Gambling works best as paid entertainment, funded from a sum you have put aside. If it begins to take more than that, in money, sleep or time with people you care about, the tools and services here are worth reaching for early.
Controls You Can Ask Us For
- Deposit limits set a ceiling on what you can pay in.
- Reality checks remind you how long a session has lasted.
- Self-exclusion shuts your account for a period you pick.
Any of them can be requested through live chat or our support team, and we apply it to your account. Holding an account at all requires you to be 18 or over.
GAMSTOP and Blocking Software
GAMSTOP does not cover us, so a GAMSTOP registration leaves any account with us open. Ask us for a break directly as well. Blocking software such as Gamban keeps gambling sites from loading on your devices, a second barrier that is hard to lift on impulse.
Signs Worth Acting On
- Raising deposits to win back what is gone
- Borrowing, or dipping into bill money, to keep playing
- Keeping your play secret from people close to you
- Restlessness or irritability on days without a session
- Turning to a game to escape worry, stress or low mood
Free, Confidential Support
- GamCare answers the National Gambling Helpline on 0808 8020 133 and offers online chat as well.
- GambleAware has self-assessment tools and routes into local treatment.
- Gordon Moody gives intensive and residential help to people hit hardest by gambling.
- Gamblers Anonymous runs meetings in which members support one another to stop.
Each line above is free to use, and an early call is easier than a late one.