Responsible Gambling in Texas

Gambling should be entertainment you can afford, not a way to make money or escape stress. Most people play without harm, but for some it stops being a choice. This page covers the warning signs, the tools you can use, and where Texans can get free help.

Warning signs

• Spending more time or money than you planned, or than you can afford.
• Chasing losses, betting bigger to win back what you lost.
• Borrowing money, or hiding your play from family.
• Feeling anxious, irritable or restless when you are not gambling.
• Gambling to cope with stress, boredom or low mood.

Tools that help

Reputable sites give you controls, and you should set them before you play, not after a bad session. Use deposit limits to cap what you can put in, time-outs to take a short break, and self-exclusion to lock yourself out for a longer period. Setting a session budget and a loss limit ahead of time is the single most effective habit.

Free help for Texans

Help is confidential and available around the clock. Call the Texas Council on Problem Gambling at 1-800-522-4700, or the national helpline at 1-800-GAMBLER. You can also reach the National Council on Problem Gambling by texting 800GAM to 53342. If you or someone else is in crisis, call or text 988.

Protecting minors

You must be of legal age to gamble, and keeping under-age people away from gambling is everyone's responsibility. Use device-level parental controls and keep account credentials private.