Gambling Help in English, Chinese and Other Languages Across Asia

Helplines in English and Chinese: the main numbers

If you need to talk to someone today, the fastest route is a phone helpline. The three strongest options for English and Chinese speakers in Asia are Singapore's National Problem Gambling Helpline, Hong Kong's 1834 633 line, and the Philippines' National Problem Gambling Helpline. All three are free, confidential and staffed by trained people rather than a recorded menu.

Singapore's helpline number is 1800-6-668-668⁶. It is run by the National Council on Problem Gambling and doubles as a webchat service, so you can type instead of talk if that feels easier. The webchat and phone line are available daily from 8am to 11pm¹. The same council also handles self-exclusion and visit limits, so a single call can start both counseling and a formal exclusion if you want one⁶.

Hong Kong's main number is 1834 633, known as the Problem Gambling Helpline⁷. It is supported by all four of the city's gambling counseling and treatment centers, which means the person who answers can refer you straight into face-to-face counseling near where you live². The line is funded through the Ping Wo Fund, which exists specifically to deliver counseling, treatment and support to problem gamblers⁸.

The Philippines' National Problem Gambling Helpline is (02) 8248-9568⁹. It launched on May 26, 2026, in partnership with the Seagulls Flock Organization, and runs 24 hours a day, seven days a week³. It is staffed by trained para-counselors and mental health professionals who provide confidential assistance and counseling³. If you prefer a peer group rather than a helpline, Gamblers Anonymous Philippines can be reached on 0915 938 2808¹⁰.

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

Singapore is the easiest place in the region to get help in your own language, because the country's four official languages are all supported somewhere in the system. The National Problem Gambling Helpline is 1800-6-668-668, and it is the number to call whether you are a citizen, a foreign resident on a work pass, or a visitor who got into trouble during a short stay⁶.

The helpline connects you to counseling services, and the same council runs self-exclusions and visit limits, family exclusions, third-party exclusions and exclusions by law¹. That matters practically: if you decide you want to be barred from the casinos at Marina Bay Sands or Resorts World Sentosa, you do not need a separate appointment with a different agency. One call starts the process.

If you would rather not phone, the webchat runs on the same daily schedule, 8am to 11pm¹. You can also contact the council on 6354 8154 for administrative matters such as varying or revoking a third-party exclusion order or a visit limit¹¹. Singapore Pools, the state operator, publishes its own online betting self-exclusion process, so if your gambling is mostly online you can close that door separately¹².

For family members, Singapore allows a relative to apply for a Family Exclusion Order, which means a family member can apply to have someone barred rather than waiting for that person to act¹³. The helpline takes those calls too.

Hong Kong: Problem Gambling Helpline and counseling center numbers

Hong Kong's system is built around four counseling and treatment centers, and all four support the same hotline number: 1834 633¹⁴. That single number reaches trained counselors, and the centers also provide face-to-face treatment if you want it². The service is available in Cantonese, English and Mandarin, and all information is treated in strict confidence¹⁵.

The Ping Wo Fund pays for this work. It was set up to deliver counseling, treatment and support to problem gamblers, and the Hong Kong Jockey Club contributes to it continuously⁸. The Jockey Club also prints the treatment and counseling hotline on all of its responsible gambling warning messages, information leaflets and betting websites, so you will see 1834 633 on any betting slip or screen¹⁶.

One of the centers, the Problem Gambling Counselling and Treatment Centre, can be reached directly on 6829 8764¹⁷. Its opening hours are Monday, Tuesday and Thursday from 10am to 6pm, and Wednesday, Friday and Saturday from 10am to 10pm. It is closed on Sundays and public holidays¹⁷. The Tsuen Wan service runs the same hours¹⁸.

If you are not sure whether your gambling is a problem yet, the Jockey Club publishes a self-test you can take online before you call anyone¹⁵. It is a low-pressure way to check where you stand, and it is available in English and Chinese¹⁹.

Philippines: National Problem Gambling Helpline (02) 8248-9568

The Philippines launched its National Problem Gambling Helpline on May 26, 2026, and it is the newest of the region's major lines³. The number is (02) 8248-9568, and it operates 24 hours a day, every day⁹. Because it never closes, it is a realistic option if you are calling late at night or from a different time zone.

The line is staffed by trained para-counselors and mental health professionals who give confidential assistance and counseling³. PAGCOR, the country's gaming regulator, has ordered that gambling advertising be replaced with problem gambling helpline materials, so the number now appears in places where gambling ads used to run³.

PAGCOR also runs a Family Exclusion and Banning program for loved ones, specifically spouses, children and parents, who need help with someone else's problem gambling²⁰. That is a practical route if the person gambling will not seek help themselves. Gamblers Anonymous Philippines offers peer support on 0915 938 2808 for people who prefer a group setting¹⁰.

Japan, Malaysia and other countries: where to find local support

Japan's support system is split by the type of gambling.

• For public racing, the Japan Racing Association publishes a "How to Bet" guide in English, Korean and Chinese, in both traditional and simplified characters, so visitors and residents can read the rules and the responsible gambling information in their own script²¹.
• The public racing gambling addiction counseling center takes bookings on weekdays from 9am to 5pm, excluding Saturdays, Sundays, national holidays and the year-end and New Year period²².
• There is also a dedicated SPAT4 line for gambling disorder, open weekdays from 10am to 5pm²².

Macau takes a different approach. Responsible Gambling Information Kiosks are set up at all operating casinos in the gaming area, and in the community at Social Welfare Bureau offices and counseling centers²³. If you are in Macau and want help, you can walk into a casino and find the kiosk without needing to make an appointment or speak to staff first. Macau also allows a person to request exclusion from all or part of the city's casinos, and an excluded person may choose to accept or decline counseling services from problem gambling prevention bodies²⁴.

For Chinese speakers anywhere in the region, Australia's GambleAware service is worth knowing about. Its helpline 1800 858 858 is free of charge, and when you call you can speak in Mandarin with a professional counselor⁴. The service specifically notes that its counselors understand Chinese culture, which matters if you are explaining family pressure or money problems that do not translate cleanly⁴.

Malaysia does not run a single national gambling helpline in the same way Singapore and Hong Kong do. If you are in Malaysia, the practical options are the online services below, a local hospital or clinic, or a counselor who works in your language. The same applies in Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia and India, where support tends to run through mental health services rather than dedicated gambling lines.

Gambling Therapy: free online support in over 150 languages

If there is no helpline in your language or your country, Gambling Therapy is the service to know. It offers free online support in over 150 languages, which covers essentially every language spoken by expats and migrant workers in Asia⁵. You do not need to be in a country with a dedicated gambling line to use it.

The service works through text-based support, so you can write in your first language rather than trying to explain a complicated situation in English. That is a real advantage if you are describing debt, family pressure or a pattern of chasing losses that is hard to put into words in a second language.

For blocking tools, BetBlocker and GamBan are effective software programs that block online gambling websites and apps⁵. They run on your devices and stop you from opening the sites in the first place. They work best alongside counseling and a formal self-exclusion, because they cover your phone and computer but not a land-based venue or a device you have not installed them on.

If you want to understand what is happening to you before you call anyone, the signs of a gambling problem and the self-assessment tests pages explain what to look for. If gambling has pushed you into debt, the debt help page covers credit and debt counseling. And if you are a family member rather than the person gambling, there is a separate page for you.