Help With Gambling: Free Support Available in India

India does not have a national helpline dedicated to gambling. That does not mean help is unavailable. The services below are free, and the first of them can be reached by phone at any hour. If gambling, betting or paid gaming is causing problems for you or someone close to you, using them is a sensible first step, not a last resort.

Tele MANAS

Tele MANAS is the national tele-mental-health service of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. It is free, available 24 hours a day and offers support in more than twenty languages. Call 14416 or 1800-891-4416. It is not gambling-specific, but the stress, anxiety, low mood and sleeplessness that come with gambling problems are exactly what it is set up to help with, and it can guide you towards further support.

Gambling Therapy

Gambling Therapy provides free online support focused specifically on gambling, through chat, forums and groups in many languages. It suits people who prefer to write rather than call, or who want to talk to others going through the same thing. Gamblers Anonymous also runs meetings worldwide, and its website has a meeting finder.

Warning signs

• Betting or playing more than you planned, repeatedly.
• Trying to win back losses by staking more.
• Borrowing from friends, family, apps or lenders to gamble or to cover losses.
• Hiding activity, transactions or debts from your family.
• Feeling restless or irritable when trying to cut down.
• Thinking about the next match or the next session most of the day.

Debt and loan apps

Gambling losses in India are often financed with quick loan apps, credit cards or money borrowed from relatives. Debt makes chasing losses feel necessary, which deepens the problem. Stop borrowing to gamble, list what you owe and to whom, and talk to your bank or a financial counsellor about a repayment plan. Be cautious with lenders who contact you aggressively or threaten to message your contacts.

For families

If someone close to you is gambling, talk without accusation, focus on what you have noticed and avoid paying off their debts without a plan, which can keep the cycle going. Protect shared money and payment apps. Tele MANAS can support family members as well as the person who gambles.

The law and why it matters here

Since 1 May 2026 online money games, including online casino, betting and paid fantasy contests that fit the definition, are prohibited in India under the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act 2025. Offshore sites that continue to target users in India operate outside the law, which also means there is no domestic regulator to protect players. Blocking and closing those accounts, as described on our self-exclusion page, is a practical step.

Frequently asked questions