Portugal is planning to expand public treatment services for gambling and problematic video gaming after the number of people receiving help for gambling-related problems more than doubled in two years. New specialist services are being considered in Porto and Lisbon, while the country’s first dedicated public gambling treatment unit is already seeing significant demand.
Figures released by Portugal’s Institute for Addictive Behaviours and Dependencies (ICAD) show that the number of people receiving treatment for gambling-related problems rose from 358 in 2023 to 782 in 2025.
That represents an increase of approximately 118% in just two years.
The figures do not necessarily mean that gambling addiction itself has risen at the same rate across Portugal. They do, however, show a substantial increase in the number of people accessing specialist support.
Lisbon’s First Public Gambling Treatment Unit Is Already Busy
Portugal opened its first public outpatient unit dedicated specifically to gambling disorders in June 2026, in the Lisbon neighbourhood of Marvila.
Located at Espaço Lisboa Jovem, in premises provided by Lisbon City Council, the service combines mental health treatment with practical assistance for people whose gambling has affected their finances, relationships and family lives.
In its first four months, the unit delivered around 300 consultations and had 50 active patients, according to figures supplied by ICAD to ECO.
Of those patients, 12 sought treatment on their own initiative. Others were referred by relatives, healthcare professionals or existing addiction services.
Men account for the majority of patients. Among male patients under 40, half are aged 25 or younger, highlighting the presence of younger people among those seeking support.
The unit also receives patients from outside the capital, including people travelling from places such as Leiria, Santarém, Setúbal and even Porto.
Treatment Goes Beyond Counselling
Gambling disorders can create problems that extend well beyond the money lost through betting.
At the Marvila unit, care is provided by a multidisciplinary team including a psychiatrist, four psychologists, social workers and administrative staff.
One particularly unusual feature is a financial adviser with an accounting background who attends four hours a week to help patients understand and manage gambling-related debts.
The study also reports a case, previously covered by Portuguese news agency Lusa, involving a person who accumulated debts totalling €3 million.
Financial counselling is not a substitute for psychological treatment, but it addresses one of the practical difficulties that can make recovery more complicated.
The centre has also been preparing family support sessions, including meetings involving partners and other relatives affected by a person’s gambling behaviour.
New Services Planned for Porto and Lisbon
ICAD has confirmed that it intends to expand specialist support in two directions.
Porto is expected to receive a public service dedicated to gambling disorders, following the model already operating in Lisbon.
Meanwhile, Lisbon is expected to develop a treatment programme for problematic video gaming, building on an existing service based in Matosinhos, near Porto.
These are separate forms of behavioural addiction and require different approaches. Gambling disorders may involve persistent betting despite mounting financial losses, while gaming disorder concerns a pattern of video gaming that seriously disrupts daily life and becomes difficult to control.
The expansion forms part of plans outlined in Portugal’s proposed 2027 State Budget, which calls for stronger specialist services addressing behavioural addictions, particularly gambling and online gambling.
However, the two new services have not yet opened, and ICAD says exploratory work is still underway. No opening dates have been confirmed.
For now, the experience of the Marvila unit offers an early indication of demand for more accessible specialist care. Its combination of mental health treatment, debt support and family assistance also shows why gambling addiction increasingly requires more than a single type of intervention.
