Responsible Gambling
Gambling can be an enjoyable form of entertainment, but it carries real risks. This page sets out the tools, organisations and personal checks that can help you stay in control — whether you play at UK-licensed casinos or at non-Gamstop casinos reviewed on this site. No gambling site is worth your financial or mental wellbeing, and the guidance below is here to make sure you have what you need before problems take hold.
What Responsible Gambling Means in Practice
Responsible gambling is not a single action — it is an ongoing set of habits and decisions. At its simplest, it means only gambling with money you can afford to lose, treating it as entertainment rather than a way to make money, and stopping when it stops being fun. In practice, it also means using the controls available to you and being honest with yourself about your behaviour.
The warning signs that gambling has moved from leisure to problem include:
- Spending more than you planned, or chasing losses to recover money
- Gambling with money set aside for bills, rent or food
- Lying to friends or family about how much you gamble or spend
- Feeling anxious, irritable or depressed when you are not gambling
- Borrowing money or selling possessions to fund gambling
- Gambling to escape stress, anxiety or low mood
- Struggling to stop, even when you want to
Recognising these signs early is the most effective step you can take. Help is available, and the organisations listed below are experienced, non-judgemental and free to contact.
Free Help and Support in Great Britain
Several organisations in Great Britain offer confidential support, whether you want to talk something through, access therapy or find local face-to-face services.
| Organisation | What they offer | Contact |
|---|---|---|
| GamCare | Free counselling, a 24-hour helpline and online chat. The National Gambling Helpline is operated by GamCare. | 0808 8020 133 (free, 24/7) |
| Gamblers Anonymous | Peer support group meetings across the UK, based on a 12-step programme. Also supports friends and family through GamAnon. | 0330 094 0322 |
| BeGambleAware | Information, self-assessment tools and referrals to local treatment services. | begambleaware.org |
| Gambling Therapy | International free online support, including live chat and forums. Available in English 24 hours a day. | gamblingtherapy.org |
| NHS Northern Gambling Service | Specialist NHS treatment for gambling disorder in England, available via GP referral or self-referral. | nhs.uk (search "gambling disorder") |
All of these services are confidential. You do not need to have reached a crisis point to make contact — early conversations are often the most effective ones.
Self-Exclusion: Your Options
Self-exclusion is a formal request to a gambling operator to close your account and block you from opening a new one for a set period. It is one of the most effective tools available when you feel gambling is getting out of hand.
Gamstop
Gamstop is the UK's national self-exclusion scheme. Registering with Gamstop instructs all UK Gambling Commission-licensed operators to block your access for a minimum of six months, and up to five years. It is free, takes a few minutes to register and covers thousands of licensed gambling sites simultaneously. Once registered, the exclusion cannot be reversed until the chosen period expires.
You can register at gamstop.co.uk using your name, date of birth and address.
Self-Excluding from Non-Gamstop Casinos
The casinos listed on this site are licensed outside the UK Gambling Commission framework and are therefore not part of the Gamstop scheme. This means Gamstop registration does not cover them. If you wish to self-exclude from these sites, you must contact each operator directly.
Most reputable offshore casinos offer self-exclusion as part of their responsible gambling tools. To self-exclude from a non-Gamstop casino:
- Log in to your account and look for a "Responsible Gambling" or "Player Safety" section in your account settings.
- Choose a self-exclusion period — most operators offer options from one month to several years, or a permanent closure.
- If you cannot find the option in your settings, contact the casino's customer support directly and request a self-exclusion in writing (email or live chat transcript).
- Keep a record of your request and the confirmation you receive.
You may also consider using third-party blocking software such as Gamban, which blocks gambling-related websites and apps across all your devices, including sites outside the Gamstop network. Gamban is available for a small annual fee and works on phones, tablets and computers.
Deposit Limits, Session Limits and Cooling-Off Periods
Short of full self-exclusion, most casinos — including those not covered by Gamstop — provide a range of softer controls. Using these proactively is a sound habit even if your gambling is currently within comfortable limits.
- Deposit limits: Set a maximum amount you can deposit per day, week or month. Once set, reputable operators require a cooling-off period before any limit can be raised.
- Loss limits: Cap the amount you can lose in a given period.
- Session time limits: Receive an alert or automatic logout after a set period of play.
- Reality checks: On-screen reminders showing how long you have been playing and your net position in the session.
- Cooling-off (temporary exclusion): Block access to your account for a defined short period — typically 24 hours to several weeks — without a full closure.
If a casino does not offer these controls at all, that is a meaningful red flag when assessing whether to play there. The sites reviewed on this site have been assessed with player protections in mind — see our full site reviews for detail on each operator's tools.
Setting a Budget That Protects You
The most reliable protection against problem gambling is deciding in advance — and in writing — how much you are willing to spend, then treating that figure as the cost of entertainment, not an investment. A practical approach:
- Work out your monthly disposable income after all bills, rent, food and savings contributions.
- Decide what percentage of that remainder you are comfortable spending on gambling. For most people this is a small fraction — not a figure that would cause hardship if lost entirely.
- Set that figure as a hard deposit limit at every casino you use.
- Review the figure monthly. If losses have caused any real financial discomfort, reduce the limit or take a break.
Never gamble with borrowed money, never use gambling to try to recover previous losses, and never increase a budget because you are on a losing streak. These are the circumstances in which small problems become serious ones quickly.
Talking to Someone You Trust
Gambling problems are often accompanied by shame, which makes people reluctant to discuss them. If you are concerned about your own gambling, or someone else's, talking to a trusted friend or family member — before contacting a professional service — can be a first step that is easier to take. GamCare's website also has dedicated resources for friends and family who are worried about someone else's gambling.
If you are in financial difficulty as a result of gambling, free debt advice is available from StepChange (stepchange.org) and National Debtline (nationaldebtline.org). These are separate from gambling support services and can help you stabilise your financial position at no cost.
A Note on Playing at Non-Gamstop Sites
Playing at casinos not covered by Gamstop means that UK regulatory protections — including mandatory self-exclusion via Gamstop, dispute resolution through the UK Gambling Commission and the requirement to verify affordability — do not apply. This places more responsibility on you as a player to manage your own limits and to use the tools outlined above.
That does not mean offshore casinos cannot be used safely, but it does mean the safeguards are different. Using deposit limits at every site, blocking software where appropriate, and maintaining honest self-assessment are all the more important in this context. Our reviewed non-Gamstop casinos are assessed in part on the responsible gambling tools they make available to players.
If you have any questions about this site's approach to player welfare, you can reach the team through our Contact Us page.
Key Contacts at a Glance
- National Gambling Helpline (GamCare): 0808 8020 133 — free, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
- Gamblers Anonymous UK: 0330 094 0322
- Gamstop self-exclusion: gamstop.co.uk
- Gamban device blocking: gamban.com
- BeGambleAware: begambleaware.org
- StepChange debt advice: stepchange.org
18+ only. Gambling should be fun. If it stops feeling that way, the support listed above is there to help — and using it is a sign of strength, not weakness.