Am I Addicted to Gambling?
The fact that you're asking means something. Most people who gamble recreationally never wonder about it.
This isn't a quiz that spits out a label. It's an honest look at the signs that separate recreational gambling from something more.
Take the self-assessment
9 questions · no account needed · completely private
It's a spectrum, not a switch
Problem gambling isn't an on/off switch. Most of the harm happens in the middle — the gray zone where you're still functional but something has shifted.
No risk
You stop when planned
Low risk
Minor lapses in control
Moderate
Chasing losses, lying, escaping
Problem
Can't stop when you want to
The behavioral signs
You don't need to check every box. If several feel familiar, that's significant.
Chasing losses
Losing money and immediately depositing more to win it back. The urgency is the tell.
Increasing stakes
$10 bets used to be exciting. Now you need $100 for the same feeling. This is tolerance.
Lying about gambling
People don't lie about things that aren't a problem. The lie itself is the evidence.
Failed attempts to stop
The need to set a limit is a signal. The inability to follow through is a louder one.
Spending what you can't afford
Rent money. Grocery money. Credit cards. If you've used money meant for something else, that's a clear signal.
The emotional signs
These are often what drives people to search "am I addicted?" at 1 AM.
Anxiety between bets
A restless, itchy feeling when you're not gambling. It's become what makes you feel normal.
Relief, not excitement
Not the thrill — the settling. When gambling becomes self-medication, the function has changed.
Preoccupation
Thinking about gambling when you're not gambling. The mental space it occupies keeps expanding.
The guilt cycle
Urge
Bet
Relief
Guilt
Repeat
The guilt feeds the anxiety. The anxiety feeds the urge. It accelerates.
Where do you stand?
The Problem Gambling Severity Index (PGSI) is one of the most validated screening tools worldwide. Think about the last 12 months.
Non-problem
Gambling is not causing harm
Low risk
Minor issues — worth monitoring
Moderate risk
Leading to negative consequences
Problem gambling
Significant harm, difficulty controlling
What you can do
Not what you should do — what's available to you.
Talk to someone
The National Problem Gambling Helpline: 1-800-522-4700 — 24/7, free. You don't have to be in crisis.
Set a concrete limit
Not 'I'll bet less.' A real number, enforced by the platform's deposit limit tools.
Take a break
24 hours, 7 days, or 30 days. If a 30-day break feels scary, that tells you something.
Build barriers
Delete apps. Block sites. Every piece of friction gives your rational brain time to catch up.
Asking this question takes courage. Most people never ask. They rationalize. They wait until consequences force the issue.
You're asking before the worst has happened. Hold onto that.
Sources
- Ferris, J., & Wynne, H. (2001). The Canadian Problem Gambling Index. Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse.
- National Council on Problem Gambling. (2023). Problem Gambling Prevalence and Risk Factors.
- American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5th ed.). Gambling Disorder.
- Blaszczynski, A., & Nower, L. (2002). A pathways model of problem and pathological gambling. Addiction, 97(5), 487–499.
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