Self-Assessment Tool — Chips & Truths

This self-assessment is a plain-language check on whether gambling is staying inside your limits or starting to run your decisions.

It is not a diagnosis. It is not a replacement for a counselor, doctor, financial adviser, or crisis service. Its job is simpler: help you look at the pattern honestly and choose a next step that fits the risk.

Answer based on the last 6 to 12 months. If something serious happened earlier but still affects your life now, count it too.

What This Tool Can Do	What It Cannot Do
Help you notice warning signs	Diagnose a gambling disorder
Show whether limits are holding	Prove that gambling is safe
Separate mild concern from urgent risk	Replace professional support
Give practical next steps	Fix debt, secrecy, or loss of control by itself

Be honest. The goal is not to get a good score. The goal is to stop minimizing a pattern that may already be costing more than money.

How To Use This Self-Check

Use a simple yes/no answer for each question.

Rule	How To Apply It
Answer from real behavior	Use what actually happened, not what you intended.
Count repeated near-misses	If you almost used bill money or almost lied, that still matters.
Do not average away serious signs	One major red flag can matter more than several mild ones.
Write down the result	A written answer is harder to soften later.
Take action before the next session	The best time to protect yourself is before the next urge.

If you are taking this because someone close to you is worried, answer the questions as they would describe your behavior, not only as you would defend it.

Quick Safety Check First

Before the full assessment, look at these urgent signs.

Question	If Yes
Are you gambling with rent, food, medicine, debt, family, or bill money?	Stop gambling and protect essential funds immediately.
Are you borrowing, using credit, or taking cash advances to gamble?	Treat this as a serious financial warning sign.
Are you hiding losses or accounts from someone who shares financial risk with you?	The problem is already affecting trust.
Do you feel unable to stay safe because of gambling stress, debt, or shame?	Seek immediate local emergency or crisis support.
Have you repeatedly tried to stop and been unable to?	Consider stronger tools such as blocking, support, or self-exclusion.

If any urgent sign is present, you do not need to finish the assessment before acting. Go to Get Help Now for immediate next steps.

The Questions

Answer yes or no.

#	Question	Your Answer
1	Do you gamble longer than you planned?
2	Do you spend more than you planned?
3	Have you chased losses by trying to win money back the same day or soon after?
4	Have you hidden gambling, losses, deposits, withdrawals, or debts from someone close to you?
5	Have you borrowed money, sold something, or used money meant for bills to keep gambling?
6	Do you feel restless, irritated, low, or anxious when you try to cut back?
7	Do you think about gambling often when you are not gambling?
8	Have you used gambling to escape stress, sadness, anger, loneliness, boredom, or pressure?
9	Have you broken promises to yourself or others about limits, breaks, or quitting?
10	Have you used credit, overdraft, payday money, or emergency money for gambling?
11	Has gambling caused tension at home, at work, at school, or in relationships?
12	Do you feel strong urges to return quickly after a loss?
13	Do wins make you stay longer instead of cashing out and leaving?
14	Have you felt ashamed, panicked, or out of control because of gambling?
15	Have other people shown concern about your gambling?
16	Do you feel gambling is one of the few things that gives you relief or excitement?
17	Have you tried to stop or cut back, then returned faster than expected?
18	Are you gambling to solve money problems?
19	Do you hide how much time you spend gambling or thinking about gambling?
20	Do you increase bet size when frustrated, excited, or trying to recover?
21	Have you skipped sleep, work, school, family time, or responsibilities because of gambling?
22	Do you feel the next win will make everything okay?

Do not argue with a yes. A yes means the pattern happened.

Scoring Your Answers

Count your total yes answers, then check whether any high-weight red flags are present.

Yes Answers	Risk Band	What It Usually Means
0 to 1	Low visible risk	No strong pattern appears from this self-check, but limits still matter.
2 to 4	Caution zone	Gambling may be pushing past healthy boundaries. Tighten controls now.
5 to 7	High concern	The pattern is likely causing harm or becoming harder to control.
8 or more	Serious risk	Gambling may be affecting money, emotions, trust, or daily life in a significant way.

The number is useful, but it is not the whole story. Some signs matter more than others.

High-Weight Red Flags

Treat the result as serious if you answered yes to any of these, even if your total score is not high.

Red Flag	Why It Matters
Borrowing to gamble	Debt pressure can make chasing stronger.
Using essential money	Gambling is competing with basic stability.
Hiding losses or accounts	Secrecy allows the pattern to grow.
Chasing losses	The goal has shifted from entertainment to recovery.
Gambling to solve money problems	Gambling is being treated as a financial plan.
Feeling unable to stop	Control is already weakened.
Panic, shame, or unsafe thoughts	Support may be needed now, not after another session.
Repeated failed attempts to quit	The current strategy is not strong enough.

A person with three heavy warning signs may be at greater risk than someone with five milder signs.

What Your Pattern May Be Saying

Use this table to translate answers into a practical concern.

Pattern In Your Answers	Possible Meaning	Next Step
Mostly time-related yes answers	Gambling may be taking too much life space	Add time limits and session alarms.
Mostly money-related yes answers	Gambling may be crossing affordability lines	Set loss limits and remove reload paths.
Mostly secrecy-related yes answers	Trust and accountability are already affected	Tell one trusted person and document the numbers.
Mostly emotion-related yes answers	Gambling may be serving as escape or relief	Add non-gambling support and avoid playing when distressed.
Mostly chasing-related yes answers	The session is being driven by recovery pressure	Take a break and use stronger barriers before playing again.
Many categories show yes answers	Harm is spreading across life areas	Use outside support, blocking tools, or self-exclusion.

The category matters because the right next step depends on what gambling is doing in your life.

Result Guide

Use the strongest row that fits your situation.

Result	Recommended Action
0 to 1 yes, no red flags	Keep clear money and time limits. Track sessions so small changes do not sneak up.
2 to 4 yes answers	Pause before the next session. Lower limits, remove backup funds, and review How To Set Limits.
5 to 7 yes answers	Take a fixed break from gambling. Tell someone you trust and use How To Track Losses to get the real numbers.
8 or more yes answers	Treat this as serious. Use support resources, account blocks, cool-offs, or self-exclusion before gambling again.
Any urgent red flag	Go to Get Help Now and protect essential money immediately.

Do not use a low score to excuse one dangerous sign. If you used rent money once, the total score is less important than protecting rent money now.

A 24-Hour Action Plan

If your answers worry you, do these before the next session.

Timeframe	Action
Next 10 minutes	Move essential money away from gambling access. Close apps or leave the venue.
Next hour	Write down the real loss total, including deposits, cash, transfers, ATM fees, credit, tips, and travel.
Today	Tell one trusted person the plain facts: amount lost, money owed, and what protection you need.
Before tomorrow	Set account limits, remove saved payment methods, or install blocking tools if online gambling is involved.
This week	Decide whether a longer break, support group, counselor, debt advice, or self-exclusion is needed.

The first step does not have to be perfect. It has to interrupt the loop.

If You Are Taking This For Someone Else

You can use the same questions to organize what you have noticed, but avoid turning the assessment into an argument.

Instead Of	Try
”You are obviously addicted."	"I am worried because I have noticed hidden withdrawals and broken promises.”
Demanding a perfect confession	Asking for one practical protection step today
Covering debts quietly	Protecting essentials while requiring transparency and support
Monitoring everything alone	Getting advice or support for yourself too
Waiting for proof beyond doubt	Acting on repeated patterns

For more detailed family guidance, read For Family Members.

When To Seek Help Immediately

Get support quickly if any of this is true:

Situation	Why It Is Urgent
You are using essential money	Basic stability is at risk.
You are borrowing or using credit to gamble	Debt can grow faster than the original loss.
You are hiding the situation and it is getting worse	Secrecy reduces accountability.
You feel trapped in a cycle of loss and return	Limits may not be enough right now.
Gambling is affecting sleep, work, relationships, mental health, or safety	The harm has moved beyond entertainment.

If there is immediate danger or thoughts of self-harm, contact local emergency or crisis support right now. If you are in the United States, you can call or text 988 for crisis support.

Bottom Line

A self-assessment is only useful if it leads to action.

If your score is low, keep your limits written and track your sessions. If your score is in the caution zone, tighten the controls before gambling again. If your score is high or any urgent red flag appears, use stronger protection and outside support.

Next steps: Signs Of Problem Gambling, When Gambling Stops Being Fun, Responsible Gambling Tools And Resources, and Get Help Now.