Safe gambling
Gambling is a paid form of entertainment with a built in loss over time. This page covers the UK age rule, the signs that play has stopped being a choice, the account controls worth using and where to get free independent help.
The age rule
You must be 18 or over to gamble at an online casino licensed for the British market. Licensed operators must verify age before you deposit or play, including on free to play versions of their games. Anyone under 18 must not use this site.
Signs that gambling is causing harm
- Playing for longer or spending more than you planned, repeatedly.
- Chasing losses with larger stakes to get back to level.
- Borrowing money, selling things or using bill money to fund a deposit.
- Hiding the amount you gamble from people close to you.
- Feeling anxious, low or irritable when you are not playing.
- Gambling to escape stress, loneliness or low mood rather than for entertainment.
- Neglecting work, study, sleep or relationships because of play.
One of these is worth attention. Several together is a reason to use the tools below now rather than later.
Set limits before you play
Every licensed operator offers account controls. Use them on the day you register, while the decision is still calm.
- Deposit limits cap what you can pay in per day, week or month. A reduction usually applies immediately, while an increase has a cooling off period.
- Loss limits cap net losses over a period, which is a tighter control than a deposit limit.
- Session reminders interrupt play with the elapsed time and your position.
- Time outs lock the account for a short period, typically from 24 hours to six weeks.
- Reverse withdrawal should be switched off if the site allows it, so a completed withdrawal cannot be pulled back into play.
Practical habits help as much as settings. Decide your budget before you open the cashier, keep gambling money separate from everyday money, never gamble while drinking or upset, and stop at a time you set in advance rather than at a result.
Self-exclusion
Self-exclusion is stronger than a time out. It closes access for a fixed minimum period and cannot simply be reversed because you change your mind.
- Operator self-exclusion applies to one company and its brands. Ask support or use the responsible gambling section of your account.
- GAMSTOP is the national scheme for online gambling licensed in Great Britain. One free registration blocks access across every participating site for six months, one year or five years. See gamstop.co.uk.
- Blocking software and bank blocks add another layer. Many UK banks let you block gambling transactions from the banking app.
Where to get free help
These organisations are independent of operators and of this site. Check their own pages for current contact routes and opening hours rather than relying on details quoted elsewhere.
- GamCare provides free information, advice and treatment across Great Britain, and runs the National Gambling Helpline.
- BeGambleAware offers self-assessment tools, guidance and routes into support.
- Gambling Therapy offers online support groups and multilingual help.
- Gamblers Anonymous UK runs peer support meetings.
- Gambling Commission publishes player protection guidance and the public register of licensed operators.
- The NHS provides specialist gambling treatment clinics. Ask a GP for a referral or search the NHS website for the current service list.
Helping someone else
Family members and friends can get support in their own right. GamCare and Gambling Therapy both work with affected others, and you do not need the person who gambles to agree before you ask for help yourself.
If you are in crisis
If you feel unsafe or are thinking about harming yourself, contact emergency services or a crisis line in your country straight away. Gambling debt feels permanent in the moment and is not.