Adults only, and always your call

Worth noticing in yourself

None of these means anything on its own. Several of them together, over a few weeks, is worth taking seriously:

• Sessions running longer than you meant them to, more often than not.
• Depositing again after a loss to get back to level.
• Spending money set aside for something else.
• Playing to change how you feel rather than because you want to play.
• Being vague with people close to you about how much or how often.
• Borrowing, selling or using credit to fund it.
• Relief rather than enjoyment when a session ends.

If you recognise several of these, the fastest useful step is one of the independent services below. They are free, they are used by a great many people, and none of them requires you to have made a decision before you get in touch.

The controls you can put in place

These are account settings, described here so you know what to ask for. They are available in the account area of the site where you play, and a request can also be made through that site's official support.

Deposit limit

A ceiling on how much can go into the account over a chosen period. It works before the money moves rather than after, which is what makes it useful.

Time-out

A short, defined break. The account is closed to play for the period you choose and reopens on its own afterwards. Useful when you want a pause rather than an ending.

Self-exclusion

A longer and more definite block on the account. Set it in the account area of the site where you play, or ask for it through that site's official support.

Other limits

Depending on what the account area offers, limits on session length or on stakes may also be available. If you cannot find a control you want, ask for it through your account area or that site's official support and say what you want it to do.

A limit is not a judgement about you and you do not need to explain yourself to set one. Deciding in advance what you are willing to spend, while nothing is happening, is simply a better moment to decide than mid-session.

Independent organisations that can help

These organisations are independent of this desk. They are free to use, they are not part of the programme described on this site, and you do not need anyone’s permission — or any account — to contact them.

• GamCare

  Free information, advice and support for anyone affected by gambling, including a helpline and live chat, and support for friends and family as well as players.

  gamcare.org.uk

• GAMSTOP

  A free self-exclusion scheme that you sign up to directly, independently of any individual site. Once in place it applies across the participating online operators rather than one account at a time.

  gamstop.co.uk

• BeGambleAware

  Independent information on gambling harm and a route into free, confidential treatment and support, including advice for people worried about someone else.

  begambleaware.org

• Gambling Therapy

  Free online support — groups, forums and one-to-one help — available in a number of languages, for people anywhere in the world.

  gamblingtherapy.org

These links leave this site. What you do on those services is between you and them; this site has no way of knowing you visited, because it has no tracking of any kind.

Worried about someone else

All four organisations above support families and friends, not only players — you do not have to be the person gambling to call them, and you do not need the other person’s agreement to ask for advice for yourself.

Practical things that help: talk about the behaviour and the money rather than about character; do not take on their debts; keep your own finances separate; and get advice early rather than at the point of crisis.

Adults only

Gambling is for adults aged 18 or over. If a young person has access to a device that can reach a gambling account, filtering software on that device is a sensible additional step alongside the account controls above.