The national helpline
The National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG) operates the National Problem Gambling Helpline. Its site lists 1-800-MY-RESET (1-800-697-3738) for calls, a text line at 1-800-MY-RESET or 1-800-522-4700, and an online chat. The helpline describes its call, text and chat services as available "24/7/365."
According to the NCPG, trained professionals who specialize in gambling-related issues answer, and contact is confidential: a caller's identity is "not disclosed without your consent," and callers are not required to give personal information to get resources. Calls may be monitored or recorded for quality assurance. Translation is available in more than 240 languages. Calls are routed by area code to a local contact center, so a caller may be asked for a location.
The helpline is not an emergency service. For a crisis, the NCPG says to call 911 or 988.
Pennsylvania's Responsible Play site, run by the state's Gaming Control Board, lists a different set of contacts for the same purpose: call 1-800-GAMBLER, text 800GAM, or use an online chat. The NCPG says its helpline connects callers with help in their state.
What the NCPG offers through the helpline
The NCPG's description of the helpline lists the following:
- information about problem gambling, including its signs
- referrals to local or national therapists, counselors and support groups
- information on treatment options such as counseling, therapy, peer support and residential programs
- guidance on self-exclusion from gambling venues and online sites, where available
- financial counseling for gambling-related money problems
- resources for affected family members
No payment or insurance details are required, according to the page, though a carrier may charge standard text or data rates.
How the NCPG defines problem gambling
The NCPG's FAQ defines problem gambling as "gambling behavior that is damaging to a person or their family," and describes it as "an emotional problem that has financial and other consequences." It notes that the condition is sometimes called gambling addiction or gambling disorder, and that "gambling disorder is a recognized mental health diagnosis."
The definition turns on the damage the behavior does to a person or their family, not on the kind of site or the license behind it.
Self-exclusion
Self-exclusion is a voluntary program in which a person asks to be barred from gambling. Licensed states run programs, and the rules differ. Two official pages show how.
New Jersey. The Division of Gaming Enforcement's FAQ says the program began in 2001 for Atlantic City casinos and expanded in 2013 to internet gaming. Placement is "entirely voluntary and must be done by the individual seeking exclusion", so a family member cannot enroll someone else. For internet gaming and online sports wagering, the Division describes four ways to enroll. Two are by appointment, by phone at 1-833-788-4DGE, in person or by video conference, with terms of one year, five years or lifetime. The others are online, through the Division's portal or through an online player account, with terms of one or five years. A person caught gambling while excluded forfeits winnings and related account funds, and sites refuse wagers.
Pennsylvania. The Gaming Control Board runs separate programs for casinos, iGaming, video gaming terminals and fantasy contests. Enrollment is online and uses identity verification. An iGaming exclusion ends when the chosen period ends unless the person extends it, lifetime bans exist and cannot be changed, and the Board's FAQ says online requests for early removal from iGaming exclusion are denied. A person who has trouble enrolling can call the Board's Office of Compulsive and Problem Gambling at 717-346-8300, Monday to Friday, 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Both states note that licensees may add stricter rules of their own, and Pennsylvania's FAQ says operators may bar enrolled people from venues in and outside the state.
Sweepstakes casinos and the same harm
Self-exclusion programs run through licensed operators. The state pages we read describe lists of licensed gaming sites and say nothing about sweepstakes casinos, which hold no state gambling license (see the sweepstakes register and how they work). Because the NCPG definition looks at damage rather than license status, the helpline's services are described for gambling-related issues in general. Anyone who feels spending or time on a sweepstakes site has become a problem can use the same helpline.
When someone else is the worry
The NCPG says family members and loved ones can contact the helpline too, for support for the person with the gambling problem and for themselves. Its list of services includes resources for affected family members and financial counseling. Pennsylvania's Responsible Play site likewise tells a concerned friend or family member to use the same call, chat or text options.
Self-exclusion works differently: the New Jersey FAQ states that the request has to come from the person who wants to be excluded.
Frequently asked questions
Is the helpline only for people who gamble?
No. The NCPG says family members and loved ones can use it, and it lists family resources among its services.
Does contacting the helpline commit a person to anything?
The NCPG describes the helpline as providing information, referrals and options, and says it asks for no payment or insurance information. Whether to enroll in self-exclusion or treatment is a separate step the person takes.
Can self-exclusion be undone early?
Not in the cases above. New Jersey says a person cannot ask for removal until the chosen minimum period ends, and Pennsylvania says online early removal requests for iGaming are denied. The state's own FAQ has the current rules.