Control and escalation
Betting more than you can afford and needing larger amounts for the same excitement.
Validated gambling-risk screener
Gambling Risk Screen (PGSI)
A fuller 9-item check of gambling behavior and consequences over the past 12 months. Get your 0–27 PGSI score and established category for free. This is not a diagnosis of Gambling Disorder.
What this doesFocused self-checkTimeAbout 3–5 minutesPrivacyNo signupResultFree full result
Free full result9 scored itemsAbout 3–5 minutesAdults 18+No signup
Full basic result · no account · no email · full basic result is free
Useful before signupSee the complete basic result first.
Method visiblePGSI: 9 items scored 0–3; total 0–27.
Private by defaultAnswers stay in this browser tab while you complete the assessment.
Instrument registrySee source, rights status and limitations →What you will do
Take a fuller look at gambling over the past 12 months.
After one eligibility question, you will answer nine PGSI questions using four frequency options. The questions cover gambling behavior and real-world consequences rather than relying on a single yes/no signal.
- One eligibility question confirms that the PGSI applies to you.
- Nine scored questions use Never, Sometimes, Most of the time, or Almost always.
- Your total runs from 0 to 27 with four established screening categories.
- Your score, category, limitations, and core next steps are always free.
What the PGSI measures
Nine signals covering both gambling behavior and real-world consequences.
The PGSI was designed for general-population measurement of gambling problems. It asks about the previous 12 months and goes beyond a simple Yes/No check.
Chasing and borrowing
Returning to win back losses and borrowing or selling things to fund gambling.
Recognition and feedback
Feeling you may have a problem and hearing concern or criticism from other people.
Health impact
Stress, anxiety, or other health problems connected with gambling.
Financial impact
Problems for you or your household caused by gambling.
Emotional impact
Guilt about gambling or what happens when you gamble.
Scoring and interpretation
A 0–27 score with four established PGSI categories.
Each item is scored 0 for Never, 1 for Sometimes, 2 for Most of the time, and 3 for Almost always. The nine items are summed.
0
No reported PGSI problems.
1–2
Low-risk range.
3–7
Moderate-risk range.
8–27
Problem-gambling range used by the index.
The category is not a Gambling Disorder diagnosis. It describes gambling-related risk and harm on this population screening measure.
Important limitation
Risk categories are not predictions.
A low- or moderate-risk score does not mean someone is destined to develop more severe problems, and a score of 0 does not override genuine concern about money, time, relationships, or control.
If gambling is causing distress or harm, real-world impact matters even when a questionnaire score looks lower.
Rights and interpretation
Use the score within the instrument’s documented limits.
The PGSI wording and scoring are publicly documented by the UK Gambling Commission and widely used in research and public surveys. DesperateMinds treats public availability and commercial/digital reproduction rights as separate questions and does not present the score as a diagnosis.
If gambling is causing harm, distress or loss of control, real-world impact matters more than an online category.
Sources and instrument governance
Why PGSI is now the development basis.
- UK Gambling Commission — PGSI questions, response scale, scoring and categories
- Ferris & Wynne — Canadian Problem Gambling Index development report
- Currie et al. — PGSI validation and psychometric evaluation
Exact PGSI wording and scoring stay source-aligned. Production remains blocked until current commercial/digital reproduction permission is documented and an independent qualified reviewer signs off.
Frequently asked questions
Before you take the PGSI
Why are there nine scored questions?
The full PGSI uses nine graded questions to capture both gambling behavior and adverse consequences. That produces a 0–27 score and four established categories without turning the result into a diagnosis.
Does a high PGSI score diagnose Gambling Disorder?
No. A higher score indicates more gambling-related risk or harm on the index. Clinical diagnosis requires a fuller professional assessment.
Is the full result free?
Yes. The total score, category, limitations, safety guidance, and core next steps are shown without signup or payment.
!
If gambling is tied to immediate danger, use urgent help.
The PGSI does not assess suicide risk, violence, homelessness, severe financial crisis, or another emergency. If you may harm yourself or someone else, cannot stay safe, or face an immediate life-threatening situation, use emergency or crisis services now.
What to do after a gambling-risk screen
If gambling is causing financial harm or feels difficult to control, combine support with practical barriers. Consider removing saved payment methods, using blocking or self-exclusion tools, reducing access to gambling funds and telling a trusted person if doing so is safe.
Do not try to repair losses by gambling more. If debt, suicidal distress or immediate safety problems are present, seek appropriate financial, clinical or emergency support rather than waiting for the score to change.