Responsible gambling
Betting is a form of entertainment with a negative expected return. If it has stopped feeling like entertainment, the services below are free, confidential and independent of any operator.
Where to get help
- Great Britain — GamCare National Gambling Helpline,0808 8020 133, open 24 hours.gamcare.org.uk
- Great Britain, self-exclusion —GAMSTOPblocks online gambling with every operator licensed in Great Britain.
- Ireland — Gambling Awareness Trust,problem gambling support.
- International — Gamblers Anonymous maintains meeting lists by country:gamblersanonymous.org
Tools a licensed operator has to give you
In regulated markets these are requirements, not customer-service courtesies. What each regulator mandates differs; the point is that they exist and are yours to use without asking permission.
- Deposit limits set by you, where a decrease normally takes effect immediately.
- Time-outs, a short cooling-off period that locks the account.
- Self-exclusion, a long minimum block that cannot be lifted early on request.
- Reality checks, periodic reminders of elapsed session time.
- Account closure with withdrawal of the remaining balance.
Chasing losses is the behaviour most consistently associated with harm. A bet placed to recover a previous bet is not a new decision about a sporting event.
Helpline details are reproduced from each organisation's own site. They are support services, not partners, and none of these links is compensated.