Responsible gambling: signs, support and safeguards
Available in GBGambling is a paid activity with uncertain outcomes. It is not a way to earn money or a solution to debt, bills or other financial problems. A win cannot be relied on, and trying to recover losses can increase the amount you lose.
Signs that gambling may be causing harm
Look for changes you can observe in your behaviour and finances. These include:
- spending more than you intended, or repeatedly increasing deposits after losing;
- gambling with money needed for rent, bills, food or other essentials;
- borrowing, selling possessions or using credit to continue gambling;
- hiding gambling, losses or bank transactions from people close to you;
- repeatedly trying to stop or cut down, then returning to gambling;
- gambling for longer than planned, or neglecting work, sleep or responsibilities;
- feeling compelled to continue to recover losses;
- experiencing distress, conflict or financial difficulty connected to gambling.
One sign can be enough reason to act. You do not need to wait until several problems appear.
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Steps you can take now
If you are gambling at the moment, stop the session and do not make another deposit to try to recover a loss. Sign out of the account. Use its responsible gambling controls to set a financial limit or activate self-exclusion. Remote operators must provide accessible account-level limit controls, and UKGC-licensed casinos must provide responsible gambling tools, including self-exclusion. If you cannot find a control, contact the operator through the support channel shown on its website or in your account and ask how to use it.
Tell someone you trust what is happening and ask them to help you avoid making further gambling payments. If gambling is affecting essential spending or debt, prioritise those needs rather than placing another bet. Do not treat a limit as a target to spend: it is a restriction intended to help control activity.
The information available for this page does not include verified names, addresses or phone numbers for external gambling-support organisations. No external contact details are listed here. For immediate account-level action, use the operator’s self-exclusion and limit controls, or ask its support team to activate them.
Age and account protections
Operators must verify a customer’s age before allowing deposits into a gambling account. Do not deposit or gamble unless you meet the legal age requirement. If an operator allows a deposit before completing age verification, do not continue using the account; raise the issue with the operator.
Remote operators must prompt new customers to set a financial limit before their first deposit and make account-level limit controls accessible. UKGC-licensed casinos must also provide self-exclusion. If you have a complaint about an operator, UKGC licensees must offer an internal complaints process and access to an approved Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) service. The operator should explain how to use those routes.
Several payment restrictions also apply: remote gambling operators cannot accept credit-card payments for gambling, including credit-card funding routed through a money service business. They cannot accept wallet payments where the wallet allows credit-card funds to be used for gambling. These restrictions do not make gambling safe or remove the need to control spending.
Online slots in Britain
Autoplay is banned for online slots, and a spin must last at least 2.5 seconds. A game cycle must also take at least 2.5 seconds before the next cycle can start. For an online slots game, the total amount an individual may stake in one game cycle must not exceed £2 if they are under 25, or £5 if they are 25 or older. These are limits on play, not recommended spending amounts.
If you need to raise a complaint about a UKGC-licensed operator, use its internal complaints process first; it must also provide access to an approved ADR service. These complaint routes address disputes with the operator. They are not a substitute for stopping gambling or seeking help with its effects.
