Responsible Gambling
Gambling should only ever be entertainment, paid for with money you can afford to lose. It is not a way to earn money, and losses should never be chased.
Practical steps that help
- Set a deposit limit before your first deposit — every UK-licensed site must offer this.
- Decide on a time budget as well as a money budget, and stop when either runs out.
- Never gamble with borrowed money, and never to recover losses.
- Avoid gambling when upset, under the influence, or under financial pressure.
- Use bank-level gambling blocks — most major UK banks can switch off gambling transactions from their app.
Signs it may be becoming a problem
- Spending more time or money than you intended, repeatedly.
- Hiding gambling from people close to you.
- Gambling to escape stress, or feeling restless when you try to stop.
- Borrowing money or selling things to fund play.
If any of these feel familiar, talk to someone. The services below are free, confidential and independent of the gambling industry.
Where to get help
- National Gambling Helpline (GamCare) — Call 0808 8020 133 — free, confidential, open 24 hours a day, every day. Live chat is also available on the GamCare website.
- GAMSTOP — Free self-exclusion that blocks you from every online gambling site licensed in Great Britain. Registration takes a few minutes and lasts six months, one year or five years.
- GambleAware — Independent advice, self-assessment tools and information about free treatment across England, Scotland and Wales.
- UK Gambling Commission — The official regulator. Use its public register to check that an operator is licensed, and to report concerns about how an operator behaves.
If you or someone you know is in crisis, call the National Gambling Helpline on 0808 8020 133 now. It’s free and open around the clock.