If you need help with a gambling problem or you want to talk about how your life has been impacted by someone else’s gambling, the AFM Youth Services has counsellors you can talk to about this.

How to Get Help – AFM Services

( Click to Open | Click to Close )

AFM offers counselling for alcohol, other drugs, and gambling issues. We have 26 offices throughout Manitoba and offer counselling services for youth ages 12 to 19. Help and information is also available for family members.

AFM Youth Gambling Services has a strong commitment to promote responsible gambling through education, prevention, counselling services and research. For more information visit our website at www.afm.mb.ca.

To get confidential help and support, and to speak to someone by phone anytime of night or day, call the AFM Gambling Help line toll free at 1-800-463-1554 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. It just might be your best bet! Remember that all calls are anonymous and services are available in many languages.

Different Levels of Gambling

( Click to Open | Click to Close )

Non-gamblers: This is when a person chooses not to gamble.

Play once in a while: This is when a person gambles for fun or entertainment and it doesn’t cause problems for them.

Play regularly without problems: This is when a person spends money they can afford to lose and sees gambling as fun or entertainment.

Play often and it’s a problem: This is when a person gambles money they cannot afford to lose.

The following is often true for people who have a problem with gambling:

• They might have forgotten about important things in their life such as family, friends, work or school.
• They often enjoy winning and the feelings they get when they are gambling. This feeling can be so powerful that they may not be able to stop gambling even if they know that their gambling may not be a healthy part of their life.
• It might seem that gambling is all they think about.

The good news is that people can make changes to their gambling if they want to. Some people are able to make these changes on their own. They may see how gambling has affected their lives and decide to make a change. For others, counselling or support groups are very helpful for them.

Sometimes it is important for people who care about the person who is having a problem with gambling to talk about it too. There are programs and counsellors that can help.

More Help Resources

( Click to Open | Click to Close )

• You could also talk to someone you trust like a family member, teacher, principal, guidance counsellor, AFM counsellor, elder, rabbi, pastor, priest or a friend.
• The Kids Help Phone is also there to listen and is confidential. Their phone number is 1-800-668-6868.
• Klinic Crisis Line: 1-888-322-3019
• Gamblers Anonymous is a support group for people who are having problems with their gambling. It is anonymous, which means that you don’t share your last name. Call the gambling help line or look in the local phone book for the meeting nearest you.
• Gamanon is a support group for people who are being affected by someone else’s gambling. It is anonymous, which means you don’t share your last name. Call the gambling help line or look in the local phone book for the meeting nearest you.

Is Gambling a Problem for You?

( Click to Open | Click to Close )

Gambling may be a problem for you if:

• You have ever felt like you should stop gambling but don’t think you can
• Someone else is worried about your gambling and talked to you
• You feel bad about your gambling or wish you had not spent money on gambling
• You’ve borrowed money to gamble and have not paid it back
• You’ve gambled more than you planned to and tried to win back money you lost
• You find yourself thinking about gambling all the time
• You’ve told people that you were winning when you actually were not
• You have tried to hide your gambling

If you answered yes to more than a few of these questions, you may want to talk to someone about your gambling. Call the gambling Helpline: 1-800-463-1554.

Is Gambling a Problem for Someone You Know?

( Click to Open | Click to Close )

Some people do not gamble themselves but are affected by someone else’s gambling. Questions to Ask yourself:

• Do you worry about someone else’s gambling?
• Do you feel embarrassed about someone else’s gambling?
• Do you feel hurt or angry about someone else’s gambling?
• Have you given up activities that you enjoy because of someone’s gambling?
• Have you lent money to them and not been paid back?
• Have you tried to control someone else’s gambling, or felt that they spent too much money on gambling?

If you answered yes to more than a few of these questions you may want to talk to someone about how you feel. Call the Gambling Helpline: 1-800-463-1554.