Gambling can be an enjoyable pastime for many people, providing entertainment and the thrill of taking risks. However, for some people, it can become more than just a harmless activity. Gambling can turn into a serious problem that affects various aspects of their lives. Recognizing the signs of gambling problems is the first step in dealing with this issue. This self-assessment tool was created to help reflect on gambling behaviors and determine whether it may be causing problems in your life. It is essential to approach this assessment with honesty and openness to gain a clear understanding of your habits.

Do you have a gambling problem? Ask yourself the following questions:

• Have there been periods of two weeks or more when you spent a lot of time thinking about your gambling experiences, planning future bets, or thinking of ways to get money to gamble?
• Have there been periods when you needed to gamble with increasingly larger amounts of money or bigger bets to get the same feeling of excitement?
• Have you ever felt restless or irritable when trying to stop, reduce, or control your gambling?
• Have you tried to stop, reduce, or control your gambling three or more times in your life and failed?
• Have you ever gambled to escape personal problems or to relieve uncomfortable feelings such as guilt, anxiety, helplessness, or depression?
• Has there been a period when, if you lost money gambling one day, you would return the next day to try to get even?
• Have you ever lied to family members, friends, or others about how much you gamble and/or how much money you've lost gambling on at least three occasions?
• Have you ever written a bad check or taken money that didn't belong to you from family, friends, or anyone else to pay for your gambling?
• Has gambling ever caused serious and/or repeated problems in your family relationships or with friends? Or, has gambling caused problems at work or school?
• Have you ever needed to ask family, friends, a lending institution, or anyone else to lend you money or bail you out of a financial situation largely caused by your gambling?

*REMINDER: this self-assessment will help you discover if there is or if you are developing a problem. If you answered yes to one or more of the questions above, you should seek help.