Gambling harm has its own NHS clinics, its own national helpline and its own NICE guideline. None of it runs through the drug and alcohol services.
In Great Britain, close to 3 adults in every hundred sat in the most serious band in 2024. That band means a score of 8 or more on the Problem Gambling Severity Index.
Source: Gambling Commission: survey 2024
Where the NHS route starts
You can refer yourself to a gambling clinic near you. Or ask a GP what your area has. It is free, and nobody needs to send you.
From 1 April 2026, NHS England took on commissioning for gambling-harm treatment in England. GamCare runs the National Gambling Helpline, which family members can call too.
The national line for anyone harmed by gambling, run by GamCare, with live chat and WhatsApp alongside the phone.
England Specialist NHS gambling clinics across England. You can refer yourself, or ask a GP about services in your area.
Sources: NHS: gambling addiction, NHS England: gambling harms treatment
Why a trained professional matters here
NICE says the talking therapy for gambling needs someone trained in gambling. That is a rule, not a preference.
So the gambling itself belongs with the clinics above. Nobody found here stands in for them.
Source: NICE NG248
What talking support does hold
Gambling rarely arrives alone. The anxiety, the sleeplessness, the shame and the damage at home usually outlast the last bet.
A general therapist or counsellor can work on those with you. Debt has its own free advisers, listed on our money worries page.
If a partner or family member gambles, someone else's addiction is for you.
You might find it useful when
- You have stopped gambling and the feelings underneath have come up
- The urge follows stress, boredom or low mood rather than the money
- Lying about it has damaged the trust in a relationship
- The shame is keeping you from telling anyone at all
- You want to understand the pattern rather than only stop the behaviour
Tell a professional what specialist support you already have. A good one will work alongside it and will say so.
Thanks for your interest. We're not taking on new clients at the moment.
Ready to talk about what sits underneath it?
We ask what matters to you, then find professionals who fit.
- Gambling has taken over and the debt is frightening me
- I keep chasing losses and lying about it
- I have stopped gambling and the feelings underneath are surfacing
- It is costing me my relationship
References
- National Health Service (2026). Gambling addiction. Link
- NHS England (2026). Gambling harms treatment programme. Link
- Gambling Commission (2024). Gambling Survey for Great Britain: annual report 2024, Problem Gambling Severity Index. Link
- National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (2025). Harmful gambling: identification, assessment and management, NG248. Link
