Gambling Crisis Help in Asia

Gambling problems rarely arrive alone. They bring debt, secrecy, arguments at home, and for some people a point where the future looks unbearable. If that is where you are, this page gives you the numbers to call, what each line does, and what happens when you pick up the phone. You do not have to be certain you have a "problem" to call. You just have to want things to be different.

If you are in immediate danger, emergency services come first

If you have a plan to end your life, or you have already harmed yourself, call your local emergency number or go to the nearest hospital emergency department right now. Gambling helplines are counseling services, and they are not a substitute for emergency medical care.

If you are in Thailand, the Mental Health Hotline 1323 offers free consultation 24 hours a day, including for people who may have gambling disorder⁵. In other jurisdictions, use the general emergency number first, and reach for the gambling lines once you are safe.

One more thing worth saying plainly: the crisis you feel after a big loss usually passes, even when it does not feel like it will. Debt can be restructured, relationships can be repaired, and self-exclusion can put a wall between you and the next bet. The pages on signs of a gambling problem and how to stop gambling cover those next steps when you are ready.

Two kinds of help: emergency lines and counseling lines

The numbers on this page fall into two groups, and it helps to know which is which before you dial.

Emergency and crisis lines exist to keep you safe in the moment. They answer around the clock, they handle suicidal thoughts, and they can direct you to urgent medical care. Thailand's 1323 mental health line is the clearest example in the region⁵.

Gambling counseling lines exist to help you change your relationship with gambling over time. They offer confidential conversation, referrals to counseling and treatment, and in several countries they are also the doorway to self-exclusion, the formal process of banning yourself from casinos and betting accounts. Singapore's National Problem Gambling Helpline, for example, sits alongside counseling services, self-exclusions and visit limits, family exclusions, third-party exclusions and exclusions by law¹.

Neither kind of line judges you, and you can call a counseling line even on a day when you feel fine, just to plan ahead.

Crisis and gambling lines at a glance

Singapore: National Problem Gambling Helpline 1800-6-668-668

Singapore's National Problem Gambling Helpline, run by the National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG), is the single entry point for gambling help in the country. Call 1800-6-668-668, or use the WebChat, which is available daily from 8am to 11pm¹. Callers and chat users can choose to remain anonymous, which matters if you are worried about who might find out¹.

The helpline is the front door to the full range of NCPG services¹:

• counseling
• self-exclusions and visit limits
• family exclusions and visit limits
• third-party exclusions
• exclusions that apply by law

If you are not sure whether your gambling has crossed a line, the NCPG also publishes a self-test you can take before or after calling¹⁰, and its guidance on when gambling becomes a problem is worth reading in a calm moment¹¹.

The NCPG office itself can also be reached at 6354 8154 for administrative matters¹². For most people, though, 1800-6-668-668 is the number that matters. It is aimed at anyone in Singapore who may be gambling excessively, and the people who answer can guide you to counseling services near you¹³.

Philippines: PAGCOR's 24/7 National Problem Gambling Helpline (02) 8248-9568

The Philippines launched its National Problem Gambling Helpline (NPGH) on May 26, 2026, in partnership with the nonprofit Seagulls Flock Organization Inc.². It runs as a 24/7 support platform for people struggling with gambling-related issues, and it is staffed by trained para-counselors and mental health professionals who provide confidential assistance and counseling².

The number is (02) 8248-9568¹⁴. PAGCOR has pushed the number hard: it has ordered that gambling advertisements be replaced with problem gambling helpline materials, so you may see the number in places where betting ads used to be².

Alongside the helpline, Gamblers Anonymous Philippines runs a peer-support contact at 0915 938 2808⁶. The helpline and the peer group serve different purposes: the NPGH connects you with professionals, while GA connects you with people who have lived through the same thing. Many people use both.

PAGCOR's exclusion program also covers family members. A Family Exclusion or Banning order exists specifically for loved ones, meaning a spouse, child or parents, who need help with a relative's problem gambling¹⁵. More on that below.

Japan: gambling consultation helpline 0570-007-221

Japan's public sports betting operators, the ones behind horse racing, keirin and the other pari-mutuel products, share a gambling consultation helpline at 0570-007-221. It takes calls Monday to Friday, except national holidays and the year-end and New Year period³. The line is intended for people worried about becoming absorbed in buying betting tickets, and the same number handles other gambling addiction inquiries¹⁶.

For deeper support, the Public Sports Gambling Addiction Counseling Center offers phone counseling, a self-check tool and email counseling, with bookings taken on the toll-free line 0120-321-153, weekdays from 9am to 5pm, excluding Saturdays, Sundays, national holidays and the year-end/New Year period¹⁶. The online betting platform SPAT4 runs its own gambling disorder line on weekdays from 10am to 5pm⁷.

If you are a family member rather than the gambler yourself, the NPO National Association of Families of Gambling Addicts, a self-help group run by affected persons and families, can be reached at 090-1404-3327¹⁷. Japan's health ministry also publishes a leaflet on gambling disorder that lists consultation services, which is a good starting point if you want to understand the treatment system before calling anyone¹⁷.

Keirin's official site additionally points to a self-check tool and consultation service through its topics page, so if you bet on keirin specifically, that route is open too¹⁸.

Hong Kong and Macau

Hong Kong runs a single gambling counseling hotline, 1834 633, backed by all four of the government-funded counseling and treatment centers⁴. People with gambling disorder and their family members can call it for immediate initial counseling¹⁹. The hotline grew out of the Ping Wo Fund, the government's initiative for problem and pathological gamblers and their families, and the same centers provide ongoing counseling and referral for treatment²⁰.

The four centers have set hours. The Problem Gambling Counselling and Treatment Services center in Tsuen Wan, for example, is open Monday, Tuesday and Thursday from 10am to 6pm, and Wednesday, Friday and Saturday from 10am to 10pm, closing on Sundays and public holidays²¹. The Caritas Addicted Gamblers Counselling Centre takes WhatsApp messages at 6829 8764, which can feel easier than speaking out loud⁸. The Hong Kong Jockey Club, which runs the city's legal betting, also publishes help resources and a self-test on its responsible gambling site⁸.

In Macau, the Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau (DICJ) runs a self-exclusion program for the city's casinos, and applying for it is a step you take voluntarily. Counseling comes as an optional part of the picture: the choice to accept or decline it stays with you. If you would rather talk something through before deciding, the Problem Gambling Counselling and Treatment Centre can be reached at 6829 8764.

Thailand and South Korea

Thailand has no legal casinos, but gambling is widespread, and the state lottery operator, the Government Lottery Office, publishes a help channel for exactly this situation: if you or someone in your family has started to feel that gambling is no longer fun, or feels anxiety from it, you can request consultation⁹. The GLO's consultation line is 0-2528-9999, press 9⁹.

For a mental health crisis, the Mental Health Hotline 1323 provides free consultation 24 hours a day, and it explicitly serves people who may have gambling disorder⁵. If you are in Thailand and feeling desperate, 1323 is the number to call first.

For South Korea, the helpline landscape is covered in detail on our regional page, gambling help lines in Asia, which lists numbers, hours and languages across twelve jurisdictions. If you are an expat or visitor anywhere in the region and unsure which line serves you, the page on gambling help for expats and visitors is written for your situation.

Self-exclusion and family exclusion services offered through the helplines

For many callers, the most useful thing a helpline can do is help you put distance between you and gambling. That is what self-exclusion does: it is a formal request to be refused entry to casinos, or refused service on betting platforms, for a set period.

In Singapore, the NCPG helpline is the route to all of it: self-exclusions and visit limits, family exclusions and visit limits, third-party exclusions, and exclusions that apply automatically by law¹. The NCPG publishes a step-by-step guide to self-exclusion so you know what the application involves before you call²³, and the council's pages on self-exclusions and visit limits explain the different orders available²⁴. Singapore Pools, which runs the legal betting products, also runs self-exclusion from its online betting and jackpot machine rooms, and application is free²⁵.

In the Philippines, PAGCOR's exclusion program includes Family Exclusion or Banning, designed for loved ones, meaning a spouse, child or parents, who need help with a relative's problem gambling¹⁵. In Singapore, the same idea exists: if your family member has caused financial or emotional distress to the family through gambling, a family member can apply to limit or stop their access to gambling facilities¹².

In Japan, the consultation services described above can guide you to counseling, and the self-check tools let you see where you stand first¹⁶. In Macau, self-exclusion is the DICJ process described earlier, and counseling from problem gambling prevention institutions is offered as an optional part of it rather than a requirement.

If you want to compare how long exclusions last and what they cover across the region, see how to self-exclude from gambling in Asia, and if you are wondering what happens to your accounts and balances afterwards, read what happens after you self-exclude.

If you are at a casino right now

In Singapore, casino operators are required to assist patrons who seek help on responsible gambling matters or who display signs of problem gambling²⁷. In practice, that means you can approach staff and ask about self-exclusion on the spot. In Macau, the DICJ self-exclusion process described earlier in this article is the formal route, and casino operators work within it.

If you are in a casino and feeling desperate, you do not have to explain everything. Saying that you want to be excluded, or that you need to speak to someone about gambling, is enough to start. You can follow up with a helpline call afterwards, when you are somewhere quiet.

What to expect when you call

Every line on this page is confidential. In the Philippines, the NPGH's trained para-counselors and mental health professionals provide confidential assistance and counseling². In Singapore, you can remain anonymous as a caller or WebChat user¹. Nobody will force you to give your name, and nobody will contact your family or employer because you called.

A typical first call goes like this. You say, in your own words, what has been happening. The person who answers listens, asks a few questions to understand how urgent things are, and then lays out options: counseling near you, a self-test if you want one, self-exclusion if you want a barrier, and, if you mention feeling suicidal, a referral to crisis support. The NCPG's counseling services page describes the range of follow-up help available after the first call¹³.

If you are not sure your gambling is "bad enough" to call about, take the NCPG self-test first¹⁰, or read the council's guidance on when gambling becomes a problem¹¹. But the threshold is lower than most people assume: the helpline exists for anyone who may be gambling excessively, not only for people in crisis¹².

If you are worried about someone else

Family members can call, and in much of Asia the system is built for them. In Hong Kong, the 1834 633 hotline offers immediate initial counseling to problem gamblers and their families¹⁹. In Japan, the consultation services accept requests from family members who feel gambling is no longer fun for someone close to them⁹, and the National Association of Families of Gambling Addicts exists specifically for relatives¹⁷. In Thailand, the GLO help channel is explicitly open to you or someone in your family⁹.

In Singapore, the NCPG asks directly whether someone you know needs help, and family members can apply for exclusion orders on a relative's behalf when gambling has caused financial or emotional distress to the family¹². In the Philippines, spouses, children and parents can apply for a Family Exclusion through PAGCOR¹⁵.

If you want to spot the warning signs before making that call, see signs a family member or partner has a gambling problem, and for the support available to relatives themselves, see help for families of problem gamblers.

Costs and availability: which lines are free and which charge airtime

Most of the lines on this page cost nothing beyond normal call rates, but there are a few details worth knowing.

In Singapore, airtime charges apply for mobile calls to 1800 service lines, so the National Problem Gambling Helpline is free from a landline but may cost a little from a mobile¹. The WebChat avoids call charges entirely¹. Self-exclusion applications in Singapore are free²⁵.

In Japan, the Public Sports Gambling Addiction Counseling Center's 0120-321-153 line is a freephone number, so calls are toll free⁷. The 0570-007-221 consultation line uses standard Navi Dial rates.

In Thailand, the Mental Health Hotline 1323 is free, around the clock⁵.

One option further afield: GambleAware in New South Wales, Australia, runs a Chinese-language service at 1800 858 858 that is free of charge, available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, with confidential counseling in Mandarin and interpreters available if needed²⁹. It exists for NSW residents, but its model, free, anonymous, multilingual counseling, is the standard the region's services are moving toward.

Whatever your situation, the first call is the hardest one. After that, the people on these lines do the walking with you.