Gambling is something the majority of UK adults who participate in do without experiencing lasting harm. For some people, however, it becomes difficult to control — and the consequences can affect finances, relationships, employment, and mental health in serious ways.
This page exists because online-betting.org believes that access to accurate information about gambling harm, and clear signposting to support, is a fundamental responsibility of any website operating in this space.
If you are concerned about your own gambling right now, you do not need to read this entire page. The most important information is at the top:
Get Help Now
| Organisation | Contact | Available |
|---|---|---|
| National Gambling Helpline | 0808 8020 133 (free) | 24 hours, 7 days |
| GamCare Live Chat | gamcare.org.uk | 24 hours, 7 days |
| GamStop (self-exclusion) | gamstop.co.uk | Online, immediate |
| BeGambleAware | begambleaware.org | Online resources |
| Gamblers Anonymous UK | gamblersanonymous.org.uk | Meetings + online |
| GamCare Forum | forum.gamcare.org.uk | Online, peer support |
| Samaritans | 116 123 (free) | 24 hours, 7 days |
What Is Problem Gambling?
Problem gambling refers to gambling behaviour that causes harm — to the person gambling, to their family, or to others around them. It exists on a spectrum. It does not require gambling every day, spending a particular amount of money, or meeting any specific threshold. If gambling is causing problems in your life, that is sufficient.
The NHS and GamCare both use the Problem Gambling Severity Index (PGSI) to assess the level of gambling-related harm. The PGSI is a validated questionnaire that asks about behaviour over the past 12 months. Scores are categorised as:
- Score 0: Non-problem gambling
- Score 1–2: Low-risk gambling — some adverse consequences, low level of problems
- Score 3–7: Moderate-risk gambling — increased harm across multiple areas
- Score 8+: Problem gambling — significant harm across multiple life areas
Recognising the Signs
Gambling harm does not always look the same in every person. Common signs that gambling may be becoming a problem include:
Financial signs:
- Spending more than you intended or planned
- Borrowing money or using credit cards to fund gambling
- Struggling to pay bills, rent, or other commitments because of gambling
- Hiding financial statements, bank accounts, or transactions from family members
Behavioural signs:
- Spending increasing amounts of time thinking about gambling — reviewing past bets, planning future ones
- Chasing losses — placing additional bets to recover money lost
- Increasing the size of bets to maintain the same level of excitement
- Continuing to gamble even when you have decided to stop
- Gambling during work hours, late at night, or during time committed to other responsibilities
Emotional and social signs:
- Feeling anxious, irritable, or depressed when not gambling or when unable to place bets
- Lying to family members, friends, or colleagues about gambling activity or money
- Neglecting relationships, social commitments, or hobbies because of gambling
- Using gambling as a way to escape difficult emotions, stress, or problems
Important: Recognising these signs in yourself takes honesty that can be genuinely difficult. Many people experiencing gambling-related harm are fully aware of the signs but find it hard to act on them. This is not a personal failing — it is a documented aspect of how gambling disorders develop and persist.
Responsible Gambling Tools Available at UKGC-Licensed Sites
Every UKGC-licensed online bookmaker and casino is legally required to provide a set of responsible gambling tools. These are not optional features — they are mandatory conditions of the operator’s UK licence.
You have the right to use all of these tools at any licensed site, at any time, without needing to explain or justify your decision.
Deposit Limits
Set a maximum amount you can deposit over a defined period — daily, weekly, or monthly. Once the limit is reached, the site will not allow further deposits until the period resets.
How to use it: Set deposit limits before you start playing, not after you have hit a difficult period. Limits set in advance, when you are thinking clearly, are more effective than limits set reactively.
Reducing a deposit limit takes effect immediately. Increasing a limit is subject to a mandatory cooling-off period (typically 24–72 hours) to prevent impulsive decisions.
Loss Limits
Similar to deposit limits but capped on net losses rather than total deposits. If you lose a defined amount in a given period, further gambling is blocked until the period resets.
Session Time Limits
Set a maximum amount of time you can spend gambling in a single session. When the limit is reached, you are prompted to stop and logged out.
Reality Checks
Periodic notifications during a session showing you how long you have been playing and your net win or loss for that session. Available at all UKGC-licensed operators. Useful for maintaining perspective during sessions where time can pass unnoticed.
Self-Exclusion at a Single Operator
You can self-exclude from any individual UKGC-licensed site at any time. The minimum self-exclusion period is six months. During self-exclusion, the operator must:
- Close your account
- Return any balance in your account
- Not send you any marketing communications
- Not allow you to reopen your account until the exclusion period has ended
To self-exclude, contact the operator’s customer support team directly, or use the responsible gambling section of your account settings.
GamStop — Multi-Operator Self-Exclusion
GamStop is the national self-exclusion scheme that covers all UKGC-licensed online gambling operators in a single registration. One registration blocks your access to every UKGC-licensed betting and casino site in the UK.
Key details:
- Available periods: 6 months, 1 year, 5 years
- Once registered, the exclusion cannot be reversed until the chosen period ends
- Processing typically takes 24 hours to take full effect across all operators
- GamStop does not cover land-based betting shops, casinos, or unlicensed offshore sites
Register at gamstop.co.uk — the process takes approximately five minutes.
Additional Blocking Tools
For bettors who want broader protection — including coverage of sites outside the UKGC-licensed market — the following tools provide device-level or network-level blocking.
Gamban
Software installed on your devices that blocks access to thousands of gambling sites globally, including offshore and unlicensed platforms that GamStop does not cover. Available for PC, Mac, iOS, and Android. Subscription-based (fees apply, but subsidised access is available through GamCare).
BetBlocker
A free application that blocks access to gambling sites across multiple devices. Covers a large database of gambling URLs and can be set for periods ranging from 24 hours to five years.
Bank-Level Gambling Blocks
Most major UK banks — including Barclays, HSBC, Lloyds, NatWest, Starling, Monzo, and others — allow customers to block gambling transactions via their mobile app. This prevents your debit card from being used at gambling sites regardless of which site or device is involved.
This is one of the most practically effective tools available because it operates at the payment level rather than the device or site level. To activate, check the settings or spending controls section of your banking app.
Support Organisations in Detail
National Gambling Helpline — 0808 8020 133
Operated by GamCare. Free to call from any UK phone, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Provides immediate support, information, and referral to specialist treatment services. Also available via live chat at gamcare.org.uk.
The helpline is available to both people experiencing gambling harm directly and to family members or friends concerned about someone else’s gambling.
GamCare
The leading national provider of free gambling support in the UK. Offers telephone and live chat counselling, a moderated online forum for peer support, and face-to-face counselling through a national network of treatment providers. All services are free and confidential.
GamCare also runs the National Gambling Treatment Service, which provides structured, evidence-based treatment programmes for people experiencing significant gambling-related harm.
BeGambleAware
Provides information, self-assessment tools, and a directory of local support services. The BeGambleAware self-assessment takes approximately five minutes and provides an honest, non-judgmental picture of your current gambling behaviour and its impact.
Gamblers Anonymous UK
A peer-support fellowship based on the 12-step model. Meetings are held across the UK — both in-person and online — every week. Also runs Gam-Anon, a companion programme for family members and friends affected by someone else’s gambling.
The peer model works well for people who find professional counselling less accessible or who benefit from regular contact with others who have direct experience of gambling harm.
Gordon Moody
Specialist residential and online treatment for people experiencing severe gambling disorder. Provides intensive treatment programmes for people for whom outpatient support has not been sufficient.
NHS Gambling Clinics
The NHS operates specialist gambling treatment clinics as part of the National Problem Gambling Clinic network. Referrals can be made via your GP or through self-referral. NHS treatment is free and evidence-based. Waiting lists vary by location.
To find your nearest clinic, speak to your GP or search through nhs.uk.
Samaritans — 116 123
If gambling is contributing to a mental health crisis or thoughts of self-harm, Samaritans provides immediate, confidential support. Free to call from any UK phone, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. No issue is too small or too large to call about.
If Someone You Know Has a Gambling Problem
Gambling harm extends well beyond the person gambling. Family members, partners, and friends are frequently affected — through financial pressure, relationship stress, and the emotional impact of living alongside someone whose behaviour has become unpredictable or secretive.
GamCare’s helpline (0808 8020 133) is available to family members and friends as well as people experiencing gambling problems directly. You do not need to wait until things reach a crisis point to call.
Gam-Anon provides peer support specifically for people affected by a family member or friend’s gambling. Meetings are held alongside Gamblers Anonymous and separately.
When trying to support someone you are concerned about:
- Avoid accusatory or confrontational conversations, particularly during or immediately after a gambling episode
- Express concern in terms of the specific behaviours you have observed, not character judgements
- Manage your own exposure — do not lend money or cover gambling debts, as this removes the natural consequences that can be part of a person recognising their problem
- Access support for yourself, not just for them — the toll of living with gambling harm is real and deserves its own attention
Protecting Children and Young People
Online gambling is illegal for anyone under the age of 18 in the UK. Every UKGC-licensed operator is required to use age verification to prevent underage access.
If you share devices with children or young people:
- Use the parental controls available through your device’s operating system
- Consider installing BetBlocker or Gamban at the device level to prevent any access to gambling content
- Have age-appropriate conversations about gambling and its risks — gambling harm can develop early, and young people who gamble before 18 are at elevated risk of developing problems in adulthood
If you are concerned about a young person’s gambling behaviour, GamCare’s helpline can advise on appropriate support.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I self-exclude from all UK betting sites at once?
Register with GamStop at gamstop.co.uk. One registration blocks your access to all UKGC-licensed online gambling operators. The process takes approximately five minutes and exclusions are available for 6 months, 1 year, or 5 years.
Does self-exclusion cover betting shops?
GamStop covers online operators only. For land-based betting shops, contact the individual operators (Ladbrokes, William Hill, Coral, Betfred, Paddy Power, etc.) directly to register for their in-shop self-exclusion schemes. The UKGC is working toward a more unified land-based self-exclusion solution, but this is not yet fully implemented.
Will my bank block gambling transactions?
Most major UK banks now offer a gambling transaction block via their mobile app. Check your app’s spending controls or card controls section. Monzo, Starling, Barclays, Lloyds, NatWest, and HSBC all offer this feature. When activated, gambling transactions are declined at the payment stage.
Is treatment for gambling addiction free in the UK?
Yes. GamCare’s counselling and support services are free. NHS gambling treatment clinics are free via referral. Gamblers Anonymous meetings are free. Gordon Moody’s residential treatment is also available without direct cost to individuals. There is no financial barrier to accessing help.
I’m worried about someone else’s gambling. What should I do?
Call the National Gambling Helpline on 0808 8020 133. The helpline is for family members and friends as well as people gambling directly. GamCare can advise on how to approach the conversation and what support is available for you as well as the person you are concerned about.
Can I reverse a self-exclusion if I change my mind?
GamStop self-exclusions cannot be reversed until the chosen period ends — and even then, there is a mandatory cooling-off period before access is restored. Self-exclusion at individual operators follows similar rules. This is intentional — the purpose of self-exclusion is to remove impulsive access, and an instantly reversible exclusion would not serve that purpose.
Sources: UK Gambling Commission; GamCare; BeGambleAware; NHS; Gamblers Anonymous UK; GamStop. All telephone numbers and links verified as of March 2026.