How Gambling Hotlines Provide Help

Everyone has heard of crisis helplines. Well, it may not be fair to say everyone, as these were not available in many underdeveloped countries until the past couple of decades if that. They started in England in the 1950s and have been present in Britain in most major cities since then, making headway globally in the 1970s. Primarily, these free telephone numbers aimed to assist those contemplating suicide. However, over time, they expanded their range of services to include help for victims of bullying, rape, human trafficking, domestic violence, those considering self-harm, runaway children, people who identify as part of the LGBTQ+ community, and so on.

Naturally, given that gambling addiction is considered a mental health disorder, one that can lead to various consequences on a person’s social, psychological, and financial well-being, in the 1960s and 1970s, the UK and the US saw the emergence of helplines aimed to assist those battling drug abuse and alcoholism, offering a private way for such individuals to reach out for help. The American Psychiatric Association, in 1980, officially recognized those qualified as pathological gamblers as people with a mental health condition, and this was entered in the third edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. At this time, on account of a push from the NCPG, or the National Council on Problem Gambling, which was set up in 1972, gambling helplines popped up. By the 1990s, these were also commonplace in Australia and Canada.

For the most part, these lines are funded and run by non-profit organizations, with much of their efforts supported by government bodies. These help by diverting funds to these organizations or providing them with logistical support. In the content that follows, we go more into this subject and how gambling hotlines can be of great service to those who require the help they deliver.

Gambling Addiction & How Do Hotlines Work

Also known as pathological gambling, this is a disorder when a person develops an unhealthy obsession with gambling activities of any kind. These can range from poker, playing slots or lotteries, betting on sports, horse races, and more. Overdoing these activities can put a strain on an individual’s personal and professional relationships. A compulsion means that even if these people have an awareness that what they are doing is causing them great harm, they cannot stop. They get such powerful urges to keep going while knowing how their gambling behavior disrupts their life. They cannot muster up the willpower necessary to stop.

We have never heard of a paid gambling hotline. So, for the most part, these are free numbers anyone can call and whose services are confidential. The latter aspect is essential, as this is what makes them attractive to those in need, along with the fact that they will meet a trained professional on the other end who is non-judgmental. We should point out that at some hotlines, there are also volunteers with some basic training under their belts who are not pro counselors or psychologists. They are only there to lend an ear and provide emotional support.

The focus of those on the hotline side is to act as a crucial intervention point. They try to get gamblers to not escalate their addiction, offering advice on how they can manage their urges. They customarily have scripts or checklists that they run through to figure out how severe the caller’s gambling addiction is, then they refer them to a local support group, a therapist, or a rehab center. Some hotlines have a follow-up service, permitting callers to reestablish contact with their support provider, who will try to ensure they are progressing well in their recovery.

Common Hotline Challenges

Without argument, the main challenge hotlines, in general, face is the stigma that people with any given affliction encounter when it comes to seeking out help. They fear getting judged and made feel as failures. This gets massively heightened when it comes to gambling, as this is an issue that does not get met with the same level of empathy as other problems. Hence, compulsive gamblers often feel shame or guilt, as their critics think that overcoming this issue is only a matter of willpower, which it is not. Problem gamblers experience the same loss of control as alcoholics or drug users, as their brain chemistry gets altered in similar ways to those suffering from these disorders.

Given that hotlines primarily get funded by donations and grants, they have resource limitations. In recent years, things stand better on this front, as governments and regulators have diverted some of their gambling tax revenues toward them. Still, most are understaffed and cannot offer counseling services at the accessibility and quality level that callers deserve.

There is also a dramatic lack of marketing efforts, which has led to insufficient awareness concerning their existence. They also experience low media coverage, and many regions do not even have them. We expect that in the future, regulators will make operators feature them on the gambling hubs, along with easy access to robust sets of responsible gambling tools.

Famous Online Gambling Hotlines

Here is the cool thing about modern gambling hotlines: they do not work primarily as phone assistance. Thanks to the rise of technology, and especially the internet, they can be utilized via alternative communication systems. For example, GamCare, one of the leading UK anti-gambling addiction organizations, has a helpline adviser contactable through WhatsApp at 020 3031 881. They also have a live chat option and a community forum.

In the US, the mentioned National Council on Problem Gambling has the famed phone number 1-800-GAMBLER (1-800-522-4700), to which anyone can text 800GAME for a callback. This is a free and confidential service available to residents of all fifty US states, offering support in English and Spanish. It features trained counselors and robust educational materials for those who ask for them. The Gamblers Anonymous fellowship also has online resources and phone numbers that vary by location.

For international gamblers, Gordon Moody’s Gamblingtherapy.org is a global free service for emotional support and advice, which also has a peer support forum and chapters in multiple countries around the globe, each with a distinct phone number for help for gamblers from that territory. For instance, the one for Slovenian gamblers is +386 31 734 728. We should note that Gordon Moody was a British charity founder and reverend who created a hostel in South London at the start of the 1970s that he used as a safe space for those who are struggling with addiction to gambling.

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