Responsible Gambling in the UK: Signs and Support

Gambling is a paid form of entertainment, not a way to earn money or a solution to money problems. Outcomes are uncertain, and spending more does not make a win more likely. Decide what you can afford to lose before you play. If gambling is affecting your finances, work, relationships or health, stop and seek help rather than trying to win money back.

Signs that gambling may be becoming a problem

Look for changes in what you do, not just how you feel. Warning signs include:

• spending more time or money gambling than you intended;
• increasing stakes to try to recover losses or to get the same excitement;
• borrowing money, using credit or selling possessions to gamble;
• hiding gambling, money spent or losses from people close to you;
• missing work, study, appointments or time with family because you are gambling;
• repeatedly trying to cut down or stop, then returning to gambling;
• feeling restless or irritable when you try to stop;
• using gambling to escape problems or difficult feelings;
• leaving bills unpaid or struggling to meet essential costs because of gambling.

One sign can be enough to take action. You do not need to wait until debts or other consequences become severe.

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Take a step now

If you are gambling at the moment, close the game and do not deposit more money. Do not borrow or use money intended for rent, bills, food or other essentials to continue playing. If you can, tell someone you trust what has been happening and ask them to help you avoid further deposits.

Use the account controls on the gambling site or app. UK-licensed casinos must provide responsible gambling tools, including self-exclusion. Remote operators must also provide accessible account-level limit controls, and new customers must be prompted to set a financial limit before their first deposit. Set a limit that fits your finances; if you want to stop gambling, use self-exclusion rather than treating a spending limit as a reason to continue.

Where to turn

For help outside the gambling account, contact an organisation that provides support for gambling-related harm. The information available for this page does not identify verified organisations or provide their contact details. No organisation name, address or phone number can therefore be supplied here. Do not rely on a contact detail unless you can verify it through a trusted source.

If you are in immediate danger or cannot keep yourself safe, contact emergency services. If someone else is at risk, stay with them if it is safe to do so and seek urgent help.

Protections and age requirements in the UK

Operators must verify your age before allowing you to deposit into a gambling account. You must meet the legal age requirement for the gambling activity; do not use another person’s account or provide false age details.

UK rules also restrict how online gambling works. Online slot autoplay is banned in Britain, and a slot spin must last at least 2.5 seconds. In an online slots game, the total amount you may stake in a game cycle is capped at £2 if you are under 25 and £5 if you are 25 or older. At least 2.5 seconds must pass from the start of one game cycle before the next can begin.

Remote gambling operators cannot accept credit-card payments for gambling, including credit-card funding routed through a money service business. They also cannot accept wallet payments where the wallet allows credit-card funds to be used for gambling. These restrictions do not make gambling risk-free: spending money you can afford to lose can still cause harm.

If you have a complaint about a UKGC licensee, it must provide an internal complaints process and access to an approved Alternative Dispute Resolution service. You can also check whether an operator displays its licence details and links to its public register licence information. These regulatory protections do not replace setting limits, stopping play or getting help when gambling is causing harm.

Prepared by the Casino Not on Gamstop editorial staff.