Staying in control
Gambling should be something you choose to pay for, like a night out, and never a way to fix money problems. This page collects the tools that keep it that way and the people you can talk to if it has stopped being fun.
Start with a budget
Decide before you play how much you are prepared to lose in a week or a month, and treat that sum as spent the moment you deposit it. Keep it separate from the money for rent and bills. Set a time limit too: a session that ends when the timer rings is far easier to walk away from than one that ends when the balance does.
- Play only with money you can afford to lose, never with borrowed money.
- Do not chase losses; the next spin knows nothing about the last one.
- Take regular breaks and avoid playing when you are tired, upset or have been drinking.
- Keep gambling as one hobby among others, not the one that crowds them out.
Tools that work everywhere
These tools work on your own devices and accounts, whichever site you visit:
- Blocking softwareGamban and BetBlocker block gambling sites and apps on your devices.
- Bank gambling blockMost UK banks let you block gambling payments on your debit card from the banking app.
- Account limitsDeposit, loss and session limits, plus self-exclusion, requested from the casino's own tools or support.
- Someone to talk toFree, confidential support by phone, live chat or in person, whenever you need it.
Warning signs
Problems with gambling often creep in slowly. It is worth stopping to think if you notice that you spend more than you meant to, play for longer than planned, borrow or sell things to gamble, feel irritable when you cannot play, or hide your gambling from family and friends. None of these makes you a bad person; they are signals to pause and get support early.
Where to get help
The National Gambling Helpline, run by GamCare, is free and confidential and open 24 hours a day on 0808 8020 133, with live chat on the GamCare website. Gamblers Anonymous runs peer support meetings across the country, and Gambling Therapy offers online help in several languages. If gambling is affecting someone close to you, the same services support family members and friends as well.
Support organisations
Under 18s
Gambling is for adults only. If a young person uses your devices, keep your casino passwords private and consider parental control or blocking software. More about how this review works is in the editorial notice, and the house rules set out who the site is meant for.
Updated on · Reviewed by our editorial desk
