Home / Do You Have A Problem With Gambling? Here's Where To Look For Help

The Full List Of Help Centers For Gamblers And Their Families In Ireland (Updated June 2023)

Do you or someone you love have a gambling problem? Do you want to get support?

Here it is, no matter what your issue is. Here are some practical tips and a list of organisations that can help you, and which will provide you with useful advice on all the issues that gambling can bring with it.

Stay in Control

The best solution to a problem is always its prevention! If you enjoy gambling, here are a few tips to make sure it doesn't become a problem:

  • ✔️
    Spend most of your free time doing things other than gambling
  • ✔️
    Keep in touch with people in the real world, offline
  • ✔️
    First use your money to pay all your necessities, before putting money away to gamble, to prevent going into debt
  • ✖️
    Do not think that gambling is a source of income
  • ✖️
    Do not only interact with other gamblers
  • ✖️
    Do not hide your gambling or your financial issues

Are you looking for a free but confidential way to get help for your gambling problem? Look no further:

Problem Gambling Ireland

Support for Anyone Affected by Gambling Addiction in Ireland. It is a free counselling service for anyone affected by gambling addiction in Waterford and Dublin.

Tel: 089 241 5401 (Mon-Fri, 09:00 - 17:00)

Text: 089 241 5401

Website: problemgambling.ie

Email: info@problemgambling.ie

Treat Addiction:

Are you unsure whether you are addicted to gambling or not? How many of these 10 signs do you have?

  • 1. Gamble with more money than you can afford?

  • 2. Often feel stressed, anxious, irritated, or guilty about your gambling?

  • 3. Gamble to try to gain back the money you lost already?

  • 4. Argue with your loved ones about gambling and the money you spend on it?

  • 5. Have no friends that are not players?

  • 6. Lie about your gambling?

  • 7. Lose interest in other activities that don't involve gambling?

  • 8. Borrow money so that you can gamble more?

  • 9. Find yourself raising the stakes to get the same adrenaline rush?

  • 10. Find it hard to stop yourself from gambling, even for a break?

If you answered yes to at least some of these, or this would be true for your loved one, you should get some professional support here:

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Gamblers Anonymous Ireland. Gamblers Anonymous provides aid to compulsive gamblers in Ireland. Members follow a 12-step Recovery Programme and share their problems with gambling to help others recover.

Tel: 087 748 5878 (10 am-10 pm)

Meetings: Link

Website: problemgambling.ie

Email: info@gamblersanonymous.ie

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Gambling, Stay in control, Recognise a problem. Organisation offers gratis and confidential counselling and mentoring plan for people undergoing struggles with their own, or other people's gambling-addiction issues.

Tel: 02890 392547

Website: dunlewey.net/gambling

Email: admin@dunlewey.org

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Gam-Anon | Gamblers Anonymous Ireland. Gam-Anon is not for gamblers. It is for their husbands, wives, relatives, or close friends who have been affected by living with a compulsive gambler. Meetings are for support so as not to be alone.

Tel: 087 748 5878 (10 am-10 pm)

Meetings: Link

Website: gamblersanonymous.ie

Email: info@gamblersanonymous.ie

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The Gambling Clinic. This organisation has been established by a private philanthroper, so problem gamblers can get a free gambling-addiction counselling service in Waterford and Dublin. The program is made of 10 one-to-one confidential counselling sessions, lasting approximately 11.5 hours in total.

Tel: 0892415401

Website: thegamblingclinic.ie

Email: info@thegamblingclinic.ie

Stay Alive

This section provides resources for suicide prevention. These will help you with what to do if you are scared that someone you know may be thinking of committing suicide. If you feel like you've lost all hope, and you are thinking of suicide, why not try one more thing and let us help you change your situation? There's really nothing to lose, just click the link below.

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Samaritans | Every life lost to suicide is a tragedy | Here to listen. Not sure what you need to do? Feel despair? This organisation helps you with whatever issues you have. Want to talk about something? They are right here.

Tel: 116 123 (available 24 hours)

Website: samaritans.org

Email: jo@samaritans.ie

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Pieta | Preventing Suicide and Self Harm. Get in touch with a therapist 24/7. If you are in need of someone to speak to, this organisation always helps. Whatever problem you face, you can call them round the clock for free.

Tel: 1800 247 247

Website: pieta.ie

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Depression Support | Depression Help Ireland | Aware. If you feel stress, panic, anxiety or similar mood states, Aware provides a free of charge helpline, support email and phone-in support groups.

Tel: 1800 80 48 48, Monday-Sunday (10 am - 10 pm)

Website: aware.ie

Email: supportmail@aware.ie

Manage your debts

Gambling is probably the most expensive addiction you can have because its only limitation is how much money the player can get his hands on, either through his/her earnings, or borrowing or even stealing. If you already have problems with debts, get some professional advice here:

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Citizens Information. It provides free information about money and the different aspects and rules about debt in Ireland. Additional information about unemployment and social welfare is available.

Tel: 0761 07 4000

Website: citizensinformation.ie

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MABS. This organisation provides advice about money and all aspects of debt. The website has articles and information about budgeting. Get free advice via email or by phone.

Tel: 0761 07 2000 Monday to Friday 9 am-8 pm

Website: mabs.ie

Email: helpline@mabs.ie

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Money Village. The organisation gives free of charge advice to those who suffer from debts. You can expect the ongoing help and support regarding debts and credits.

Tel: 1890 987 989

Website: moneyvillage.ie

Email: info@moneyvillage.ie

Stop gambling

Sometimes you've found yourself in such a rut that the only way out is out. Sometimes to fix your gambling problem you have to quit from gambling completely, and forever. You've made the decision, but do you feel like you still can't trust yourself, or that you won't resist the temptation? Here are a few organisations that might be able to help you:

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Responsible Gambling Gaming and Leisure Association of Ireland. If you feel like you need to stop gambling completely to solve your problems, the organisation helps with the self-exclusion process. You may also need to fill in the form so they can sort out your issues.

Tel: +353 (0)1 4434477

Website: glai.ie

Email: info@glai.ie

Finally, we are going to bust five popular myths related to gambling to help you be vigilant:

🔔Myth 1: Gambling is only a problem if you cannot afford it

The financial consequence is not the only issue that a gambling addiction brings with it. There is a multitude of other issues it can cause, such as emotional, social, etc. Further, with the scale of your bets, there is really no limit to how much money you can actually bet, so it would be wise to keep an eye on your money.

🔔Myth 2: Your luck will turn eventually, and you will hit a winning streak then

In reality, your chances of winning remain the same at each point of the game. Let's say you already bet on half the roulette numbers, these still stay here, so you have an equal chance as you did before you bet on them.

🔔Myth 3: You only have a problem if you gamble every day

The amount of times you play has nothing to do with it. What makes a difference is whether there are unfavourable consequences to your gambling, be these financial, marital, social, legal or psychological.

🔔Myth 4: The gambler's parents or partners cause gambling addictions

More often than not, addicted gamblers try to blame their situation on their loved ones (parents, spouses, friends), rather than acknowledging that the cause of their problem is within themselves. This obviously doesn't seem right. If someone you love has a gambling addiction, don't feel guilty, instead, try to get them help.

🔔Myth 5: You can easily spot a problem gambler

Wrong! Most people who are addicted to gambling are actually quite good at hiding their problem and its consequences from their loved ones.

Get help today!

If you are worried that either you or someone you know has a gambling problem, don't hesitate to ask for help. It's always better to be safe than sorry and nip the problem in its bud before any damage can be done. Go through the list of organisations below and get help now!

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