If gambling feels urgent right now
If gambling is taking over your thoughts, money or time, pause before making another deposit or bet. Move away from the betting app or website, log out, and avoid trying to win back money already lost. A short pause can create room to decide what to do next.
If you feel unable to stay safe, are in immediate danger, or have thoughts of harming yourself or someone else, contact local emergency support or go to the nearest hospital or emergency facility. If speaking feels difficult, tell a trusted person clearly: “I am not coping well with gambling and I need you to stay with me.”
Do not stay alone with a serious crisis. Ask someone you trust to sit with you, help you put distance between yourself and gambling, or accompany you to seek urgent help.
Take the next ten minutes
The first aim is not to solve every money or gambling problem at once. It is to reduce the chance of another impulsive decision.
- Close betting, casino and payment apps.
- Put your phone somewhere less accessible, or give it to a trusted person for a short time.
- Do not borrow, sell belongings, or use money meant for food, rent, transport, school fees or bills to continue gambling.
- Avoid alcohol or other substances while you are distressed or tempted to bet.
- Write down what happened and what you need immediately: a safe place, a conversation, food, transport, or help with access to money.
- Contact the Gaming Commission’s published help line on 0800 454 545 or ask someone to call with you. The Commission’s guidance also identifies a self-exclusion route.
The responsible gambling guidance can help you review practical ways to create distance from betting. It is not a substitute for urgent assistance when you may be in danger.
Use self-exclusion to create distance
Self-exclusion is a way to ask for gambling access to be restricted or stopped through the relevant route. The Gaming Commission has published a self-exclusion route and the help line 0800 454 545. Use the Commission’s current instructions when making a request, because the steps and information needed may depend on the service involved.
Self-exclusion works best when it is combined with practical barriers. Remove saved payment details where you can, uninstall gambling apps, block promotional notifications, and ask a trusted person to help monitor access to money for a period you both agree on. Do not treat a self-exclusion request as proof that urges will disappear immediately.
Keep a record of when you made the request and what response you received. Do not share passwords or one-time codes with another person. A trusted supporter can help you follow the process without taking control of your accounts.
Protect essential money first
When gambling has affected household finances, prioritise the next essential need rather than trying to recover losses. List the money available today and separate it from funds needed for food, housing, utilities, transport, medical care and family responsibilities.
If possible, ask a trusted person to help with a simple short-term plan. This might include paying an essential bill directly, pausing non-essential spending, or keeping only a small amount of cash available. Be honest about the reason for the arrangement so that it supports recovery rather than hiding the problem.
Do not respond to losses with a larger bet. Gambling cannot be treated as a reliable way to repay debt or repair a household budget. If you owe money, write down each creditor, amount and due date. Contact the relevant creditor directly and ask about available options instead of taking new gambling-related credit.
| Situation | Safer immediate response |
|---|---|
| You want to chase a loss | Close the gambling service, wait, and contact a trusted person or the help line |
| Rent, food or bills are at risk | Separate essential funds and ask for practical support before spending |
| Someone is pressuring you to deposit | Stop replying, keep records, and do not share account or payment codes |
| A mobile-money transaction is disputed | Save the transaction details and follow the provider’s complaint process |
| You cannot control access to betting | Ask about self-exclusion and add device, payment and account barriers |
Speak with someone you trust
Choose a person who can listen without helping you gamble or lending money for another bet. You do not need to explain every detail in the first conversation. A direct message may be enough: “Gambling is causing me problems. Please help me stay away from it today.”
Tell them what practical help would be useful. You might ask them to sit with you, keep you company during a usual betting time, help you contact the Gaming Commission, or check that essential money is protected. Agree on what they should do if you ask for money to gamble again.
If gambling is connected with anxiety, depression, substance use, relationship conflict or thoughts of self-harm, say so plainly. The responsible gambling information provides a starting point for planning a break, but personal support may be needed for the wider problem.
What to record before seeking help
Write down the facts while they are fresh. Useful details may include the gambling service involved, dates and times, deposits or withdrawals, account messages, self-exclusion requests, and any response received.
Keep screenshots and transaction references in a secure place. Do not alter them. Avoid posting private account details publicly, including identity documents, passwords, mobile-money PINs, one-time codes or full card numbers.
A clear record can help separate several problems that need different routes. A gambling-access concern may need the Gaming Commission’s help line or self-exclusion route. A payment-service dispute may need the provider first and, if unresolved, the appropriate complaint escalation route.
You can review the available complaints guidance and payment checks before contacting a service. These internal resources do not replace direct help when the situation is urgent.
Escalate an unresolved telecom or mobile-money complaint
If your concern involves a telecom or mobile-money service, first keep the provider’s complaint reference, messages, transaction details and response. Ask the provider to explain the outcome and the next available step.
For unresolved telecom and mobile-money service complaints, the National Communications Authority provides an online complaints escalation route at complaints.nca.org.gh. Use the information requested by that authority and provide an accurate account of what happened. This route concerns telecom and mobile-money service complaints; it does not replace the Gaming Commission’s route for gambling support or self-exclusion.
Make a plan for the next day
A useful plan should be specific and small enough to follow. Decide when you will avoid gambling, who you will contact if an urge becomes strong, and where your essential money will be kept. Remove betting reminders from your phone and avoid places or conversations that normally lead to a deposit.
Expect urges to come and go. When one appears, delay the decision and change your surroundings: take a walk with someone, prepare food, call a trusted person, or do another activity that occupies your hands and attention. The goal is to get through the next decision without gambling, not to prove that you will never have another urge.
Review the plan after one day. If you gambled again, treat that as a reason to seek more support rather than a reason to chase the loss. Contact the help line, use the self-exclusion route, and tell your trusted person what happened.
gamingcommission.gov.gh · macgh.org · brr.gov.gh
Frequently asked questions
What number can I call for gambling help in Ghana?
The Gaming Commission’s published guidance identifies the help line 0800 454 545. If you are unable to stay safe or face an immediate emergency, seek urgent local emergency assistance or go to the nearest hospital or emergency facility.
How can I stop myself from betting today?
Close and log out of gambling services, remove saved payment details where possible, give your phone or essential spending money to a trusted person for a short agreed period, and contact the Gaming Commission on 0800 454 545. You can also ask about the published self-exclusion route.
What is self-exclusion?
Self-exclusion is a request for gambling access to be restricted or stopped through the relevant route. The Gaming Commission has published a self-exclusion route. Follow its current instructions and keep a record of your request and any response.
What should I do if gambling has put bills at risk?
Protect money for food, housing, utilities, transport, medical care and other essential needs first. Ask a trusted person to help with a short-term spending plan, and contact creditors directly about available options. Do not try to repay losses by placing larger bets.
Where can I escalate an unresolved mobile-money complaint?
Keep the provider’s complaint reference and transaction records. For unresolved telecom and mobile-money service complaints, the National Communications Authority provides an online escalation route at complaints.nca.org.gh.
Should I share my password or mobile-money PIN with someone helping me?
No. A trusted person can support you without receiving passwords, mobile-money PINs, one-time codes, identity documents or full payment-card details. Keep those credentials private and use safer practical barriers instead.