Written by: THE BALANCE
Medically reviewed by Dr. Sarah Boss, MD
Last updated: January 20, 2026
Fact checked
Quick Summary
  • Gambling is usually considered socially acceptable behavior when done in moderation.
  • However, when you cannot control your impulse to gamble, despite hurting yourself or a loved one, it may become a gambling addiction.
  • Gambling is potentially the most expensive of all types of addictions from a financial aspect.
Reading time: 8 min

Gambling is usually considered socially acceptable behavior when done in moderation. However, when you cannot control your impulse to gamble, despite hurting yourself or a loved one, it may become a gambling addiction.

Gambling is potentially the most expensive of all types of addictions from a financial aspect. It may force you to lose everything with just one unlucky spin of the roulette wheel, leaving you and your loved ones in the middle of a financial crisis. Unfortunately, the problem is on the rise in the current era, with more than 2 million people in the UK addicted to gambling. However, effective gambling therapy and addiction treatment at a professional rehab can overcome this dependency and live a new life free from it.

Finding a rehab that offers the best gambling addiction help UK can be extremely challenging and daunting for many. This article discusses everything you need to know about gambling addiction, how to recognize it, and the types of help available to overcome it.

Gambling addiction is often associated with several red flags that aren’t always easy to detect. Catching this problem becomes particularly difficult if the gambler denies it. For most families, the earliest sign of a member being addicted to gambling is a massive loss of a large sum of money. However, several other characters are there to watch out for that can identify the problem in time before it leads to serious damage. 

Contrary to the occasional recreational gamblers, the problem gamblers can display the following behaviours:

  • Giving up most favorite recreational activities, hobbies, or family events to gamble
  • Having large sums of cash which suddenly disappear
  • Opening new checking accounts or getting new credit cards without any apparent need for money
  • Acting defensive or secretive about the gambling activities
  • Losing control over how much money gets wagered in a given session of gambling
  • Facing difficulties at work or experiencing conflicts in relationships due to gambling
  • Placing increasingly big bets or taking very dangerous risks (for example, stealing money from others to gamble)
  • Trying to stop gambling with no success
  • Expressing shame, remorse, or guilt about the gambling addiction yet being unable to quit
  • Lying about spending habits
  • Borrowing a lot of money from family members or friends without any apparent need for cash

In addition to the monetary signs of gambling, a problem gambler may develop the following psychological issues:

  • Depression
  • Insomnia
  • Anxiety
  • Substance abuse
  • Issues of the stomach and heart

Despite being a serious problem, gambling addiction can be treated with a combination of therapeutic programmes, supportive psychosocial services, and recovery sources. These therapies and services are commonly available at a gambling clinic through trained professionals who specialise in addressing compulsive gambling, with or without any co-occurring substance abuse problem.

The treatment may occur in an outpatient rehab center that offers high autonomy and greater flexibility to clients or in an inpatient facility where care and support are provided round the clock. An admission assessment is necessary to determine the level of care that best suits each client and the types of therapies that can prove the most beneficial for them.

Some core therapies that are routinely included in a gambling recovery program include the following:

Individual Therapy

This involves working one-on-one with a therapist to strengthen the will to stop gambling. The therapist also helps clients identify the triggers and faulty coping strategies that might have led to this addiction in the first place. This is followed by supporting clients to acquire new, more effective ways to deal with these triggers. Therapy experts also incorporate various modalities like motivational interviewing in individual therapy sessions.

Group Therapy

Group therapy sessions allow the problem gamblers to develop a network of their own consisting of supportive peers attempting to overcome the same issues. In group therapy, all members are able to exchange personal experiences, discuss coping strategies, and express their hopes for the future. Programs like Gamblers Anonymous form an essential component of the recovery plan.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is an evidence-based treatment modality used by experts to address the self-defeating behaviours and thoughts that often lead to problem gambling. This therapy is particularly useful to correct delusional thinking related to gambling addiction, for example, the false belief that one can win despite experiencing repeated losses.

Family/Couples Counseling

In a contemporary therapeutic setting, addiction of any sort is often viewed as a problem that not only affects one isolated individual but their entire family. Consequently, the family must be considered a unit throughout the treatment process for better outcomes. For this purpose, most rehabs offering help with gambling addiction have formulated family or couples counseling sessions to enhance the chances of recovery. These sessions create a more supportive home environment for the addict that helps them practice sobriety and live a life free from gambling for a long time. This type of therapy also helps strengthen the relationship, re-establish trust, and define boundaries between different family members

Detoxification

For many clients, a detox during the initial stages of treatment might be essential. This is particularly true if the client suffers from active alcohol or drug problem in addition to their gambling addiction. The detox usually takes place in an inpatient setting under trained professionals so that everything can be dealt with in a safe environment.

Once the treatment process for gambling addiction and all concurring issues is over, clients are moved from inpatient care to outpatient treatment or from outpatient care to an independent life in the community. Most rehabs usually provide aftercare programmes to help with long-term abstinence.

If you have a reason to believe that you or a loved one might be suffering from a gambling addiction, now is the time to seek help. There is no need to spend another day struggling with this harmful habit when there are countless treatment facilities in the UK equipped to help overcome these addictions. Contact us now to book an initial assessment and plan a treatment program today.

FAQs

How does gambling addiction begin?
Similar to substance abuse, people often start gambling as a way to cope with various factors in life. These factors include:
An escape from boredom, stress, or pressure
Relief from feelings of emptiness, loneliness, and sadness
A way out of abusive relationships
As a substitute for another addiction
Are there different phases of gambling addiction?
While most people begin gambling as a way to escape or cope with stressful situations, the habit can grow into full-fledged addiction if care is not taken. For a lot of clients who join a gamblers rehab, this addiction consists of various cyclical phases, including:
Winning phase in which an individual enjoys the “high” associated with winning
Losing phase in which the winning stops leads to the loss of gains
Desperation in which the reality of the financial repercussions related to excessive gambling begins to set in
Hopelessness in which high levels of desperation lead to abject despair
 What is the difference between recreational gambling and problem gambling?
Most people who gamble do it occasionally for fun. They know that they are more likely to lose; if they ever win, it is pure luck. In other words, such people view gambling for what it is: a game of chance.
 
Problem gamblers, on the other hand, believe that they possess the ability to forecast the outcomes of a game. Such people firmly believe that a big win can help them solve all their problems and consider themselves worthy and deserving to win. Another common feature of problem gamblers is that they spend way more time on this addiction than they can afford to lose. Gamily no longer remains a source of entertainment for them and easily replaces all other interests in life. Betting becomes a compulsion for these people, and they always find themselves preoccupied with the next bet to earn money. Due to constant lies, arguments, and denial, problem gamblers often face family issues, get depressed and may develop feelings of guilt and shame.
Do I need gambling addiction help?
While it may sound cliché to you, if you feel like you have a gambling addiction, joining a gambling rehab will likely benefit you. If you are still confused about seeking help or not, ask yourself the following questions to get some clarity:
 
Am I in debt because of my gambling problem?
Is gambling affecting my academics or work life?
Have I committed a crime just to get funds to gamble?
Do I lie about the scale and frequency of my gambling habit?
Am I obsessed with gambling?
Do I gamble with increasingly high stakes just to enjoy the same excitement and thrill?
Do I get irritable if I cannot gamble for some reason?
Is my habit of gambling threatening my relationships?
Do I gamble to escape the problems and unpleasant aspects of life?
 
If the answer to the questions mentioned above is yes, it is imperative to start searching for help to stop your habit immediately. Fortunately, there are different options for rehab providing gambling help UK for a better and addiction-free life.

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