Guide · 7 min read
Signs of problem gambling: a self-check and where to get help
Problem gambling rarely starts with a dramatic moment. It grows from habits that look normal: a bigger stake here, a quick deposit there. This page summarises a recognised screening questionnaire, lists early signs you can spot yourself and shows where to find free, confidential help. It applies to sure bets as much as to any other kind of betting.
Updated 22 October 2026
Contents
A recognised self-check: the PGSI
The Problem Gambling Severity Index (PGSI) was developed by Ferris and Wynne in 2001 for the Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse. It is used in population surveys in several countries, including by the UK Gambling Commission. It has nine questions about the last 12 months. In summary, they ask whether you have:
- bet more than you could really afford to lose;
- needed to bet larger amounts to get the same excitement;
- gone back another day to try to win back money you lost;
- borrowed money or sold something to get money to gamble;
- felt that you might have a problem with gambling;
- had health problems, including stress or anxiety, because of gambling;
- been criticised for your betting or told you have a problem, whether or not you agreed;
- had financial problems in your household because of gambling;
- felt guilty about the way you gamble or what happens when you do.
Each answer scores 0 for "never", 1 for "sometimes", 2 for "most of the time" and 3 for "almost always". The total runs from 0 to 27:
| Score | Category |
|---|---|
| 0 | No problem gambling |
| 1–2 | Low risk |
| 3–7 | Moderate risk |
| 8 or more | Problem gambling |
The PGSI is a screening tool, not a diagnosis. A score of 3 or more is a good reason to talk to a counselling service; so is any score if you feel uneasy about your betting. Help services in Austria and Germany also offer short anonymous self-tests online.
Early signs to watch for
These often show up before a questionnaire score is high:
- Time: you think about betting at work, during meals or in bed, and you check odds or results reflexively.
- Money: you top up the same day after a loss, or move money meant for rent or bills into betting accounts.
- Chasing: you bet to win back losses rather than because a bet makes sense. Our guide to chasing losses explains why that escalates.
- Secrecy: you hide accounts, delete notifications or tell people smaller numbers than the real ones.
- Mood: you feel restless or irritable when you cannot bet, or you bet to escape stress.
- Limits: you raise your own deposit limits again and again, or open new accounts to get around them.
If you use sure bets: the same limits apply
It is easy to think that problem gambling only affects people who bet on hunches. Sure bets feel like arithmetic, not gambling. But you are still depositing at bookmakers, placing bets and watching balances move, and things go wrong: a price drops before the second leg, a bet is voided, an account is limited. Those moments trigger the same urge to make it back.
Practical rules that we recommend to every ArbVantage user:
- Decide on a fixed bankroll in advance, from money you can afford to lose, and do not top it up after a bad week. See bankroll.
- Keep fixed stake sizes; never raise them to recover a failed leg.
- Set deposit limits at every bookmaker, even if you do not expect to need them.
- Turn off alerts outside the hours you have chosen to bet. Opportunities come back next week.
- Keep a betting log and read it honestly once a month.
- If you take a break or self-exclude, cancel your ArbVantage subscription too; it takes one click in the account settings, and you can ask us to delete your account at support@arbvantage.net.
Self-exclusion by country
- Austria: there is no central self-exclusion register for sports betting. You exclude yourself with each bookmaker you use. Our guide to self-exclusion in Austria shows what is known per bookmaker.
- Slovakia: the Gambling Regulatory Authority (ÚRHH) runs the register of excluded persons. A self-exclusion lasts at least six months and applies to all licensed operators, online and on site. Full steps in our Slovak guide to the register.
- Spain: the RGIAJ register of the DGOJ blocks you at all operators with a Spanish licence. Registration is free.
- Germany: the OASIS register blocks you at every licensed provider for at least three months.
Registers only work at licensed operators. Unlicensed or offshore sites do not check them.
Free, confidential help
- Austria: Spielsuchthilfe Vienna, also for family members, 01 544 13 57, free and anonymous on request · Anonyme Spieler 0660 123 66 74 · counselling centres in every federal state are listed by the Federal Ministry of Finance · Telefonseelsorge 142, 24/7.
- Slovakia: Linka pomoci pre problémy s hraním 0800 131 000, free, 24/7, also for family members · ÚRHH register information line 0800 127 000 · Linka dôvery Nezábudka 0800 800 566, 24/7.
- Spain: FEJAR 900 200 225, free, anonymous and confidential · jugarbien.es, the information site of the regulator DGOJ · crisis line 024.
- Germany: BIÖG gambling helpline 0800 1 37 27 00, free · check-dein-spiel.de, self-test and chat.
- UK: National Gambling Helpline (GamCare) 0808 8020 133, free, 24/7.
If you are worried about someone else, these services help family members and friends too. More services are listed on our responsible gambling page.
Frequently asked questions
How do I know if I have a gambling problem?
A recognised self-check is the Problem Gambling Severity Index: nine questions about the last 12 months, scored 0 to 3 each. A total of 3 or more suggests moderate risk, 8 or more problem gambling. It is a screening tool, not a diagnosis.
What are the early signs of problem gambling?
Common early signs are topping up after a loss, betting to win money back, hiding betting from others, raising your own limits again and again, and feeling restless when you cannot bet.
Can sure betting become a problem too?
Yes. Sure bets still involve deposits, bets and losses when a leg fails or a bet is voided. The urge to make it back is the same, so fixed bankrolls, fixed stakes and deposit limits apply just as much.
Where can I get free help in Austria or Slovakia?
In Austria, Spielsuchthilfe in Vienna on 01 544 13 57 (free counselling). In Slovakia, the helpline for gambling problems on 0800 131 000, free and available 24/7.
Sources
- Gambling Commission (UK): Problem gambling screens (PGSI)
- Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland: Problem Gambling Severity Index
- Federal Ministry of Finance (Austria): help services by federal state
- ÚRHH (Slovakia): Register vylúčených osôb
- DGOJ (Spain): RGIAJ self-exclusion register
- OASIS (Germany): player exclusion system
As of October 2026. Phone numbers and opening hours can change; check the provider before calling. The PGSI items are summarised in our own words; the scoring follows Ferris and Wynne (2001).
Betting involves risk, sure bets included. Only bet money you can afford to lose. Our responsible gambling page lists free help.
Not betting, legal or tax advice. 18+. As of October 2026. See our disclaimer.