Brief Biosocial Gambling Screen (BBGS)
Brief screens, like the BBGS, can help people understand their relationship with gambling and decide whether to consider changing their gambling behavior. To screen for potential gambling-related problems, please complete the following questions.
- During the past 12 months, have you become restless, irritable or anxious when trying to stop/cut down on gambling? (Yes / No)
- During the past 12 months, have you tried to keep your family or friends from knowing how much you gambled? (Yes / No)
- During the past 12 months did you have such financial trouble as a result of your gambling that you had to get help with living expenses from family, friends or welfare? (Yes / No)
If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, you might be at risk for serious gambling harms. The following resources might help you decide whether to try changing your relationship with gambling.
Getting Help
- Massachusetts Problem Gambling Helpline provides referrals to licensed problem gambling treatment services for those seeking professional counseling, as well as referrals to recovery support services. To find outpatient counseling or support services, call (800) 327-5050 or visit gambling.helplinema.org/pg-search.
- National Problem Gambling Helpline provides information about local resources for those seeking help for a gambling problem in all 50 states, Canada, and the US Virgin Islands. Call 1-800-GAMBLER (1-800-426-2537) or find local treatment options online at ncpgambling.org/help-treatment/help-by-state.
- The Lower Risk Gambling Guidelines show you how to lower the risks and harms associated with your gambling.
- Gamblers Anonymous (GA) is a community of self-help recovery support groups based on the same 12-step concept as Alcoholics Anonymous. To find a meeting near you, visit gamblersanonymous.org/ga/locations. To talk to a GA representative in your area, call your local hotline number found at gamblersanonymous.org/ga/hotlines.
- SMART Recovery is a community of mutual support groups open to anyone seeking science-based, self-empowered addiction recovery. To find an online meeting or in-person meeting near you, visit meetings.smartrecovery.org/meetings.
- GamTalk is an online support community for individuals experiencing problems with gambling. To chat online, visit gamtalk.org/chat.
- Gam-Anon is a community of self-help support groups for family members and loved ones of individuals experiencing problems with gambling. To find a meeting near you, visit gam-anon.org/meeting-directory.
- Your First Step to Change is a free self-help toolkit to help start the journey toward understanding and changing your gambling behavior.
- Hear directly from people who have lived experience with gambling-related problems by accessing informational podcasts, like the After Gambling Podcast, or discussion forums, like Reddit’s r/problemgambling.
- Visit the Division on Addiction’s Information about Gambling Disorder webpage to learn more about problem gambling and Gambling Disorder.
This information is for your general knowledge and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Please consult a trained healthcare provider to seek out a formal evaluation, treatment, and advice.