If gambling is causing you harm right now
Call the National Gambling Helpline: 0808 8020 133 — free, confidential, and open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
What responsible gambling means
Responsible gambling means treating betting as a paid form of entertainment with a fixed budget and a clear limit. It means understanding that the house edge ensures losses over the long run, and that short-term wins do not change that mathematical reality.
Core principles
Set time limits
Decide how long you will spend before you open a site. Use session timers available on every UKGC-licensed bookmaker.
Set deposit limits
Use daily, weekly, and monthly deposit caps. They take effect immediately on all licensed sites.
Never chase losses
Accept that a losing session is the cost of entertainment. Increasing stakes to recover losses leads to larger losses.
Gamble only with spare funds
Never use money earmarked for rent, bills, food, or essentials. Never borrow to bet.
Warning signs
- You are spending more time or money on gambling than you intended
- You feel anxious, irritable, or depressed when not gambling
- You hide your gambling activity from family or friends
- You have borrowed money or sold possessions to fund gambling
- Gambling is affecting your work, relationships, or daily responsibilities
- You find it difficult or impossible to stop when you decide to
- You are gambling to escape problems, stress, or negative emotions
- You need to bet larger amounts to feel the same excitement
If you recognise two or more of these patterns, please speak to a professional as soon as possible.
Tools available on licensed UK sites
- Deposit limits — daily, weekly, or monthly caps you set yourself
- Loss limits — caps on how much you can lose in a given period
- Session time reminders — pop-ups after a set amount of time logged in
- Reality checks — periodic summaries of net win/loss during a session
- Self-exclusion — temporary or permanent blocks on your account
- GamStop — national self-exclusion scheme covering all UKGC-licensed operators simultaneously
Support organisations
GambleAware
Leading UK safer-gambling charity — information, advice, and referrals to specialist treatment.
Web: www.gambleaware.org
Phone: 0808 8020 133
GamCare
Free support, advice, and counselling for anyone affected by gambling harm.
Web: www.gamcare.org.uk
Phone: 0808 8020 133
Gamblers Anonymous
Peer-support fellowship meetings across the UK for people with gambling problems.
Web: www.gamblersanonymous.org.uk
Phone: 0330 094 0322
Gordon Moody
Residential treatment programmes and online therapy for severe gambling addiction.
Web: www.gordonmoody.org.uk
Phone: 01384 241 292
Support for families and friends
Gambling harm affects more than the individual. If someone close to you has a gambling problem: do not lend them money; encourage them to seek professional help; look after your own wellbeing; and consider contacting GamCare, which also supports affected family members.
Gambling disorder is a recognised medical condition, not a character flaw. Recovery is possible with the right support. The hardest step is acknowledging there is a problem.