Set the limits before play
Choose a spending limit that leaves rent, bills, food and savings untouched. Set a time limit as well. A reminder or timer is easier to follow when it was decided before a game started, not after a loss.
Use the operator's account controls for spending limits, reality checks and time-outs. Do not increase a limit in response to a losing session. Never borrow to gamble or treat a promotion as a reason to spend more than planned.
Signs that call for a stop
- Trying to win back losses or extending a session after the planned finish.
- Hiding time or spending from people close to you.
- Using money reserved for ordinary living costs.
- Feeling restless, anxious or preoccupied when not gambling.
- Opening new accounts to get around limits or self-exclusion.
Time-outs, exclusion and blocking
A time-out pauses an account for a defined period. Self-exclusion is for a longer stop. GAMSTOP provides free self-exclusion across online operators licensed in Great Britain; register directly with GAMSTOP and keep your details accurate. Device-level blocking software and bank gambling blocks can add separate layers.
Talk to someone
GamCare provides confidential information and treatment routes, including the National Gambling Helpline. GambleAware explains harms and routes into support. If gambling is affecting debt, housing or mental health, specialist advice is more useful than trying to solve the problem through further play.
In an emergency
If you or someone else is in immediate danger, call 999 or go to A&E. For urgent mental health support that is not an emergency, use NHS 111 and select the mental health option where available.