Treatment and Support for Harmful Gambling
If you are looking for help for your own or someone else’s gambling then the organisations and services listed below can provide free-at-source help.
Our vision is a future where Gambling Harm is seen as a direct Health Issue with treatment and support accessible via the NHS. As such we would recommend that the first port of call should always be your own GP.
Sadly, although the Royal College of General Practitioners is making great strides in educating local practices about the importance of being able to recognise and screen for Harmful Gambling it may be that your own GP is unaware of the resources which are out there. If that is the case then we would suggest you recommend that they make contact with the RCGP to become Harmful Gambling aware and that you instead use the resources listed below.
Treatment Resources
The following resources provide access to clinical Treatment interventions for individuals experiencing harmful gambling.
In keeping with our belief that harmful gambling is a direct health issue and that there should be no barriers to accessing treatment and support we are only listing resources where treatment is either free to access or has minimal cost implications. We do not feel it right to promote private treatment providers.
National Gambling Treatment Services
National Gambling Helpline – 24/7 helpline run by GamCare as part of the National Gambling Support Network (NGSN) – Tel: 0808 802 0133
Gordon Moody Association – Gordon Moody run gender separate Residential based treatment programmes. As the only Tier 4 (residential) provider in the NGSN their services are open to anyone regardless of where they live in Great Britain.
Their residential programmes run over a 14 week period for men, and a 6 week period for women. They also run separate 12 week Retreat & Counselling programmes for men and women which allow individuals to access treatment while maintaining normal life commitments such as full time employment and family support.
NHS Gambling Clinics – NHS England run a number of specialist Gambling Treatment Clinics located around the country.
NHS Primary Care Gambling Service – Although based in London the PCGS provides treatment and referrals throughout Britain and have an excellent record of cooperating with NGSN partners to refer individuals to appropriate treatment providers in their own areas.
Regional Gambling Treatment Services
In addition to the above national providers there is a National Gambling Support Network (NGSN) consisting of many regional addiction and treatment service providers – the following are some of these partner organisations who provide treatment and often additional support services around gambling.
Beacon Counselling Trust – An NGSN treatment provider operating in and around North West England who also provide a range of support services.
ARA – Another regional based NGSN treatment provider, operating in Wales and South West England.
RCA Trust – Scotland’s NGSN regional treatment partner. Although based in Renfrewshire RCA Trust partner with local addiction services throughout Scotland to enable locally accessible treatment.
BreakEven – An NGSN treatment partner based in the South and South-East of England.
NECA – The regional NGSN treatment partner for the North-East of England.
Aquarius – A West Midland’s based NGSN partner.
GamCare – As well as running the National Gambling Helpline (see above) GamCare also provide access to treatment in many areas of Great Britain and are the NGSN treatment partner for the East Midlands. They provide a range of additional support services and are a good starting point for discovering what support is out there.
Gambling Treatment Services offering Women only programmes
Gordon Moody Association – Offer two women only treatment programmes – an intense (6 week) residential treatment in a wonderfully comfortable and welcoming setting, and a twelve week Retreat & Counselling programme which combines two short residential treatment stays (3 and 2 days) with remote counselling and group sessions which can suit many women who feel that they cannot take extended time off from work or family commitments.
Gambling Support Services – Tools and Exclusion Services
Our members fully understand how difficult it can be to stop gambling and that a little extra help from technology can make the difference between sticking to a resolve to stop and drifting back into harmful engagement. The following tools and services can be invaluable in this respect.
Self-Exclusion
GamStop – A self-exclusion service allowing individuals to self-exclude from being able to access any UK based online gambling account. Exclusions can be for between 6 months and 5 years.
Other exclusion services are available, such as for land based gambling, but these tend to be sector specific (e.g. SENSE for Casinos, BACTA for Arcades, Bingo, and self-exclusion from local high street bookmakers).
The link given above for GamStop has further information on these and also on TalkBanStop, a collaboration between GamStop, GamBan, and GamCare.
Blocking Software
In addition to self-exclusion services there are tools which can be loaded onto mobile devices and computers which block users accessing websites providing gambling products. These tools are useful additions to self-exclusion services as they also attempt to cover non-UK regulated gambling websites (“Blackmarket” sites) which self-exclusion cannot do.
GamBan – although not normally free-to-use software GamBan is still the most popular of the blocking software options and often can be provided free-to-use through other treatment and support providers, including through TalkBanStop.
BetBlocker – this is a free-to-use alternative to GamBan and is run as a charity.
Other Technology-led Tools
For individuals who wish to continue to gamble but with the safety net reassurance of limits or safeguards set by themselves then most online gambling operators provide tools to allow this to happen. GLEN’s view is that this should be thought of as a gambling equivalent of wearing seat-belts – a sensible precaution even if you do not anticipate ever having to rely on them – and we would advise anyone wishing to gamble to set their own limits in terms of spend and session length in advance of gambling.
Increasingly, banks and other financial institutions are also offering tools which allow customers to block or limit spend on gambling products (through merchant code classification) while using their products. We would recommend checking with your own bank for access and availability of such tools.
Gambling Support Services – Aftercare and Recovery
EPIC Restart Foundation – A Lived Experience led charity delivering a range of services to those in recovery.
BetKnowMore – Another fabulous Lived Experience inspired organisation. Home of Peer Aid and other programmes such as New Beginnings.
Reframe Coaching – providing training in Recovery Coaching and also providing coaching to those in recovery.
Gambling Support Services offering Women only programmes
Despite women being just as likely as men to be suffering harms through gambling it can often be a daunting prospect to reach out for support in what will often appear to be male dominated sector. The following organisations offer women only safe spaces which can both help to shine light on gender specific or exacerbated harms and also allow participants to address needs created through gambling without unwanted distractions created through being seen as being “exceptions” in mixed gender settings.
Thrivin’ Together – a community space created for “women impacted by gambling harms” and run by the amazing Nadine Ashworth.
New Beginnings – another support service providing a safe space for women affected by gambling harm. Part of another great Lived Experience founded charity, BetKnowMore. New Beginnings is headed up by Susan Cox and Lisa Walker.
Women Empowered – part of the recovery support offered by EPIC Restart Foundation and led by two Lived Experience champions in Jo and Stacy.
Other Lived Experience led Gambling Resources
Gamblers Anonymous – It would be remiss of us to signpost anyone to support for harmful gambling and not to mention the most extensive Lived Experience led support resource out there. Gamblers Anonymous offer in-person support groups throughout the UK on a fellowship model and using the 12 Step approach to abstinence.
Gam Anon – are Gamblers Anonymous’ support network for those impacted by another person’s gambling.
GamLEARN – Another Gambling Harms community offering opportunities and also groundbreaking support for anyone facing criminal actions due to gambling.
Gambling Harm UK – LE founded and raising support and understanding around gambling harms.Support for families of those affected by others’ gambling
GamFam – offering support to family members seeking to support and understand harmful gambling within their loved ones.
Gambling With Lives – offer support to families and individuals impacted by bereavement associated with gambling and visibly active in lobbying for policy level change.
ALERTS – or Affected Lived Experience Research, Treatment & Support – are a group of individuals with Lived Experience of harmful gambling (direct and indirect) who are committed to helping treatment and support providers to improve and maintain the highest possible standards of delivery. They welcome feedback from anyone who has accessed services around Gambling Harms.
There are many other services out there, with more being added each year.
GLEN is committed to creating a comprehensive directory of resources which can be of use to anyone experiencing harms caused through gambling. We understand that there are many local initiatives as well as new national programmes which will not yet be on the above list. We actively encourage individuals with knowledge or experience of accessing helpful resources to let us know of any which they have come across and which are not listed here, particularly where these have strong Lived Experience foundation and involvement.
If you know of any, or are representatives of such, and want these added to this page then please get in contact via: info@glenetwork.org