Two things to do. Add yourself to the national gambling restriction list, HAMPI, kept by the Estonian Tax and Customs Board, which every licensed operator must check before letting you play; you choose a term between 6 and 36 months and it cannot be undone once submitted. Then call 15410, the gambling addiction counselling centre, free, Monday to Friday 10:00–18:00, in Estonian or Russian. Counselling and psychotherapy there are free, funded by the Ministry of Social Affairs. The age limit for games of chance is 21.
| Helpline | 15410 — gambling addiction counselling centre, Mon–Fri 10:00–18:00, free |
|---|---|
| National self-exclusion | HAMPI — list of persons with gambling restrictions, kept by the Tax and Customs Board |
| Term | Between 6 and 36 months; the application cannot be withdrawn once submitted |
| What it covers | Games of chance, toto (sports betting) and classical lotteries; not scratch tickets |
| How to apply | e-MTA self-service, an ETCB service bureau, or at a gaming location |
| Free treatment | Yes — counselling and psychotherapy at 15410, Tallinn and Tartu |
| Regulator | Estonian Tax and Customs Board (Maksu- ja Tolliamet) |
| Legal gambling age | 21 for games of chance; 18 for toto; 16 for lotteries |
Verified helplines
| Service | Phone / chat | Hours | Website |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mänguriliin 15410 — Hasartmängusõltuvuse Nõustamiskeskus (Gambling Addiction Counselling Centre)Counselling and psychotherapy for gambling and digital addictions; offices in Tallinn and Tartu. | 15410E-counselling by email: info@15410.ee | Mon–Fri 10:00–18:00; free (funded by the Ministry of Social Affairs)Estonian, Russian | 15410.ee |
Helplines and online chat
The gambling addiction counselling centre (Hasartmängusõltuvuse Nõustamiskeskus) answers on 15410, Monday to Friday 10:00–18:00, in Estonian and Russian. There is no chat, but e-counselling by email to info@15410.ee gets a reply within three working days. The service is free, funded by the Ministry of Social Affairs, with offices in Tallinn and Tartu.
It is a counselling and treatment service rather than a 24-hour crisis line, so it is the right call for the next step, not for the worst hour of the night.
If you are thinking about ending your life, call 112, the emergency number across the EU and Norway. Estonia’s gambling line runs office hours only, so use 112 outside them. A gambling helpline is not a crisis line; use both if you need to. More numbers: findahelpline.com and our helplines directory.
Self-exclusion with the HAMPI list
Estonia’s national scheme is the list of persons with restrictions on gambling, known as HAMPI, established under section 39 of the Gambling Act. The Tax and Customs Board is the chief processor of the database, and every operator holding an Estonian permit must check the list and refuse play to anyone on it. Operators query it through the X-tee data exchange layer or the e-MTA environment.
The restriction covers games of chance (casino games, poker, tournaments), toto (sports betting) and classical lotteries. Instant lotteries (scratch tickets) are outside it. You tick which of the three you want restricted.
How long it lasts
The entry itself has no end date. What you choose is the date from which you may ask to be removed: a term counted from the day you submit the request, and by law it may be no shorter than six months and no longer than three years. When that term has passed, deletion is a separate step you have to take, through e-MTA (one working day) or a service bureau (two working days). If you do nothing, the restriction stays.
Three ways to apply
- e-MTA: the Tax and Customs Board’s e-services environment, and the fastest route.
- An ETCB service bureau: bring an identity document; registration takes up to two working days.
- At a gaming location: the operator must forward your application to the board immediately, and it is registered within two business days.
The application cannot be withdrawn once submitted; that is stated on the form itself. Choose the term with that in mind, and add a blocking app for offshore sites, which HAMPI does not reach: see apps that block gambling sites.
Blocking gambling payments and sites
Estonia deals with the money inside the Gambling Act rather than through the banks. Section 34 prohibits a gambling operator from entering into a credit agreement with a player to fund a bet, and from letting a player enter into a credit agreement with anyone else at a gaming location. Remote gambling servers must log identity verification, age checks and checks against the gambling restriction list at every session.
Beyond that, the practical layer is on your own devices and in your own accounts. If the borrowing has already started, read what to do about gambling debt.
Free treatment and counselling
The 15410 centre provides assessment, counselling and psychotherapy for gambling addiction: individual and group psychotherapy, family therapy together with family therapists, and counselling for digital addiction as well. It also runs training for professionals.
The services are free to clients because they are funded by the Ministry of Social Affairs. Offices are in Tallinn and Tartu, and you can register by phone on 15410 or by email; e-counselling by email is available if you are not ready to talk.
Support for family and friends
Family therapy at the 15410 centre is delivered with family therapists, so relatives can be part of treatment rather than left outside it, and the same phone number and email are the way in.
You cannot put another adult on the HAMPI list; the application requires their identity document and signature. Our guide on how to help someone with a gambling problem covers what is actually in your control.
Gambling law and the regulator
The Estonian Tax and Customs Board regulates gambling: it issues the activity licence and the operating permit an operator needs, and one condition of a permit is a control system connected to the board’s electronic reporting and to the gambling restriction list. Remote gambling (games played over the internet, phone or media services) is licensed on the same basis.
Age limits differ by product, which is unusual in Europe. Under section 34 of the Gambling Act, a person under 21 may not play a game of chance, nor a game of chance or game of skill organised as remote gambling, and may not be present in a gaming location for games of chance. Toto is 18 and over, lotteries 16 and over. Operators also may not put anyone under 21 in charge of running or supervising a game of chance, lottery or toto.
Frequently asked questions
How do I self-exclude from gambling in Estonia?
Apply to be added to the HAMPI list of persons with gambling restrictions. The fastest route is the e-MTA self-service environment; you can also apply at a Tax and Customs Board service bureau with an identity document, or at a gaming location, where the operator must forward it and registration follows within two business days.
How long does an Estonian gambling restriction last?
The entry has no end date. You choose a term, counted from the day you apply, after which you may ask to be deleted — by law no shorter than six months and no longer than three years. Removal is a separate step through e-MTA or a service bureau; if you do nothing, the restriction continues.
What is the legal gambling age in Estonia?
It depends on the product. Under the Gambling Act, people under 21 may not play games of chance or games of chance and skill organised as remote gambling, and may not be in a games-of-chance venue. Toto — sports betting — is 18 and over, and lotteries are 16 and over.
Is gambling treatment free in Estonia?
Yes at the national counselling centre reached on 15410, which provides assessment, individual and group psychotherapy, and family therapy free of charge because the Ministry of Social Affairs funds it. It has offices in Tallinn and Tartu and also offers e-counselling by email.
Sources
- Gambling Act (Estonia), sections 34 and 39 — Riigi Teataja, English translation
- Estonian Tax and Customs Board — Setting restrictions on gambling
- Estonian Tax and Customs Board — Application for placement on the gambling self-exclusion list (form)
- Estonian Tax and Customs Board — Reporting and access (operator duty to check HAMPI)
- Estonian Tax and Customs Board — Gambling operators (licences and permits)
- Hasartmängusõltuvuse Nõustamiskeskus — 15410 (free counselling and psychotherapy)