There are some extremely common signs you can watch out for. These include:

• Lying about gambling
• Sudden or worsening money troubles
• Stealing
• Loss of interest in other activities
• Increased arguments
• Problems at work
• Problems at study

These are all very worrying signs. They are similar to the signs people may identify in themselves too. If you notice any of these signs in your loved one, it's a sign you need to get help.

Identifying them is the first step in your journey to support friends with gambling problems.

Depending on your jurisdiction, people under the age of 18 or 21 should not ever gamble. However, as we all know, young people don't always do what they're told. For that reason, it's scarily easy for a young person can develop a gambling addiction.

Here's some more information on how to prevent underage people from gambling. If they don't start gambling in the first place, they won't develop an addiction. Prevention is always better than the cure.

And your help to support friends with gambling problems is even more crucial if the person in question is underage.

This is a pretty difficult task, if we're being honest. People need to decide to stop themselves. To support friends with gambling problems, they need to reach the conclusion to stop themselves. However, you can encourage them to stop online gambling by self-excluding or at the very least taking a time out.

Self-exclusion is a long term break from online gambling, whereas a time out is only short term. During both, you can't place wagers and they can't be reversed. However, it's still possible to bet elsewhere online and offline, so your friend needs to deal with the problem head-on.

There are also various software options you can install that block gambling sites. And you can also encourage them to take some steps so they limit the amount of gambling content that pops up on their online lives.

There are organisations all over the world that can help people and their loved ones navigate problem gambling.

For those in the United Kingdom, you can find online resources at Be Gamble Aware and they have a phone line at 0808 8020 133.

If you're in the United States, the equivalent organisation is the National Council on Problem Gambling or call them on 1800 522 4700.

And if you're based elsewhere, there are lots of international organisations that can help.

This is a really tricky question to answer. When you support friends with gambling problems, sometimes offering financial support can actually have an enabling effect. But of course, this isn't a one size fits all rule.

Encourage them to gain control of their financial stability. They can come up with a plan to pay off their gambling debts and manage their money better in the future. It can be more beneficial for them in the long run if they pay back these debts by themselves. It can help with confidence and so much more.

However, if you do decide you want to give them some money to help they pay off their debts, consult a professional. Talk to a financial professional and also someone who works with gambling addicts. In doing so, you can come up with an agreement and try to avoid common pitfalls.