Gambling is a form of entertainment, not a way to make money. Keeping it enjoyable means staying in control of how much time and money you spend. The guidance below applies to anyone who gambles online or in person.
Recognising Problem Gambling
Problem gambling can develop gradually and is not always easy to notice from the inside. Some signs that gambling may have become harmful include:
- Spending more money or time gambling than you intended
- Chasing losses by placing further bets to recover what was lost
- Feeling restless or irritable when trying to cut back
- Neglecting work, study, relationships, or daily responsibilities
- Borrowing money or selling possessions to fund gambling
- Lying to friends or family about how much you gamble
- Using gambling to cope with stress, anxiety, or low mood
Experiencing one or more of these does not automatically mean you have a serious problem, but they are worth taking seriously. Honest self-reflection is a useful first step.
Practical Steps to Stay in Control
Setting clear personal limits before you start gambling — on both money and time — is one of the most effective habits you can build. Decide in advance what you can afford to lose, treat that amount as the cost of entertainment, and stop when it is gone. Avoid gambling when you are tired, upset, or under the influence of alcohol, as decision-making is impaired in those states.
Taking regular breaks, keeping gambling as one activity among many, and never viewing it as a source of income all help maintain a healthy relationship with it. Reviewing your own behaviour periodically — even when nothing feels wrong — keeps small issues from growing larger.
Support Organisations
Several independent organisations offer free, confidential help to anyone affected by gambling-related harm, including friends and family members.
Reachable at gamcare.org.uk and on the National Gambling Helpline: 0808 8020 133 (free, 24 hours).
Gamblers Anonymous — a peer-support fellowship with meetings in many countries. Details at gamblersanonymous.org.uk for the UK.
BeGambleAware — offers information, self-assessment tools, and referrals to treatment. Visit begambleaware.org.
Gordon Moody — provides residential and online treatment programmes for people with severe gambling disorders in Great Britain. See gordonmoody.org.uk.
Protecting Young People
Gambling products are intended for adults only. If you share a device with younger family members, consider installing third-party parental control software to restrict access to gambling websites. Tools such as Gamban (gamban.com) block gambling content across devices and are available as a subscription service independent of any operator.
Self-Exclusion
GAMSTOP is a free national self-exclusion scheme for Great Britain that allows you to restrict yourself from all participating online gambling operators with a single registration. You can sign up at gamstop.co.uk. Self-exclusion is a voluntary commitment and is most effective when combined with blocking software and, where needed, professional support.