Responsible Gambling: Help and Tools

Gambling is for adults only: 18 or older, or the higher legal age where you live. It always carries a house edge, so over time players as a group lose money. If gambling is costing you more than you can afford, or more time than you meant to spend, free and confidential help is available.

Free help, wherever you are

• Gamblers Anonymous: meetings and support groups in many countries, at gamblersanonymous.org.
• Gambling Therapy: free online support and chat in several languages, at gamblingtherapy.org.
• Great Britain: National Gambling Helpline 0808 8020 133, free, 24 hours a day.
• United States: 1-800-MY-RESET, call or text.
• Australia: Gambling Help Online, 1800 858 858, 24 hours a day.
• Sweden: Stödlinjen 020-81 91 00.
• Germany: BIÖG telephone advice on gambling addiction, 0800 1 37 27 00, free.

Tools that put a barrier in the way

Set a deposit limit before you play and use the time-out and self-exclusion tools in your casino account. National schemes such as GamStop, Spelpaus, CRUKS, OASIS and BetStop block you at every licensed operator in that country, but not at offshore sites. Blocking apps and a gambling block on your bank card cover those too. Our self-exclusion guide explains each option.

Signs it may be time to stop

• Chasing losses with bigger or more frequent bets.
• Gambling with money meant for bills, rent or food.
• Hiding gambling from people close to you.
• Feeling restless or irritable when you try to cut down.
• Borrowing, or using credit, to gamble.

If any of these sound familiar, talk to one of the services above. It is free, confidential and you do not need to have decided to stop. Casinos that ignore exclusions or keep sending offers after you ask them to stop can be reported; see how to complain about a casino.