period ends.
- Turn the block on for every card you have. Look under card controls in your banking app, or ask your bank.
- Pay important bills on payday, before anything else. Automatic payments make this easy.
- Ask someone you trust to help with money for a while, for example by holding spare cards.
- Carry less cash, and don’t borrow to gamble or to cover losses.
Gambling debt help
Debt is easier to face with help. Start by listing what you owe: who, how much, and when it’s due.
In the UK, the NHS points people to National Debtline for help. Elsewhere, look for a free, non-profit debt advice or credit counseling service.
If debt is making you feel hopeless, talk to a helpline or someone you trust today.
Step 3: Understand gambling urges and chasing losses
A few thinking traps make the next bet feel sensible. Naming them makes them easier to spot.
Chasing losses
Chasing means betting again to win back what you lost. The National Council on Problem Gambling lists it as a warning sign of problem gambling. A useful rule: money you’ve lost is gone. The next bet is a new bet, not a way back.
Near-misses
A near-miss is a loss that looks like an almost-win. In a small 2009 lab study using a simple slot machine game, near-misses felt less pleasant than clear losses, yet raised the desire to play. They also activated brain areas that respond to wins.
A near-miss is still a loss. So is a parlay that fails on its last leg.
The gambler’s fallacy
This is the belief that after a run of losses, a win is “due.” But dice, slots, and roulette wheels don’t remember what happened before. A review and meta-analysis found that people with gambling problems score much higher on measures of thinking traps like this one.
Another common trap is the illusion of control: the feeling that skill or a system can beat chance.
When a gambling urge hits
- Name it: “This is an urge. I don’t have to act on it.”
- Put distance between you and the bet. Close the app, leave the venue, or put your phone in another room.
- Wait 10 minutes and do something with your hands or body.
- Text or call someone.
- Play the bet forward. Picture how you’ll feel after losing, not only the moment before.
Urges can cluster around the same moments, such as payday, match days, or late nights alone with your phone. It helps to plan for payday and other high-risk days.
Guardian Angel has Gambling as a preset habit. Insights opens after 7 check-ins, and after a few weeks its By weekday card can mark your Hardest and Easiest weekday. It isn’t a blocker, so keep a blocker from Step 1 on your devices too.
Step 4: Fill the time and the thrill with daily habits
When you quit gambling, the needs it met don’t go away, so plan what fills each gap.
| If gambling gave you | Try this instead |
|---|---|
| Excitement | A sport, a race to train for, or a game with no money on it |
| Escape from stress | A walk, a shower, music, or slow breathing |
| Company | Time with friends and family who don’t gamble |
| Something to do on match day | Watch with people who don’t bet, or skip it for a while |
| Hope of fixing money | A budget, debt advice, and small savings goals |
Start with your riskiest times. If Saturday afternoons were for betting, book something for next Saturday now.
A simple daily routine
- Morning: check that your blocker and bank block are still on. Name today’s risky moment, like payday or a match.
- At that moment: do what you planned instead, ideally with someone.
- Evening: note whether today was a good day or a hard one, and what set off any urges.
- Bedtime: charge your phone outside your bedroom.
Step 5: Get specialist gambling addiction help
A lot of specialist help is free and confidential.
- Helplines: free, confidential gambling helplines can talk things through and point you to local treatment. Numbers are at the end of this article.
- Therapy: cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) helps you change the thoughts and habits behind gambling. NICE recommends group CBT first, usually 8 to 10 sessions, or individual CBT if a group isn’t right for you. A 2023 meta-analysis of 29 trials found CBT reduced gambling by the end of treatment, though it didn’t show a clear benefit at later follow-up.
- Specialist services: in England, NHS gambling clinics accept self-referrals. In the US, the National Council on Problem Gambling describes options from counseling to outpatient and residential programs.
- Mutual-help groups: Gamblers Anonymous holds meetings based on a 12-step approach.
If low mood, anxiety, or hopelessness come with the gambling, tell a doctor or therapist. They’re worth treating in their own right.
Talking to family about your gambling
Shame keeps many people quiet. NICE recognizes that stigma, shame, and fear of disclosure can stop people from talking about gambling and getting help.
Telling one trusted person makes every other step stronger. They can help with money, check in on match days, and notice when you’re struggling.
You could start with: “I’ve been gambling more than I’ve told you. I’m stopping, and I’ve blocked the sites. What would help me most is…”
If money was hidden, you could add: “I’ve lost about [amount]. I’m telling you so we can deal with it together.”
Be ready for hard feelings. Here’s more on how to tell your family you’re quitting and ask for support. If someone you love gambles, you can get support too, through GamAnon or a helpline.
If you slip
A slip doesn’t erase your progress. It shows you where the plan has a gap.
- Stop the session. Don’t try to win back what you just lost.
- If the loss leaves you feeling hopeless or unsafe, call a crisis line or your local emergency number now. Free numbers are at the end of this article.
- Close the gap. Which device, account, or card let the bet through? Block it today.
- Tell your support person or call a helpline.
- Write down what happened in the hours before.
Then read about the difference between a lapse and a relapse, and use what you learned to update your relapse prevention plan. NICE advises services to offer quick re-entry to therapy, so going back for more help is normal.
Frequently asked questions
How do I stop gambling for good?
Use several layers at once: a device blocker, self-exclusion, a bank gambling block, and support from a helpline, therapist, or group. Barriers make gambling hard to reach while you build new habits and deal with the reasons you gambled. A slip along the way doesn’t mean you can’t stop for good.
How do I stop chasing losses?
Treat money you’ve lost as gone, and make it hard to bet again straight away: log out, delete the app, and turn on your bank’s gambling block. Tell someone after a big loss, because the pull to win it back can be strong. If you keep chasing, that’s a clear sign to get specialist help.
Can medication help with gambling addiction?
Therapy, especially CBT, is the main treatment. In England, NICE guidance says a specialist can consider naltrexone if therapy hasn’t worked well enough, or if you keep relapsing after it. This is an off-label use, it isn’t taken alongside opioid medicines, and a doctor decides whether it’s right for you. Certain Parkinson’s treatments and aripiprazole can affect impulse control, so if urges began after a medication change, talk to your doctor before changing anything.
Is there an app to stop gambling?
Two kinds of apps help in different ways. Blocking apps, such as BetBlocker or Gamban, stop gambling sites and apps from loading. Tracking apps count your days without gambling and help you spot patterns, like payday or match-day urges. Using one of each covers both jobs.
Once your blocks are in place, Guardian Angel can count your days without gambling and add up the Money saved on each good day. It’s free to download, and nothing you log leaves your phone.
Get help now
- If you’re in danger or feel physically unwell: call 911 (US) or 999 (UK and Ireland).
- If you’re thinking about suicide or feel overwhelmed: call or text 988 (US), or call Samaritans on 116 123 (UK and Ireland). Both are free, confidential and open 24/7.
- For support with gambling: 1-800-MY-RESET, 1-800-697-3738 (US, call or text); the National Gambling Helpline, 0808 8020 133 (England and Scotland); or the NHS Wales gambling helpline, 0808 281 9265. All are free and open 24/7.
- To block online gambling (UK): sign up to Gamstop, the free national self-exclusion scheme.
- Somewhere else? Find a Helpline lists free, confidential helplines by country.