Deciding to stop is the hardest part, and you’ve already started. Here’s a step-by-step plan built on what research and clinical guidelines say actually helps.
To stop betting, set a clear goal, cut off access, take money out of easy reach, plan for your triggers and get support. Therapy, especially CBT, has the best evidence. Slips are common and don’t mean you’ve failed: what matters is getting straight back to the plan.
Step 1: Decide your goal
Most people aim to stop completely, and UK clinical guidance says that’s the usual goal of treatment. Some people try to cut down, but control is hard to keep up, and many who start there later decide to stop.
Write down why you’re stopping: your debts, your family, your sleep, your peace of mind. Keep the list on your phone and read it when urges hit.
Step 2: Cut off access
- Self-exclude from every account. Every large licensed operator we checked offers self-exclusion. In Lagos, the SafePlay register excludes you from every licensed operator at once.
- Install a blocking app on every phone and laptop you use. Blockers also cover unlicensed and offshore sites that self-exclusion misses. BetBlocker is free.
- Delete betting apps and saved logins, and stop walking past betting shops.
- Turn off the marketing. Unsubscribe from emails and texts and turn off app notifications. In an Australian trial, bettors who did this placed 23% fewer bets and spent 39% less.
No single barrier is enough on its own; people do find ways round them. Several barriers together buy you time when an urge hits.
Our guide to getting help for gambling addiction in Nigeria explains self-exclusion and blocking in more detail.
Step 3: Put money out of reach
- Pay rent, food, school fees and bills on payday, before anything else.
- Agree with someone you trust to hold your cards or manage your money for a while.
- Carry little cash, and ask your bank what limits it can set on your account.
- Don’t treat betting as income or a side hustle.
- Ask friends and family not to lend you money, even if you ask them to.
If you’re already in debt, our guide to betting debt covers what to do next.
Step 4: Know your triggers
Common triggers include match days and weekends, evenings alone, payday, money worries, boredom, stress, adverts and friends who bet. In one study, slips most often happened in the evening, alone, while thinking about money.
- Plan your match times. Watch with friends who don’t bet, or do something else during the big games.
- Fill the gaps that betting used to fill: exercise, a new hobby, time with people.
- When an urge hits, delay. Put the phone down, leave the room, call someone, go for a walk. Urges rise, peak and pass.
Step 5: Get support
- Therapy. CBT has the strongest evidence. It helps you handle urges and the “I can win it back” thinking. You can find a therapist who works with addiction, privately, by video, voice or chat.
- People around you. Tell someone you trust what you’re doing and how they can help.
- Peer support. Talking to others who’ve been there helps many people, including in online forums such as Gambling Therapy’s.
Step 6: Plan for slips
Slips are common. In one follow-up study, only 8% of people who had recently quit stayed completely gambling-free for a year. A slip doesn’t send you back to the start.
- If you slip, stop, tell your support person, and look at what led to it.
- Tighten the barrier that failed, then get straight back to the plan.
- Don’t let shame make it bigger. UK guidance says relapse isn’t a personal failure; it’s something to learn from.
Recovery is common: about a third of people with a gambling problem recover, many without formal treatment, and support makes it more likely.
Suggested read: Starting Over After 40: Job Loss in Nigeria
Read more about sports betting addiction and addiction.
If things feel hopeless
The hours after a big loss can be the hardest. If you’re having thoughts of ending your life, call Safe Place Nigeria on 0800 800 2000, or Lagos Lifeline on 0700 000 6463. Both are free and open 24 hours. If you’re in immediate danger, call 112, or 767 in Lagos.
Frequently asked questions
How do I stop betting completely?
Set a clear goal, self-exclude, block betting sites, take money out of easy reach, plan for your triggers and get support. Therapy, especially CBT, has the strongest evidence.
Can I stop betting on my own?
Some people do, but support makes it more likely to last. Tell someone you trust, and consider a therapist or a peer support group.
What if I relapse?
Slips are common and don’t wipe out your progress. Stop, tell someone, work out what triggered it, strengthen your barriers and get back to your plan.
Do blocking apps work?
They help, especially alongside self-exclusion and money controls, but people can find ways round any single tool. Use several barriers together.
How long does it take to stop betting?
It’s different for everyone. Urges usually weaken as the weeks without betting add up, but planning for slips helps you stay on track.
This article is awaiting clinical review. It’s based on published research and health guidelines, and we’ll update it once a clinician has reviewed it.
