Responsible play

Help, limits and a way to stop

Playing the lottery costs money and returns less than it costs. That is arithmetic, not a judgement. If it has stopped being a small entertainment expense, here is where to get help and what you can switch off.

National Problem Gambling Helpline

1-800-522-4700

Call or text, 24 hours a day, every day of the year. Free, confidential, and available in English and Spanish. Chat is available at ncpgambling.org/chat.

National Council on Problem Gambling Gamblers Anonymous Gam-Anon (for family)988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline

A short self-assessment

Over the last twelve months, has any of the following been true? This is adapted from the Problem Gambling Severity Index. It is not a diagnosis. Answering yes to even one is a reason to talk to someone on the number above.

Have you bet more than you could really afford to lose?
Have you needed to spend more to get the same feeling of excitement?
Have you gone back another day to try to win back what you lost?
Have you borrowed money or sold anything to get money to play?
Have you felt that you might have a problem with gambling?
Has your playing caused you health problems, including stress or anxiety?
Have people criticised your playing, whether or not you thought it was justified?
Has your playing caused financial problems for you or your household?
Have you felt guilty about the way you play or about what happens when you play?

Your answers are yours. We do not ask you to record them here and we do not store them.

A plain note about budget

Every lottery game returns less than a dollar for every dollar wagered — typically between fifty and sixty-five cents, with the rest going to prizes already paid, retailers, and the state. Over time, spending on tickets trends toward that loss with mathematical reliability.

So decide the amount before you play, treat it as the cost of the entertainment rather than an investment, and never use money meant for rent, food, bills or debt. Chasing a loss with a bigger play does not change the odds of the next draw — draws are independent, and no number is ever due.

Tools you control

These settings live on this device. They are not a substitute for a state self-exclusion program, which is legally binding and covers actual purchases.

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State self-exclusion programs

Self-exclusion is a formal, legally recognised request to be barred from claiming prizes or entering gambling facilities in that state, for a fixed term or for life. Each state runs its own program; the official lottery site below is the entry point, and the helpline can walk you through it.