Responsible Gaming

1. Keeping It Sensible

Treat gambling like going to the cinema or having a meal out – it’s something you spend a bit of money on for entertainment. It’s not a way to make money, and it definitely shouldn’t be how you try to solve money problems. Before you start playing, decide how much you can afford to lose. Not how much you want to win – how much losing won’t hurt you.

2. Tools in Your Account

Deposit limits are probably the most useful thing here. Set a daily, weekly or monthly cap on what you can put in. Raising a limit happens straight away, but lowering one takes 24 hours to kick in – stops you making rash decisions. Loss limits work similarly, stopping you from losing more than a set amount. Session timers boot you out after you’ve been playing for but long you choose.

3. Taking a Break

• Reality checks pop up to show you how long you’ve been playing and whether you’re up or down
• Time out locks your account for a day, a week, or a month – useful if you need space
• Self-exclusion closes everything for six months minimum, up to five years
• GAMSTOP blocks you from every licensed site in the UK, not just ours
• Check your account history to see patterns in how much you’re spending

4. Signs Things Aren’t Right

Spending more than you planned happens to most people occasionally. Doing it every single time is a red flag. Chasing losses – trying to win back what you just lost – nearly always makes things worse. If you’re borrowing money to gamble, or you’re skipping bills to keep playing, that’s a serious problem. Feeling anxious when you can’t play, lying to people about how much you’re spending, letting other parts of your life slide – these all suggest gambling’s gone from fun to harmful.

5. Where to Get Help

GamCare runs a helpline and offers counseling. BeGambleAware has loads of information and runs the National Gambling Helpline. Gamblers Anonymous does support group meetings where you talk to other people going through the same thing. Your GP can refer you to NHS services too – there are actual treatment programs available, not just advice lines.

6. Keeping Kids Safe

Make sure children can’t get to your account or your payment cards. Put parental controls on shared devices – most internet providers and phone companies offer something. Talk to young people about gambling honestly. We check everyone’s age, but you know your household better than we do.

7. Don’t Wait Too Long

Recognizing there’s a problem is hard. Actually doing something about it is harder. But waiting just makes everything worse – the debts get bigger, the lies pile up, the stress increases. Help is there, it’s confidential, and it works better the earlier you ask for it. Nobody’s going to judge you for wanting to get things sorted.