Gambling addiction test
Twelve questions about how you actually bet — frequency, chasing, what you hide, what a bad month costs. You get a dependence score out of 100 and the five-year price tag, on screen, before anything asks you for an email. It's the same test the Cashout app opens with, and it is a mirror, not a diagnosis.
How the score is calculated
Eight of the twelve questions are scored. Each answer is worth 0–3 points, and the questions carry different weight because they are not equally diagnostic: chasing losses counts double, and betting money you couldn't afford and the size of a bad month count one and a half times. The weighted total is expressed as a percentage of the maximum, which is the 0–100 number you see.
The other four questions — what you bet on, what triggers you, where it happens, what quitting would give you — don't move the score. They exist because a plan needs them, and because a number without a next step is just a bad afternoon.
What the bands mean
- Mild (under 35). The patterns are there but shallow. This is the cheapest possible moment to stop, and the one people most often talk themselves out of using.
- Moderate (35–64). Gambling is shaping decisions — what you tell people, what you can afford, what the month looks like. Willpower alone has usually already been tried by this point.
- Severe (65+). Frequency, chasing and concealment are all present together. Blocking layers matter more than motivation here, and so does telling one other human being.
What this test is not
It is not a diagnosis, and a low score is not permission. Gambling disorder is diagnosed by a clinician against DSM-5 criteria; validated screening instruments like the PGSI exist and are what researchers and counsellors use. This is a self-assessment built on the same patterns, designed to be honest and fast rather than clinical — the point is to replace a vague feeling with a number you can't unsee.
If the number frightened you, that reaction is useful information and the next move is not an app. Free, confidential helplines are listed here for every country we could verify one for — 1-800-GAMBLER in the US, 0808 8020 133 in the UK — and they are staffed by people who have heard worse than whatever you are about to say.
Common questions
Is this a real gambling addiction test?
It is a self-assessment, not a diagnosis. It asks about the patterns that clinicians look for — frequency, chasing losses, hiding it, betting money you can't afford — and turns them into a score you can act on. A validated screen like the PGSI, or a conversation with a counsellor, is what a diagnosis actually takes. Free help is on our crisis resources page.
How long does it take?
Twelve questions, about three minutes. Eight of them are scored; the other four shape the plan rather than the number.
Do I have to give my email to see my score?
No. The score appears the moment you answer the last question. There is a waitlist form underneath it, and ignoring it costs you nothing.
Are my answers stored?
Your answers never leave your browser — the scoring runs on your device, and there is no server to send them to. We record only that a test was completed, with the score band and a money band, never the answers themselves or any exact figure.
What counts as a high score?
The score runs 0–100. Under 35 is the mild band, 35–64 is moderate, and 65 or above is severe. The bands are a way to read the number, not a verdict — plenty of people in the mild band are still losing money they need.