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Safer Gambling

The limits, blocks and helplines that exist in the United Kingdom, what each one actually does, and how to switch it on in under a minute.

Checked by the TransparentBets odds desk Last reviewed 18+ · BeGambleAware.org
The betting ring at Leicester the same prices, priced by hand
The betting ring at Leicester — the same prices, priced by hand Photo Richard Humphrey, geograph.org.uk, CC BY-SA 2.0
On this page
  1. Gambling is entertainment, not income
  2. Tools every licensed UK bookmaker has to give you
  3. Blocking yourself across the industry
  4. Signs worth taking seriously
  5. Where to get help, free and confidentially

Gambling is entertainment, not income

Every bookmaker listed on this site is built to make a profit over time, and the margin in the odds is how it does that. Betting can be an enjoyable pastime within a budget you have decided in advance. It is not a way to make money, to recover a loss, or to fix a shortfall. If you are betting to solve a financial problem, the odds are working against you.

Tools every licensed UK bookmaker has to give you

  • Deposit limits. Daily, weekly or monthly. An increase does not take effect immediately; a decrease does.
  • Time-outs. A short break from one day up to six weeks. The account reopens by itself afterwards.
  • Self-exclusion. From six months upwards, and it cannot be reversed early, whatever the reason.
  • Reality checks. A message on screen after a set time in the session.
  • Activity statements. Your real net position over a period, which is usually not the number you remember.

These tools are in the account settings of every operator licensed for Great Britain. You do not have to explain why you are using one.

Blocking yourself across the industry

GAMSTOP is the national self-exclusion scheme. Registering once blocks you from every gambling business licensed to take bets in Great Britain, for six months, one year or five years. It cannot be lifted early, and a new email address will not get around it, because the exclusion is matched against your personal details.

Blocking software on the phone and the computer covers what GAMSTOP cannot, such as sites operating without a British licence. Banks also offer a gambling block on the card, which usually takes a cooling-off period to switch off again.

Signs worth taking seriously

  • Betting more than you planned, or more often than you planned.
  • Chasing a loss with a bigger stake.
  • Borrowing, or selling something, to fund a bet.
  • Hiding the amount you bet from people close to you.
  • Feeling that you cannot stop, or feeling low when you do.

Where to get help, free and confidentially

The National Gambling Helpline is open around the clock on 0808 8020 133, run by GamCare. Advice, self-assessment and live chat are also at BeGambleAware and GamCare. Treatment through the NHS gambling clinics is free at the point of use and you can refer yourself.

If you are worried about someone else, the same helpline advises family and friends. You do not need the person’s permission to ask for advice.