Responsible Gambling
Gambling should stay fun and affordable. Treat it as paid entertainment, not a way to fix finances or make income. Set clear limits, take regular breaks, and only use money you can lose without stress. If play stops feeling like leisure, pause and reassess before placing another bet.
Basics to start on the right foot
You must be 18 or older in the UK. Use only your own payment methods and keep your account details accurate so safety tools work properly. Never borrow to gamble or use funds reserved for bills, rent, or savings.
Decide a weekly leisure budget and a maximum session time before you log in. Write those numbers down and review them after each session. If you catch yourself chasing losses, step away for at least a day and reset your limits.
Practical tools on your account
Set your controls early and adjust them only after a cooling-off period. Most accounts include the following:
- Deposit and loss limits by day, week, or month
- Reality checks that remind you how long you’ve been playing
- Time-outs that last from 24 hours up to 30 days
- Self-exclusion for at least six months, plus GAMSTOP to block UK sites across the board
- Marketing preferences to reduce emails, push alerts, and triggers
How to recognise when play is slipping
Common warning signs include staking more than planned, increasing bet sizes after a loss, hiding activity from friends or family, using overdrafts or credit for bets, and feeling irritable when you cannot play. Trouble sleeping, missed work, or skipped meals are also red flags. If this sounds familiar, stop gambling and use the help options below.
Keeping children and vulnerable people safe
Protect your logins with strong passwords and two-factor authentication. Sign out on shared devices and don’t save card details in your browser. Keep payment cards and phones out of reach when children are present.
- Enable parental controls and DNS or device-level blocking of gambling content
- Turn off biometric login on shared devices
- Ask your bank about gambling merchant blocks and spending caps
- Store devices securely at night and avoid unsupervised screen time
If you suspect underage use or account misuse, freeze access immediately and contact support through the site’s help channels for a review.
Pausing, limiting, or stopping
If you need a short break, choose a time-out and let the account lock do its job. For longer breaks, self-exclude and consider GAMSTOP so other licensed UK sites are also blocked. Pair this with device or network blockers and remove gambling apps from your phone.
Remember that self-exclusion lasts for the full period you select. During that time you cannot reopen the account, and reactivation after expiry includes checks and a cooling-off step. That friction is there to help you keep control.
Free, confidential help outside the site
Independent support is available at any stage, even if you only have early concerns. GamCare offers free, confidential advice via phone and live chat, with referrals to local treatment across the UK. Gordon Moody specialises in intensive support for severe gambling harm, including residential programmes and structured online services. Gamblers Anonymous hosts peer-led meetings where people share lived experience and practical steps toward recovery.
If you’re worried about someone close
Look out for secrecy about money, sudden debts, mood swings, or disappearing for long periods. Start a calm, nonjudgmental conversation, share the resources above, and encourage limits or self-exclusion. Avoid covering debts or lending money, which can hide the scale of harm. If you believe there is immediate risk to safety or wellbeing, seek urgent help through local health or emergency services.
