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Self-test · 9 criteria · 3 min

DSM-5 checklist

The nine criteria clinicians use to identify gambling disorder, rephrased as plain questions. Think about the past 12 months.

Private by design. Everything runs in your browser. We don't store, send or track your answers — and this is a screening aid, not a diagnosis.

In the past 12 months…

0 of 9 answered

  1. 01Do you need to gamble with increasing amounts of money to get the excitement you want?
  2. 02Do you feel restless or irritable when you try to cut down or stop gambling?
  3. 03Have you made repeated unsuccessful efforts to control, cut back or stop gambling?
  4. 04Are you often preoccupied with gambling — reliving past bets, planning the next one or thinking of ways to get money to gamble?
  5. 05Do you often gamble when you feel distressed — for example helpless, guilty, anxious or low?
  6. 06After losing money, do you often return another day to get even ("chasing" losses)?
  7. 07Do you lie to conceal how much you are gambling?
  8. 08Have you jeopardised or lost a significant relationship, job, or educational or career opportunity because of gambling?
  9. 09Do you rely on others to provide money to relieve a desperate financial situation caused by gambling?

About the DSM-5 criteria

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), published by the American Psychiatric Association, moved gambling disorder into the "substance-related and addictive disorders" chapter in 2013 — recognising that it affects the brain's reward system in similar ways to substances. The World Health Organization's ICD-11 lists it under code 6C50.

Learn more in gambling disorder explained and read about treatment options.

Frequently asked questions

What is gambling disorder in DSM-5?

DSM-5 classifies gambling disorder as a behavioural addiction. Diagnosis requires persistent, problematic gambling with at least four of nine criteria within a 12-month period, not better explained by a manic episode.

What do mild, moderate and severe mean?

Clinicians describe 4–5 criteria as mild, 6–7 as moderate and 8–9 as severe. The severity can change over time and with treatment.

Can I diagnose myself with this checklist?

No. The criteria wording here is paraphrased for self-reflection. A diagnosis can only be made by a qualified clinician after a proper assessment.