Safer gambling

Keeping it fun, and getting help if it isn't

Gambling is a form of paid entertainment. It is not income, not a way to clear a debt, and not something to chase when you're down.

Most people gamble without it ever becoming a problem. For some it does, and the warning signs tend to be familiar: spending more than you meant to, playing to win back losses, hiding it from people close to you, or feeling low when you're not playing. If any of that rings true, the tools and services below exist precisely for that moment.

Tools built into licensed sites

Every UKGC-licensed operator has to offer practical controls, and they're worth setting up before you need them:

Deposit limits cap how much you can pay in over a day, week or month — a simple way to keep spending where you want it.
Time-outs lock you out for a short cooling-off period, from a day up to several weeks.
Reality checkspop up at intervals you choose to remind you how long you've been playing.
Self-exclusion shuts your account for a set period and stops marketing reaching you.

GAMSTOP: exclude from every UK site at once

GAMSTOP is a free national scheme. Register once and it blocks you from every UK-licensed gambling site for your chosen length — six months, one year or five years — rather than having to exclude site by site. It takes a few minutes at gamstop.co.uk and applies across the board.

Free, confidential support

You don't have to work this out alone. The services below are independent of any operator and free to use — talk to them directly whenever you need to.

GamCare runs the National Gambling Helpline on 0808 8020 133, open around the clock. If you or someone close to you is struggling, that call is a good first step.

Keeping it fun, and getting help if it isn't

Tools built into licensed sites

GAMSTOP: exclude from every UK site at once

Free, confidential support

Gambling Commission

GAMSTOP

GamCare

GambleAware