Gambling is meant to be entertainment. If it ever stops being fun — if it starts affecting your finances, your relationships, your sleep, your work, or your mental health — help is free, anonymous, and available 24/7 in the UK. This page collects the resources we recommend to every reader of our gambling-related editorial. Last updated 20 May 2026.

Self-Exclusion Tools

• GAMSTOP — free national self-exclusion scheme for UK Gambling Commission-licensed online operators. Blocks you across every UK-licensed site for a chosen period (6 months, 1 year, or 5 years).
• Gamban — software service that blocks tens of thousands of gambling sites worldwide (including non-UK operators that fall outside GAMSTOP) at the device level.
• UK bank gambling blocks — available in Monzo, Starling, NatWest, RBS, HSBC, First Direct, Barclays, Lloyds, Halifax, Bank of Scotland, Nationwide, and Santander. Once enabled, the bank refuses gambling-coded card transactions.

Signs That Gambling Has Stopped Being Fun

• Spending more than you planned, more often than you planned.
• Chasing losses with bigger bets.
• Hiding gambling activity from people close to you.
• Borrowing money, selling possessions, or using money meant for bills.
• Feeling anxious, depressed, irritable, or guilty about gambling.
• Losing interest in activities you used to enjoy.
• Gambling to escape stress, boredom, or low mood.

If you recognise yourself in two or more of these, it is worth using one of the helplines above. You do not need to wait until things are at crisis point.

Practical Tools While You Are Playing

• Set deposit limits at every gambling site you use, on day one, before you deposit. UK Gambling Commission-licensed operators are required to offer them; reputable non-UK operators offer them voluntarily.
• Set loss limits and time limits. Both are widely available and effective.
• Take regular breaks. Use time-out features (typically 24h, 7d, 30d) when you need them.
• Never gamble with money you cannot afford to lose — treat it as the cost of entertainment, not an income strategy.
• Do not gamble while tired, stressed, intoxicated, or upset.

If You Use Non-GAMSTOP Sites

GAMSTOP only covers UK Gambling Commission-licensed operators. If you use offshore (non-UK) casinos, those sites are not in the GAMSTOP database. The tools that work for non-GAMSTOP play are: Gamban (device-level blocker), UK bank gambling blocks (card-level blocker), and the operator’s own deposit/loss limits and self-exclusion tools. For full detail see our guide to responsible gambling beyond GAMSTOP.

For Friends & Family

If you are worried about someone else’s gambling, the same helplines above are available to you. GamCare and BeGambleAware both have dedicated routes for affected family members. You do not need their permission to seek advice for yourself.

Contact

If you have feedback on how this site covers safer gambling, or you spot anything that could be improved, please get in touch.