Reviewed by: Madina Abdrakhmanova, addiction psychologist · updated 6 Nov 2026
Key facts
- ICD-10 code
- F63.0
- Who provides care
- A psychiatrist and a psychotherapist
- Format
- Video consultations and online CBT sessions
- Duration
- 50-minute sessions, a course of 2–4 months
- Anonymity
- Confidential, medical confidentiality under Kazakhstan law
- When it’s urgent
- Suicidal thoughts because of debt — call 103, 112 or the 150 helpline
- Outcome
- Control over the urge to gamble and a plan for managing finances
What you should know
In ICD-10, pathological gambling is classified among habit and impulse disorders, while ICD-11 places it next to substance addictions as a disorder due to addictive behavior. This reflects the scientific evidence: gambling activates the same dopamine reward mechanisms as substance use. The unpredictability of winning is especially powerful — the brain reacts to a “near miss” almost the same way it reacts to a real win.
Online casinos, sports betting and gaming apps are available 24/7 on your phone, so it makes sense to get help in the same format. At Psychiatry Online, a video appointment lets you start working at the very moment you have made up your mind, without waiting for a slot. Long winter evenings and windy weather, when you don’t want to leave home, are often high-risk times — and that is exactly when you can connect with a specialist from any district, from Saryarka to the new neighborhoods of Yesil.
Signs of Gambling Addiction
- the time and money you spend gambling keep growing, even though you planned to stop
- after a loss, you feel an urge to “win it back” as soon as possible
- you hide bets, loans and the real size of your debts from loved ones
- thoughts about gambling take up a large part of the day and interfere with work
- without gambling you feel irritable, anxious and can’t sleep
- you have to take out payday loans or sell belongings to keep playing
- attempts to limit gambling or delete apps end with you going back to it
If heavy drinking has lasted more than two or three days, or there is shaking, vomiting, blood-pressure spikes or insomnia, you need a doctor rather than stopping alone. An online consultation is free and helps assess the risks before a visit. For seizures, confusion or hallucinations call 103 or 112.
Why It’s So Hard to Stop Gambling
Gambling is built on a variable reinforcement schedule: wins are unpredictable, and this reinforces behavior more strongly than anything else. Neuroimaging studies show that in people with gambling addiction, the reward system reacts more strongly to gambling cues, while control by the prefrontal cortex is weakened. Cognitive distortions add to this: the illusion of control, belief in a “system,” and the gambler’s fallacy — the conviction that a win must follow a run of losses.
Gambling addiction often co-occurs with depression, anxiety disorders, ADHD and alcohol use. Gambling becomes a way to escape tension and boredom. Financial losses increase stress, and the person gambles again to solve the problem — creating a vicious circle. That is why clinical guidelines require mandatory assessment of mood and suicide risk.
How Online Treatment for Gambling Addiction Works
At the first session, the specialist asks about the types of gambling, frequency, amounts, debts and previous attempts to stop, and screens for depression and anxiety. Privacy is essential: join from a room where you cannot be overheard, using headphones. Prepare an honest picture of your spending over the past few months — it will help assess the scale of the problem. A plan is then agreed on: weekly CBT sessions, urge management techniques, blocking access to gambling and financial restrictions.
Almost all psychotherapy can be done online, but if severe depression, bipolar disorder or substance dependence is identified, an in-person psychiatric examination and further tests may be needed. If you have thoughts of suicide because of debt, call 103 or 112 immediately; teenagers and young people can also call the 150 helpline.
How we help
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
CBT is the method with the strongest evidence base for gambling addiction. The patient learns to recognize cognitive distortions: belief in luck, the illusion of control and the gambler’s fallacy. At the same time, practical skills are practiced: an action plan for urges, replacing gambling with other activities and analyzing high-risk situations. Homework and a diary are easy to keep online.
Motivational Interviewing
Many people come with mixed feelings: they understand the harm but are not ready to quit completely. Motivational interviewing helps sort through these contradictions and strengthen the person’s own reasons for change. Short motivational sessions by video work well at the start of treatment, when resolve is still shaky.
Financial Restrictions and Stimulus Control
An important part of the program is changing the environment: deleting apps, setting up blocks, self-excluding from gambling platforms and temporarily handing control of bank cards to a trusted person. The specialist helps draw up a plan for talking to creditors and family in order to reduce the stress that fuels gambling and the urge to win money back.
Treating Co-occurring Disorders
If gambling is a way of coping with depression or anxiety, progress will be unstable unless these conditions are treated. A psychiatrist assesses whether medication such as antidepressants or mood stabilizers is needed. Prescribing requires an in-person stage under Kazakhstan regulations, while monitoring is done online.
Myths and facts
MythGambling addiction is just weak willpower
FactIt is a recognized disorder involving changes in the reward system and impulse control. Willpower matters, but without understanding the mechanisms and having skills to manage urges, promises alone are not enough. Treatment helps restore control.
MythOne big win is all it takes to pay off the debts
FactA win only reinforces the behavior: the brain gets a powerful reward, and the gambling continues. Statistically, gambling is designed so that the player loses in the long run. Solving financial problems starts with stopping gambling.
MythOnline therapy doesn’t work for addiction
FactCBT for gambling addiction works well in a video session format. This format is even more convenient, because urges often arise at home with a phone in hand, and skills are practiced in the same environment where the problem occurs.
How an online appointment works
- Message or callWrite on WhatsApp or call — our coordinator replies within minutes, day or night. You don't have to give your surname.
- Doctor and timeWe match you with a psychiatrist, addiction specialist or psychotherapist and agree on a time — often the same day.
- Video consultationA secure 50–60 minute video call: the doctor takes a detailed history and uses standardised scales if needed.
- Treatment planYou receive a clear summary, recommendations and a plan: what we do online and what needs an in-person visit or home call.
- Follow-upOnline follow-up sessions, messenger contact with your doctor, and treatment adjustments until you get a stable result.
Prices in Astana
| Online addiction specialist consultation | 12 000 ₸ |
| Online addiction therapy session | 15 000 ₸ |
| Online support program (one month) | 80 000 ₸ |
The final cost is agreed before treatment starts. Prices are in tenge and do not constitute a public offer.
Where to get help
You can book in Astana online or at one of two branches: 72 Bogenbay batyra St., Astana, 37 Petrova St., office 23, Astana. Our coordinator replies on WhatsApp within minutes at any time, and a doctor usually connects by video the same day; home visits are available too — all city districts and nearby settlements.
Confidential and private
An online appointment in Astana is first of all about privacy: no clinic visit, no waiting room. A private room and headphones are enough. Data is stored in a secure system with restricted access and does not enter any state registry without legal grounds.
Questions and answers
Can gambling addiction be cured completely?
The goal of treatment is stable remission, in which the person controls their behavior and does not return to gambling. Many people achieve this after a course of CBT and follow-up sessions. It is important to remember that the risk of relapse remains, so relapse prevention skills need to be maintained after the course ends.
Is medication needed for pathological gambling?
There are few medications with proven effectiveness specifically for gambling addiction; psychotherapy is the foundation. Medications are mainly used to treat co-occurring depression, anxiety or other disorders. The decision is made by a psychiatrist after an assessment, and prescriptions follow Kazakhstan regulations.
How can I help a loved one who gambles?
Don’t give money to pay off debts without a treatment plan, and don’t hide the problem from other family members — but don’t blame them either. Suggest attending an online consultation together. Relatives can have a separate consultation on how to protect the family budget.
Will my employer find out about my treatment?
No. Information about your visit is protected by medical confidentiality under the Code of the Republic of Kazakhstan “On Public Health and the Healthcare System.” For civil servants and bank employees, who are particularly worried about others finding out, the online format with an anonymous first appointment is the most comfortable option.
What should I do when the urge is very strong?
Put your phone down, change your surroundings, call someone you trust and use the delay technique: the decision whether to gamble is made not now, but in 30 minutes. In CBT sessions, you will create a personal plan that works specifically for you.
How much does treatment cost and how long does it take?
The cost depends on the format and number of sessions — you can check with the administrator. A course of CBT usually takes 8–16 sessions, followed by booster sessions as needed. The online format saves travel time, especially in the winter months.
Where can I be seen in Astana?
Online — from anywhere in the city or region. In person — at two branches: 72 Bogenbay batyra St., Astana and 37 Petrova St., office 23, Astana. Both are open 24/7; home visits cover all city districts and nearby settlements.
Sources and methodology
This page was prepared by the Psychiatry Online medical editorial team based on:
- International Classification of Diseases ICD-10 and ICD-11, World Health Organization
- Clinical diagnosis and treatment protocols of the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Kazakhstan
- Code of the Republic of Kazakhstan “On Public Health and the Healthcare System”
- NICE (UK) and APA (US) guidelines on the treatment of mental disorders
- WHO recommendations on telemedicine and digital health
This information is for reference only and does not replace a consultation with a specialist. Editorial policy
