BeGambleAware
Runs the National Gambling Helpline. Free advice, live chat and treatment referrals, 24 hours a day.
0808 8020 133
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18+
Responsible Gaming
Gambling should be entertainment with a known cost, never a way to make money or recover a loss. This page explains the tools available to you and where to get free, confidential help.
If you need help right now: the National Gambling Helpline is free, confidential and open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week on 0808 8020 133. Live chat is available at begambleaware.org.
You must be 18 or over
It is against the law in Great Britain for anyone under the age of 18 to gamble, and it is an offence to invite or permit someone under 18 to do so. Every operator we review is legally required to verify age and identity before accepting a deposit or a stake.
If children share your device, consider installing filtering software such as Net Nanny, CYBERsitter or Qustodio, and never store payment details in a shared browser.
Six habits that keep it under control
- Set a deposit limit first. Decide the number before you sign up, not after a losing session. Every UK licensed operator must offer daily, weekly and monthly limits.
- Treat losses as the price of the entertainment. Money staked is money spent. Never deposit to win it back.
- Use a time limit as well as a money limit. Reality-check reminders will interrupt you at a set interval and tell you how long you have been logged in.
- Never gamble with borrowed money. Credit cards cannot legally be used for gambling in Great Britain, and that restriction exists for good reason.
- Do not gamble to escape. Stress, boredom, grief and loneliness are the conditions in which gambling causes the most harm.
- Keep it social and occasional. If it has become something you do alone and hide from others, that is a warning sign in itself.
Warning signs to take seriously
- Spending more time or money than you intended, repeatedly
- Chasing losses with larger stakes to get back to even
- Borrowing money, selling possessions or missing bills to fund gambling
- Lying to family, friends or colleagues about how much you gamble
- Feeling anxious, irritable or restless when you try to cut down
- Neglecting work, study, relationships or your own health
If you recognise several of these, please talk to one of the organisations below today. All of them are free and none of them will judge you.
Tools available at every UK licensed operator
| Tool | What it does |
|---|---|
| Deposit limits | Caps how much you can pay in per day, week or month. Decreases apply immediately; increases are subject to a cooling-off period. |
| Loss limits | Caps your net losses over a chosen period, independently of how much you deposit. |
| Reality checks | Interrupts your session at a set interval to show elapsed time and net position. |
| Time-out | Locks your account for 24 hours up to 6 weeks. It cannot be reversed early. |
| Self-exclusion | Closes your account for a minimum of 6 months with that operator, and blocks marketing. |
| Account closure | Permanently closes the account and returns any remaining balance. |
GAMSTOP: exclude from every UK operator at once
GAMSTOP is the free national self-exclusion scheme for Great Britain. Registering once blocks you from every operator licensed by the Gambling Commission — including both brands reviewed on this website — for a period of 6 months, 1 year or 5 years.
Registration takes a few minutes and requires only your name, date of birth, address, email and mobile number. Once the period starts it cannot be cancelled. Visit gamstop.co.uk.
GAMSTOP works best alongside a bank gambling block, which most UK banks now offer inside their mobile app, and blocking software such as Gamban on your devices.
Free, confidential UK support
GAMSTOP UK
The national self-exclusion scheme. One registration excludes you from every UK licensed operator.
Free registration
Visit GAMSTOPGamblers Anonymous
A fellowship of people who share their experience to help each other recover. Meetings across the UK and online.
Peer support meetings
Visit Gamblers AnonymousGamCare
Free treatment, structured counselling and support for anyone affected by someone else's gambling.
Counselling & groups
Visit GamCareSupporting someone else
Gambling harm rarely stops with one person. If a partner, relative, friend or colleague is struggling, GamCare and BeGambleAware both provide dedicated support for affected others, including advice on protecting joint finances.
Do not lend money or clear debts on the understanding that it is the last time. Encourage the person to call the helpline themselves, and get support for yourself as well.