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TREATMENT SERVICES

Gambling
Addiction

Gambling addiction is a recognised mental health condition that can affect anyone, regardless of age, background, or income. It develops when gambling stops being a form of entertainment and begins to negatively impact your wellbeing, relationships, finances, or daily life.  If you recognise several of the signs below in yourself or someone you care about, it may be an indication that professional support is needed. Seeking help is a positive first step, and recovery is possible.

Difficulty controlling gambling

  • Frequently thinking about gambling or planning the next bet. 
  • Needing to gamble with increasing amounts of money to experience the same level of excitement. 
  • Repeatedly trying to reduce or stop gambling without success. 
  • Feeling restless, anxious or irritable when attempting to cut down or stop gambling.

Common Signs of Gambling Addiction

  • Emotional and behavioural changes.
  • Gambling to cope with stress, anxiety, depression or other difficult emotions.
  • Hiding or lying about the extent of your gambling. ​
  • Continuing to gamble despite knowing it is causing problems.

Impact on relationships and finances

  • Chasing losses by gambling more in an attempt to recover money. 
  • Borrowing money or relying on others because of gambling-related financial difficulties. ​
  • Experiencing conflict, damaged relationships, or the loss of important opportunities because of gambling. 

Help is available

Recognising these signs does not mean you have to face them alone. If gambling is affecting your life, confidential and professional support is available. Our trained counsellors are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week to provide guidance, assessment, and referral to treatment where needed. 

Toll-Free Counselling Line: 0800 006 008  

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Treatment Services

This programme provides FREE treatment to individuals who have been referred to our network of Treatment Professionals (External and Internal) via our counselling services (Telephone Counselling Helpline and WhatsApp). These individuals then attend counselling sessions with our Treatment Professionals. 

Outpatient

  • Problem Gamblers: These are individuals who are experiencing Problem gambling or behavioural issues. They attend Eight (8) sessions with an option of Two (2) additional sessions depending on the clinical motivation from Treatment Professionals.
 
  • Self-Exclusion: are individuals who voluntarily request to be excluded from gambling activities through the statutory self-exclusion process, generally because they recognise that their gambling is causing, or may cause, financial, emotional, relational, behavioural, or other difficulties. These individuals may include persons experiencing problem or disordered gambling, as well as individuals who wish to restrict or prevent their gambling before it develops into more significant harm.  Clients attend Three (3) counselling sessions with an option of Two (2) additional sessions depending on the clinical motivation from Treatment Professionals. After completion of the treatment programme clients receive a letter that they need to submit to the Provincial Gambling Boards or directly to the operators that assisted them with getting excluded. They will be sending these letters to get their exclusion revoked.
 
  • Family Referral: This programme is offered to individuals that are affected by their relatives’ problem gambling behavior. They attend Three (3) sessions with an option to extend the sessions with Two (2) more sessions upon the clinical motivation from Treatment Professionals.
 
  • Relapses: This programme is offered to individuals who have relapsed after recovery and after having attended the Problem Gambling treatment sessions. However, due to triggers not dealt with during their recovery journey, they find themselves vulnerable and eventually relapse. Relapsed clients attend 8 sessions.

Financial Literacy

The purpose of financial literacy is to empower problem gamblers who are receiving treatment with the knowledge and skills needed to make informed and effective decisions about their personal finances. Financial literacy includes understanding personal financial management, budgeting, saving, investing, and managing debt.

The Foundation offers four core financial literacy and counselling sessions free of charge, covering an introduction to financial counselling, household financial needs and tracking income and expenses, budgeting, and debt in the context of gambling. An optional fifth session is available where additional support is required, particularly in relation to debt counselling strategies and the debt review process.

Budgeting helps clients to plan and manage the flow of money into and out of the household, gain greater control over spending, prioritise essential expenses, and identify opportunities to save.

Inpatient admissions/ psychiatric evaluations

In cases where a client is diagnosed with gambling disorder and other psychiatric illnesses such as depression, suicidal ideations, substance abuse etc.

A psychiatric/admission form is completed then sent to the Manager (Treatment, Counselling and Social services) for approval and then the client is referred for either hospital/rehab admission or psychiatric evaluation for further consideration to admit the client.

The client will then stay for a length of 21 days at a rehabilitation or hospital institution.