How to Support a Family Member or Friend Whose Gambling Worries You

Updated

GambleAware offers a dedicated pathway for people affected by someone else's gambling: a short "friends and family check-in" questionnaire that returns tailored information on what you can do and what you need to know, plus a postcode-based service finder for free, confidential local support. Use these if you are worried about a partner, relative or friend and want practical next steps without having to diagnose them yourself.

Start with the friends and family check-in

The check-in is the most direct starting point on the site for your situation. It is a short set of questions aimed at people who are impacted by someone else's gambling, and the stated output is information on what you can do and need to know to navigate the situation.

What to expect:

  • Input: your answers about how someone else's gambling is affecting you.
  • Action: complete the short question set.
  • Result: tailored advice for your circumstances, rather than generic warnings.

This matters because the site treats the affected person as someone with their own needs, not just as a route to fixing the gambler. If you are unsure whether the situation is "bad enough" to act on, the check-in is a low-commitment way to get a view.

Find local support for yourself

GambleAware's service finder is explicitly framed for both cases: your own gambling, or being affected by someone else's gambling. It returns free, confidential and tailored support near you.

  1. Enter your postcode in the search field on the service finder.
  2. Wait for the results to load ("Finding services near you…").
  3. If the postcode is not recognised, the site asks you to try again — or you can use the "View all support providers" option instead.

The "View all support providers" fallback is useful if you would rather browse than search by location, or if you are looking on behalf of someone in a different area.

Understand what gambling harms look like

The site notes that gambling harms can be hard to spot, and treats understanding the signs as an important step toward getting the right support. This is worth doing before a conversation with the person you are worried about, because it gives you specific things to describe rather than a general sense of unease.

The site also runs a separate self-assessment (7 quick questions) for someone's own gambling, which returns an insight into how gambling may be affecting them or someone they care about. That tool is framed for the person gambling, so it is not the right instrument for you — but it can be something you point them toward if and when they are open to it.

Help with money and practical consequences

Financial strain is often the visible edge of the problem. GambleAware provides advice on managing finances, including setting spending limits, tracking expenses, and finding support for debt. If you share finances with the person, or you are being asked for money, this section is the relevant one to read before deciding how you will handle requests.

Blocking and self-exclusion tools

If the person you are supporting wants to stop or limit their gambling, the site points to free gambling blocking tools and services intended to help them feel more in control. These are framed as tools the person gambling uses for themselves — you generally cannot self-exclude on someone else's behalf. Your role is more likely to be helping them find and set these up if they ask.

Look after your own position

Two things on the site support you directly rather than the person gambling:

  • The friends and family check-in, which produces advice for you.
  • The service finder, which covers support for people affected by someone else's gambling.

GambleAware also offers free, confidential support in Great Britain by phone or online chat, speaking one-to-one with an adviser for confidential advice, information and support. That route is available to you as the worried friend or family member, not only to the person gambling.

A practical sequence

  1. Complete the friends and family check-in to get advice matched to your situation.
  2. Read the material on signs of gambling harms so you can be specific rather than accusatory.
  3. Use the service finder (or "View all support providers") to identify local, free and confidential support — for them and for you.
  4. If money is involved, read the finances advice before your next conversation about it.
  5. If they want to stop or limit gambling, help them explore the blocking and self-exclusion tools.
  6. Keep a support route open for yourself, including the phone and online chat service.

Common sticking points

  • The postcode search fails. Use "View all support providers" rather than retrying repeatedly.
  • You want to self-exclude for them. The blocking and self-exclusion tools are presented as things the person gambling uses; they are not a lever you can pull on someone else's behalf.
  • You are not sure it counts as a problem. The check-in exists precisely for that uncertainty — it does not require you to have already concluded anything.
  • You are the one struggling. The service finder and the phone/chat support cover people affected by someone else's gambling, so using them is not taking a slot from the person you are worried about.