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18+ | Gambling can be addictive | Please play responsibly | BeGambleAware.org

Keeping Gambling a Safe, Controlled Form of Entertainment

Practical guidance and tools to help you stay in control, recognise warning signs early, and know where free, confidential support is available.

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Play Safe, Stay in Control

Gambling on licensed platforms is intended as entertainment for adults aged 18 and over. For most people it stays that way, but for some it can become difficult to manage. If gambling ever stops feeling enjoyable or starts affecting your finances, mood or relationships, confidential support is available free of charge, at any time.

Signs to Watch For

Spending longer or more than you planned, chasing losses, feeling anxious or irritable when you can't gamble, or hiding your gambling from family and friends can all be early warning signs. Noticing these patterns early makes it easier to take steps to regain control.

Set Your Limits

Licensed operators offer tools such as deposit limits, loss limits, session time-outs and reality checks that show how long you've been playing. Setting these before you start, rather than in the moment, is one of the simplest ways to keep gambling manageable.

Self-Exclusion with GAMSTOP

GAMSTOP is a free service that lets you self-exclude from all gambling websites and apps licensed in Great Britain for a period you choose. It's a straightforward step for anyone who wants a break, and it applies across every licensed operator at once.

Talking to Someone

Speaking with a trained adviser can help even before things feel serious. GamCare and the National Gambling Helpline offer confidential conversations, by phone or online, with no judgement and no obligation to say more than you're comfortable with.

Protecting Family Members

Household filtering software can help keep gambling sites away from shared devices used by other family members. It's a sensible precaution for any home, and licensed operators' safer-gambling pages list recommended tools.

Quick Self-Check

  1. Do you gamble to win back money you have lost?
  2. Have you lied to family or friends about how much you gamble?
  3. Does gambling ever leave you feeling anxious, guilty or low?
  4. Have you missed work, sleep or other commitments because of gambling?
  5. Do you find it hard to stop once you have started?
  6. Have you borrowed money or sold anything to fund gambling?

If you answered yes to any of these, it may help to talk to someone — the services below are free and confidential.

Where to get help

  • BeGambleAware 0808 8020 133

    Free, confidential advice and support for anyone affected by gambling, plus tools to check your own habits.

  • GamCare 0808 8020 133

    Runs the National Gambling Helpline (24/7) and offers free treatment, live chat and self-help resources.

  • GAMSTOP 0800 138 6518

    Free national self-exclusion scheme: one registration blocks you from all online gambling sites licensed in Great Britain.

  • Gamblers Anonymous UK

    Peer-support fellowship with meetings across the UK for people who want to stop gambling.

  • NHS gambling support

    NHS guidance on gambling harm and how to get a referral to a specialist gambling clinic.

  • Gambling Commission

    The regulator for gambling in Great Britain: check an operator's licence on the public register and read player advice.

If any of this feels familiar, you're not alone, and reaching out doesn't commit you to anything. Free, confidential support is available whenever you're ready to talk.