About
About Quebrar o Ciclo
Our mission
Quebrar o Ciclo is a support hub for people struggling with gambling addiction. We believe no one should face problem gambling alone — so we gather resources, information, and tools in one accessible, compassionate place.
We do it because the problem is growing, and that is no accident. Betting no longer requires a trip to a casino or a betting shop: it sits one tap away on a phone, available at any hour. At the same time, gambling for money has become part of the ordinary landscape — bolted onto the sport we already follow, the conversation between friends, the advertising that runs through broadcasts, social feeds, and team shirts. When placing a bet looks like a natural extension of watching a match, it stops being recognised as what it can also be: an addictive behaviour.
Why this name?
Because problem gambling isn't a run of isolated bad decisions — it's a cycle that feeds itself. The bet brings anticipation, the loss creates an emotional debt, chasing that loss feels like the logical move, and the brief relief starts it all over again.
- The bet
- The loss
- Chasing the loss
- Momentary relief
Quebrar o Ciclo means “Break the Cycle” in Portuguese. We chose this name because that is exactly what has to happen: interrupt the loop at any point. You don't have to fix everything at once.
See the cycle in detailWhat the data says
This isn't just our impression. The public figures from the gambling regulator and the health authorities all point the same way, and they weigh most heavily on the young.
361,400
player accounts self-excluded from online gambling in Portugal at the end of 2025 — 23.6% more than a year earlier.
SRIJ, Q4 2025
18%
of young people aged 13 to 18 gambled for money in the past year. Gambling for money was one of the few addictive behaviours that rose against the previous study.
ECATD-CAD 2024, ICAD
34.9%
of new online player registrations are people aged between 18 and 24.
SRIJ, Q4 2025
ICAD, the Ministry of Health institute that runs Linha 1414, warns of rising problem gambling especially among younger people, and its president acknowledges that research shows a direct relationship between advertising exposure and gambling participation, raising the risk for those already vulnerable. The most recent national survey estimates 1.3% of the population shows signs of risk and 0.6% dependency — above the levels recorded in 2012.
None of this makes the problem a failure of character. It makes it predictable — and because it's predictable, it makes sense to have somewhere to find help without having to look for it between the adverts.
Important information
This site is informational and doesn't replace professional medical or psychological advice. If you're in crisis, call Linha 1414 or seek emergency help.
Feedback and other questions
If you want to share feedback about the site or contact us about other project-related matters, you can send us a message. For gambling problems, please go to the helplines — we aren't a counselling service.
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