Curated by topic
Free Resources
Every resource here is free or low-cost, nonprofit-run, or otherwise genuinely useful. No affiliate relationships in this section — just the best places to go. Updated regularly.
Immediate Help (Helplines)
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Phone
NCPG National Problem Gambling Helpline — 1-800-522-4700
Free, confidential, 24/7. Connects callers to local gambling treatment resources, financial counselors, and crisis support. The first call most people make.
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Phone
988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline — Call or text 988
Free, 24/7. Gambling harm carries real mental health weight. If you're having thoughts of self-harm, please call. Also available via online chat.
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Phone
SAMHSA National Helpline — 1-800-662-4357
Free, confidential, 24/7 treatment referral service for mental and substance use disorders.
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Phone
Crisis Text Line — Text HOME to 741741
Free 24/7 text-based crisis support. Text HOME to 741741 from anywhere in the USA.
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Free Financial Help
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Free
GamFin
Free financial counseling specifically for gambling-related financial distress. Works with certified financial counselors who understand this specific situation.
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Free
NFCC (National Foundation for Credit Counseling)
Free and low-cost nonprofit credit counseling. Debt management plans, creditor negotiation, and budgeting support.
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Free
GamFin Financial Recovery Plan
After your first GamFin session, counselors create a personalized Financial Recovery Plan outlining debt repayment strategy and practical next steps. No cost.
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Gambling Blocking Software
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Free
BetBlocker
Free, charity-funded software. Blocks 118,000+ gambling sites across all your devices in under 2 minutes. Works on PC, Mac, iOS, Android. Available in multiple languages.
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Paid
Gamban
Comprehensive gambling blocking software (~$5.42/month). VPN-level blocking across all devices and browsers. Widely recommended by treatment providers.
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Recovery & Peer Support
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Free
Gamblers Anonymous
Free 12-step peer support meetings worldwide. Both in-person and online meetings available. Meeting finder on their website.
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Free
SMART Recovery
Free, science-based self-help meetings for anyone looking to change addictive behavior. Online and in-person.
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Free Interactive Tools
These free calculators and simulators from FinMango — a data-driven financial health nonprofit — are useful for understanding the real cost of gambling and rebuilding from debt. No account required.
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Free
Sports Betting Reality Simulator — FinMango
An interactive simulation that shows how sports betting affects your finances, stress, and long-term wealth over time. Useful for understanding what actually happened — not just the losses, but the psychology behind them.
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Free
The Minimum Payment Trap — FinMango
Enter your credit card balances and see exactly how much interest you'll pay — and how long it will actually take — if you only make minimum payments. Essential reading if gambling left you carrying card debt.
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Free
What's Money Calculator — FinMango
Calculate what your gambling losses would have become if invested instead. A useful reframe for people who are ready to think about building forward rather than backward.
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Free
Compound Interest Calculator — FinMango
See how even small, consistent savings grow over time. Helpful once you've stabilized and are starting to think about rebuilding.
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Self-Exclusion Programs
Self-exclusion allows you to voluntarily ban yourself from gambling venues and online platforms. Each state has different programs — find yours below.
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Free
NCPG Self-Exclusion Directory
State-by-state directory of self-exclusion programs for casinos, online betting, and lottery.
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Free
BetBlocker (Online)
Free digital self-exclusion for 118,000+ online gambling sites. No minimum exclusion period.
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After the Bet is a self-help content resource, not a crisis service or financial advisor. If you need immediate help, contact the NCPG Helpline at 1-800-522-4700 or dial/text 988. Resource listings are provided for informational purposes — verify availability directly with organizations listed. This page does not contain affiliate links. See our full disclosure for details on affiliate relationships elsewhere on the site.