Worried about gambling? Help and support is available in Leeds.
Understanding the role gambling plays in your life or the life of a loved one can be the first step in making changes to tackle the harm it causes. It is unlikely that there will be a single answer, and a combination of strategies may be needed to make lasting changes.
Harms can come in various forms, including financial, relationship harms, mental and physical health, employment and education, criminal and anti-social behaviour, cultural and harms within gaming. You or someone you know may be experiencing a number of these harms.
In Leeds there are services available to offer advice, guidance and support to anyone impacted by gambling harms as well as national charities offering self-help tools. There are also local peer support groups that can support people in recovery from gambling, at whatever stage in their recovery journey they are at.
Organisations that receive funding from the gambling industry have been highlighted with an asterisk to provide full transparency. For further information, please contact the organisations directly.
Crisis support
If you require urgent support in a crisis, there are services that can support you. If there is an immediate threat to life, please call 999. Otherwise, please visit
Leeds and York Partnership NHS Foundation Trust website where a number of support services are outlined.
Local services
NHS Northern Gambling Service
The
NHS Northern Gambling Service provides specialist addiction therapy and recovery to people affected by gambling addiction, as well as those with mental health problems such as depression, anxiety, trauma, and suicidal feelings. The service also provides support to people close to those with gambling addiction, such as family, partners, and carers.
Contact
0300 300 1490
referral.ngs@nhs.net
GamCare Yorkshire and Humber*
GamCare Yorkshire and Humber offer a range of free and confidential support options to individuals across Leeds and York. Support is available in person at our hubs across Leeds, including the city centre, Armley and Middleton. Face to face support is also available in York. They can also offer support over the phone or via Zoom. They can support you if you are a gambler, or if you are affected by the gambling behaviour of a family member or friend.
Support is available to anyone no matter the extent of their gambling and all services are free of charge and confidential. They take referrals from professionals in Leeds and York and can provide tailored gambling training. The service can also look at drop-in opportunities and link in with local awareness and engagement events.
Contact
0113 388 6466
(Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm)
YandH@gamcare.org.uk
Gambling related debt
Citizens Advice Leeds offer telephone and digital help and advice on a range of subjects including benefits, debt, employment and housing. Staff have had training around gambling-related harms and can signpost to gambling treatment services.
Contact
0808 278 7878
Get more support from Citizens Advice Leeds.
National charities
GamFam
GamFam is a registered charity set up by people with lived experience of gambling harm, whether through their own gambling or the gambling of someone close to them. They have a peer support programme that is primarily aimed at those impacted by the gambling of someone close to them, but they can also support those in recovery from gambling harms too. Both
professional and self-referrals can be made.
Gambling with Lives
Gambling with Lives are a charity set up by families bereaved by gambling that provide support, raise awareness of the impact of gambling disorders, and campaign for change. They also deliver an education programme in schools and colleges across England, including Leeds.
Services for children and young people
Mindmate
MindMate Leeds is the name for all the different ways children and young people in the city can get support with their mental health and wellbeing in Leeds. They have two pages with an overview of support for children and young people
aged 17 and under and
18 and over.
Big Deal*
BigDeal provides gambling information, advice and support for young people, whether it is for yourself or someone you care for. They have a 24/7 helpline, a live chat and whatsapp chat function.
Contact
0808 8020 133
NHS National Centre for Gaming Disorders
The National Centre for Gaming Disorders is a multi-disciplinary clinic in the UK that provides treatment for people in England, aged 13 years and over, who have difficulty controlling their video game use and the impact it has on their lives. They also offer parents, guardians and family members support alongside the person gaming. For details on current referral pathways, visit their website.
Contact
ncba.cnwl@nhs.net.
Self-help tools
GAMSTOP*
GamCare - Recovery toolkit*
Gamblers Anonymous
Gamblers Anonymous is a peer-support network for people with lived experience of gambling that come together to support one another.
Website
Gamblers Anonymous external link
Self-exclusion from betting shops*
