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Confronting a personal gambling addiction is difficult.
The Gambless app wants to remove the stigma and put the tools in the palm of your hand.
Billed as the world’s first mobile app that provides a holistic approach to mental health for problem gamblers, Gambless is available on the Apple App Store and Google Play.
It seems like it’s the next step in the evolution of American gambling, which comes in all forms and states and is accessible on your phone. You can place a bet in just a few taps. Now help is available on the device too.
“Gambless is designed not only for individuals dealing with gambling addiction, but it’s also useful as a prevention tool — a proper mental health app that can help users with other struggles, which can in turn lead to the development of a gambling addiction,” said Gambless CEO Maurizio Savino, who’s based in Italy, in a Sportshandle.com article on the app.
What’s on the Gambless App?
I downloaded the Gambless App on my phone, signed in, and created a password. The initial screen prompts me to take one of three tests to gauge whether I have a gambling problem.
The good news is I scored an 83 on the Gamblers IQ test, which shows I read a lot about the US gambling industry and how it works. I also keep my bets low. It also has a test listed as Problem Gambling Diagnostic and a Risk Factor Assessment.
The tests are all quick and straightforward. It asks whether you’ve ever borrowed money from someone to gamble and whether you wake up and think about gambling and chase bigger paydays.
Gambless says it provides over 100 actionable activities to help people cope with addictive behaviors and that 3% of the adult population have some degree of a gambling problem, and only half of them will ever receive treatment.
Gambless provides a spot where you can journal and keep tabs on your emotional state. The Gambless Facebook page sold a calendar where you could mark your recovery progress.
The app does not provide a live function to speak with a professional therapist.
Who is behind Gambless?
The app has its roots in Italy and states it was created by a team of professionals specializing in people with addictive disorders.
Gambless also touts the opportunity to be a resource for individuals struggling with other stress and mental health issues. It is a partnership with Mindspa Health that has written the curriculum. The app has been up for awards as the best new platform.
Savino said that while the app is useful for consumers, he had hoped to broaden its availability by connecting with various gambling companies worldwide and having them integrate the app’s offerings into their own responsible gaming efforts. Savino was critical of the industry for not doing more.
“There is a lot of talk in the industry about responsible gaming, but it seems that companies are just interested in the visibility party,” Savino told Sportshandle.
Can it really work for problem gambling?
The app has a smooth interface and looks sleek and smart. The advice is sound, but if more extensive help is needed there is nothing that beats an interpersonal conversation with a professional health provider.
However, the beauty of Gambless is its ubiquity. It’s right there on your phone. You may not want to tell a friend or your spouse that you are worried about your gambling habits, but the opportunity to look discreetly at an app can be the start down a road toward healing.
