Scratchcard and lottery addiction: honest help when it has stopped being a flutter

Please read this first

If you’ve borrowed money, used credit or sold things to keep playing, or your debts feel out of control, please talk to someone today. The National Gambling Helpline is free, confidential and open 24 hours on 0808 8020 133.

Money worries can make everything feel hopeless. If you’re having thoughts of ending your life, Samaritans answer free on 116 123 at any hour, and if you’re in immediate danger, call 999.

Scratchcards and lottery tickets don’t look like the kind of gambling people worry about. They sit next to the milk and the newspapers, they’re cheap, and buying them feels like part of an ordinary shop. That’s exactly why a habit can creep up. A couple of cards with the shopping becomes five, the weekly draw becomes several draws plus instant win games on your phone, and the small amounts add up to a figure you’d rather not look at.

This page covers scratchcards, the National Lottery and other lottery draws, online instant win games and bingo, in a shop, a hall or an app. My main gambling page covers gambling more widely, and if slots and casino apps are the bigger problem, see online gambling.

Lottery tickets and scratchcards are among the most common forms of gambling in Great Britain. In the Gambling Commission’s Gambling Survey for Great Britain, 31% of adults taking part had bought National Lottery tickets in the past four weeks and 12% had bought scratchcards. The same survey found 2.4% of those taking part had a problem gambling score of 8 or more, and among people who played bingo online, the share with a score that high was at least five times that of all past-year gamblers (Gambling Commission, GSGB 2025).

Signs scratchcards or the lottery have become a problem

  • Spending any win on more cards, rather than keeping it
  • Spending more than you planned, or more than you can afford
  • Playing several draws or online games a week when it used to be one
  • Scratching cards in the car or outside the shop so nobody sees
  • Hiding tickets, receipts or bank statements
  • Feeling low, guilty or anxious about how much you spend

The NHS has a short gambling self-check that asks about the same kinds of things.

Where to get help with scratchcard and lottery gambling in the UK

  • Your GP. A confidential first step, particularly if gambling is affecting your sleep, mood or health, and they can point you to services near you.
  • The National Gambling Helpline. Free and confidential, day and night, on 0808 8020 133. GamCare runs it, and you can also use live chat or WhatsApp. Advisers help people who gamble and the friends and family around them.
  • NHS gambling clinics. In England you can self-refer to a specialist clinic near you, and clinics can also support the people close to you. See the NHS gambling guide
  • Blocking tools. GAMSTOP is free and stops you using gambling websites and apps for 6 months, 1 year or 5 years. Check whether the sites you use for the lottery, bingo or instant win games are covered, and look in your account settings for limits or self-exclusion as well. You can also ask your bank to block payments to gambling websites and apps.
  • Support groups. Gamblers Anonymous holds meetings every day of the week, and you don’t need an appointment.
  • For family and friends. GamAnon holds meetings for partners, relatives and friends of people who gamble.
  • Debt advice. StepChange and National Debtline (0808 808 4000) give free, confidential debt advice, and Citizens Advice can help too.

Where hypnotherapy fits

Adam Cox, clinical hypnotherapist

Hypnotherapy is not a treatment for gambling addiction, and I don’t offer it as one. Your GP, the National Gambling Helpline or an NHS clinic need to be part of your recovery.

Where I can help is alongside that care. Scratchcard and lottery habits are often tied to routines, like the corner shop on the way home, payday or the Saturday draw, and to feelings such as boredom, worry about money or hoping for a way out. In sessions we can work on stress, sleep and confidence, and on what you do instead when those moments come round. Stopping is still your decision and your effort, and sessions are there to support it.

Before we work together I’ll ask whether you’re getting support from the helpline, a clinic or your GP. If I think you need that first, I’ll tell you honestly.

How to stop buying scratchcards: things that help day to day

  • Change the shopping routine. If you always buy cards at the same shop, use a different one for a while, or ask someone else to pick up the basics.
  • Take only what you need. Go to the shop with enough cash for your list, and leave your cards at home if that helps.
  • Switch on a gambling block. Ask your bank to block payments to gambling websites and apps, and cancel any repeat lottery entries or subscriptions.
  • Clear your phone. Delete lottery, bingo and game apps, and unsubscribe from emails and texts about draws and offers.
  • Keep a record. Write down what you spend and win for a month. Seeing the total in black and white often shows the real cost.
  • Plan for your danger times. If payday or a big jackpot draw tends to set you off, decide in advance what you’ll do instead that day.

Common questions

Can you get addicted to scratchcards?

Yes. Any form of gambling can become a problem, and scratchcards and online instant win games are quick, so it’s easy to play one after another. If you’re spending more than you can afford or finding it hard to stop, the National Gambling Helpline is a good place to start.

Is playing the lottery every week a problem?

Not necessarily. For many people the weekly draw is a small, planned expense. It becomes a concern when you’re spending more than you can afford, chasing what you’ve spent, hiding it or feeling you can’t stop. The check above and the NHS self-check can help you see where you are.

Is it confidential?

Yes. What you tell me stays between us. As with any therapist, the only exception is if I believed you or someone else were at serious risk of harm.

I’m worried about someone’s scratchcard or lottery spending. What can I do?

The National Gambling Helpline supports family and friends as well as the person gambling, NHS gambling clinics can help families too, and GamAnon holds meetings for anyone affected by a loved one’s gambling. Getting support for yourself can help, whatever they decide to do.

Talk it through

If you’re already getting support and want help alongside it, book a £49 consultation call. We’ll talk about what’s happening and whether sessions could help with the stress, sleep and routines around your playing. Sessions take place one to one over Zoom, and you keep a recording of the hypnosis. See all session options and prices.

Book a consultation (£49)

Written by Adam Cox, clinical hypnotherapist. Sources: Gambling Commission, Gambling Survey for Great Britain annual report 2025; NHS gambling addiction guide; GamCare; GAMSTOP; Gamblers Anonymous; GamAnon; StepChange; National Debtline; Samaritans. Checked October 2026.