If gambling feels out of control, focus first on the next few minutes and hours. You do not need to recover losses or solve every problem today. The immediate priorities are to stop gambling, reduce access to money and involve another person.
If anyone is in immediate danger
If you may hurt yourself or someone else, cannot stay safe, or fear violence over gambling-related money, move away from gambling and seek urgent in-person help. Go to the nearest hospital or contact local emergency services. Ask a trusted person to stay with you while help is arranged.
Do not remain alone with access to weapons, large amounts of cash, credit or gambling accounts. If making a call feels difficult, send a short message such as: “I am not safe on my own. Please stay with me and help me reach urgent care.”
An online gambling-support service is not a replacement for emergency medical care. Gambling Therapy offers multilingual online support, but it is not an Ethiopian emergency service.
A ten-minute interruption plan
A strong urge can make another bet feel unavoidable. Create distance before making any financial decision:
- Close every gambling application and browser window.
- Put the phone or computer in another room, or give it to someone you trust.
- Leave any venue where gambling is taking place.
- Contact one person and say clearly that you need help not to gamble.
- Delay all deposits, borrowing and attempts to win money back.
- Move to a public or shared place where gambling is harder.
Do not interpret a loss as a reason to continue. Another wager can increase the financial and emotional pressure. The useful goal for tonight is not to repair the past; it is to prevent the next transaction.
Protect money before discussing debts
Reduce access to funds while the urge is active. Ask a trusted person to hold cash or payment cards temporarily. Sign out of mobile banking and payment services on devices used for gambling. Remove saved payment details where possible, and avoid taking a new loan to cover gambling losses.
Make no promises to creditors while panicked. First record the essential facts: who is owed, the amount claimed, the due date and whether food, housing, medicine or transport is at risk. Do not share passwords, one-time codes or identity documents with anyone offering to recover losses.
| Situation | Immediate action | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Money remains available | Move it away from gambling access with help from a trusted person | Keeping funds ready for one final bet |
| A payment is pending | Stop further deposits and preserve the transaction record | Paying an extra fee based only on a message |
| Debt pressure is rising | List each debt and protect essential living costs | Borrowing quickly to chase losses |
| An account is still open | Use available limits, closure tools or exclusion controls | Reopening another account immediately |
Further practical controls are described in self-exclusion options and the responsible gambling guide.
Preserve records without staying in the gambling account
Before deleting messages or applications, preserve information that may be needed for a payment dispute or complaint. Save transaction references, dates, amounts, account identifiers and relevant correspondence. Keep copies somewhere that does not require repeatedly opening the gambling service.
A record is not a reason to continue arguing with support staff while distressed. Once the basic material is saved, step away. A trusted person can help organise it later. If a complaint is needed, follow the documented route in the complaints guide.
Ask another person for specific help
General statements such as “I have a problem” may leave supporters unsure what to do. Make one direct request: stay with me tonight; hold my payment card; help me close the account; accompany me to a hospital; or check on me tomorrow morning.
Choose someone who will not shame you, lend money for gambling or encourage a final attempt to recover losses. If the first person does not respond, contact another. A family member, friend, colleague, community leader or health professional may be able to provide immediate human contact even if they are not a gambling specialist.
Supporters should concentrate on safety and access to money rather than interrogation. Financial details can be reviewed after the immediate urge has passed.
Online and peer-support options
Gambling Therapy offers multilingual online support for people affected by gambling harm. It can be used as an additional source of support, but it should not be treated as an Ethiopian emergency service or a substitute for urgent medical care.
Gamblers Anonymous provides information about peer-support meetings. Meeting availability in Ethiopia is not established by the supplied record, so check the current meeting information directly rather than assuming that a local meeting exists.
These services may help with ongoing recovery, planning and contact with others who understand gambling harm. Neither service establishes whether a particular gambling business is lawful, licensed or financially reliable.
Regulatory information has a limited role
The Ethiopian Lottery Service states that it issues licences and regulates private lottery activity under its establishing framework. Separately, Ethiopian Broadcasting Corporation reported an ELS announcement that all sports-betting organisation licences were revoked with effect from 15 December 2025.
That regulatory information may matter when documenting an operator or preparing a complaint, but it does not resolve an immediate safety crisis. A licence claim, account message or promised withdrawal should not delay urgent medical or personal support. Do not infer that an operator is currently authorised merely because it displays an old licence reference.
Plan for the next 24 hours
After the immediate urge has eased, write a short plan for one day rather than a permanent promise. Include where you will sleep, who will hold or monitor money, which devices need restrictions, and who will check in with you. Schedule meals, rest and necessary travel before dealing with non-essential debts.
Remove gambling notifications and promotional messages. Avoid watching events that strongly trigger betting. If alcohol or another substance makes gambling harder to resist, move to an environment where both are less available. Arrange professional health support when distress, anxiety, sleeplessness or thoughts of self-harm continue.
A lapse does not make further gambling inevitable. Repeat the interruption plan, tell another person promptly and restore financial barriers.
gamblingtherapy.org · gamblersanonymous.org · els.gov.et · ebc.et
Frequently asked questions
What should I do if I may harm myself because of gambling losses?
Move away from gambling and seek urgent in-person help at the nearest hospital or through local emergency services. Ask a trusted person to remain with you, and reduce access to weapons, money and gambling accounts. Online gambling support is not a substitute for emergency care.
Should I gamble again to recover what I lost?
No. Trying to recover losses through another wager can increase both the loss and the pressure. Close the gambling service, move money out of reach and contact someone who can help you avoid another transaction.
Is Gambling Therapy an emergency service in Ethiopia?
No. Gambling Therapy offers multilingual online support for people affected by gambling harm, but it is not an Ethiopian emergency service. Use local emergency or hospital care when someone cannot stay safe.
Does Gamblers Anonymous have meetings in Ethiopia?
The supplied record confirms that Gamblers Anonymous provides peer-support meeting information, but it does not establish meeting availability in Ethiopia. Check its current meeting information directly.
Can a regulator recover my gambling losses?
No recovery outcome is established here. Regulatory information can help identify where a documented complaint may belong, but it should not delay urgent safety measures, medical care or protection of essential money.