Responsible gambling

A short self-check

If two or more of these sound familiar, it is worth pausing and speaking to one of the services below.

• You are gambling with money you have already set aside for bills, rent or food.
• You feel restless or irritable when you try to cut down.
• You are chasing losses by depositing more after a losing session.
• You are hiding the size or frequency of your gambling from people close to you.
• You think about gambling at times you'd rather not — at work, at night, around the kids.

UK resources we recommend

Practical safer-play tools

Deposit and loss limits

Every UK-licensed operator must let you set daily, weekly or monthly deposit limits inside your account. Setting a limit before you start playing is far more effective than trying to set one mid-session.

Time-outs and reality checks

Time-outs lock your account for a fixed period (typically 24 hours up to six weeks). Reality check pop-ups can be configured to interrupt long sessions with a summary of time and money spent.

Self-exclusion

For a single decision that covers all UK-licensed gambling sites, register with GAMSTOP. The exclusion lasts six months, one year or five years and is enforced at the operator level.

If you want to talk to someone

The GamCare National Gambling Helpline is free, confidential and open round the clock on 0808 8020 133. You can also chat online at gamcare.org.uk. For research-led information and treatment routes, GambleAware is a good entry point.

Friends and family

If you are worried about someone else's gambling, GamCare and GambleAware both have dedicated pages and helpline routes for partners and relatives. You don't need the gambler's permission to ask for advice.