The Problem Gambling Severity Index is a nine-item questionnaire developed by Ferris and Wynne in 2001 for use in the general population. Britain's Gambling Commission uses it in the Gambling Survey for Great Britain.

How is a PGSI score read?

In the Gambling Commission's grouping, 0 means no reported symptoms, 1 to 2 low risk, 3 to 7 moderate risk, and 8 or more problem gambling. Ireland's regulator groups 0 to 2 as low risk.

Is a problem gambling test a diagnosis?

No. It is a screen that shows where your play sits right now. A doctor or mental health professional makes a diagnosis, and the help lines can refer you to one.

JiLi333 Problem Gambling Severity Index: The 9 Questions

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The problem gambling severity index is a short, honest self-check: nine questions about the last 12 months, each scored from 0 to 3. It takes two minutes and gives you a number you can track. Use it alongside your money management plan for slots, not instead of it.

Britain’s Gambling Commission describes the PGSI as developed by Ferris and Wynne (2001) for use in the general population rather than in a clinical setting, and uses it in the Gambling Survey for Great Britain.

The nine PGSI questions

Think about the last 12 months and answer each question with never, sometimes, most of the time or almost always. The wording below is the Gambling Commission’s.

Have you bet more than you could really afford to lose?
Have you needed to gamble with larger amounts of money to get the same feeling of excitement?
When you gambled, did you go back another day to try to win back the money you lost?
Have you borrowed money or sold anything to get money to gamble?
Have you felt that you might have a problem with gambling?
Has gambling caused you any health problems, including stress or anxiety?
Have people criticized your betting or told you that you had a gambling problem, regardless of whether or not you thought it was true?
Has your gambling caused any financial problems for you or your household?
Have you felt guilty about the way you gamble or what happens when you gamble?

How the PGSI is scored

Each answer earns points, and you add the nine together for a total between 0 and 27.

Answer	Points
Never	0
Sometimes	1
Most of the time	2
Almost always	3

What your problem gambling test score means

Total	Gambling Commission category
0	Gambles, but reports none of the nine symptoms or consequences
1–2	Low risk
3–7	Moderate risk
8 or more	Problem gambling: adverse consequences and possible loss of control

Ireland’s Gambling Regulatory Authority groups the same scores slightly differently on its own page: 0 to 2 low risk, 3 to 7 moderate risk, and 8 or more high risk, with a strong recommendation to seek support. Both agree that 8 is the line that calls for help.

What to do with your score

0 to 2: keep your budget and time limits exactly as they are, and check again in a few months.
3 to 7: tighten the plan now. Cut your session amount, add a time limit, and look at the cue, routine and reward habit loop behind your sessions.
8 or more: stop playing and talk to someone. Call the National Problem Gambling Helpline on (02) 824 89568; in a crisis, call the NCMH line on 1553.

If question 4 or 8 scored above 0, debts may already be part of the picture. Financial counseling for gambling debts shows how to list what you owe before you talk to anyone.

Taking the PGSI again

A single score is a snapshot, so track it over time:

Take the test on the same day each month.
Write the total and the date in one place.
Compare it with the last two months.

A score that rises two months running is a clearer warning than any one number, and it is the moment to cut back, not after the next big loss.

JiLi333 Self-Check with the Problem Gambling Severity Index (PGSI)