Responsible Gambling

Gambling should always remain an enjoyable form of entertainment, but we understand that for some individuals, it can develop into a serious problem. As a responsible operator in the United Kingdom, we are committed to promoting safe gambling practices and providing comprehensive support to our players. This page outlines essential information about responsible gambling, warning signs to watch for, and resources available to help you maintain control over your gaming activities.

Understanding Problem Gambling

Problem gambling, also known as gambling addiction or gambling disorder, is a serious condition that affects millions of people worldwide. It occurs when gambling ceases to be a recreational activity and becomes a compulsive behaviour that negatively impacts various aspects of a person’s life, including their finances, relationships, work, and mental health.

Unlike social gambling, where individuals can easily stop or control their gaming activities, problem gambling involves a persistent urge to gamble despite harmful consequences. The condition is characterised by an inability to control gambling impulses, leading to significant distress and impairment in personal, family, or occupational functioning.

Research indicates that problem gambling affects approximately 0.7% of the adult population in Great Britain, with millions more at risk of developing gambling-related harm. The condition can affect anyone, regardless of age, gender, socioeconomic status, or educational background, though certain factors may increase vulnerability.

Recognising the Warning Signs

Identifying the early warning signs of problem gambling is crucial for preventing the condition from escalating. Many individuals struggling with gambling addiction may not immediately recognise that their behaviour has become problematic, making awareness of these signs particularly important.

Spending more money on gambling than originally intended or can afford
Borrowing money to fund gambling activities or pay gambling-related debts
Lying to family members or friends about gambling activities or losses
Feeling restless or irritable when attempting to reduce or stop gambling
Using gambling as a way to escape problems or relieve negative emotions
Chasing losses by gambling more in an attempt to recover money
Neglecting work, family, or social responsibilities due to gambling
Experiencing mood swings related to gambling wins and losses
Continuing to gamble despite mounting financial or personal problems
Feeling preoccupied with gambling and planning future gambling sessions

If you recognise several of these warning signs in your own behaviour or that of someone you know, it may indicate the development of a gambling problem that requires attention and potentially professional support.

Self-Assessment Tools

Self-assessment is an important step in evaluating your relationship with gambling and identifying whether your gaming habits may be causing concern. Regular self-reflection can help you maintain awareness of your gambling behaviour and make informed decisions about your participation in gaming activities.

Consider asking yourself these important questions: Do you find yourself thinking about gambling frequently throughout the day? Have you ever felt the need to bet increasingly larger amounts to achieve the same level of excitement? Do you become restless or irritable when trying to cut down on gambling? Have you made repeated unsuccessful attempts to control or stop gambling?

Additionally, reflect on the impact gambling has on other areas of your life. Are you spending money on gambling that should be allocated to essential expenses such as rent, utilities, or food? Have you borrowed money or sold possessions to fund gambling activities? Are your relationships with family or friends suffering due to your gambling behaviour?

Several online assessment tools are available through organisations such as GamCare and BeGambleAware, which can provide structured evaluations of your gambling habits. These tools are confidential and can offer valuable insights into whether your gambling behaviour may be problematic.

Setting Personal Limits and Controls

Establishing clear boundaries around your gambling activities is essential for maintaining control and ensuring that gaming remains an enjoyable pastime rather than a harmful habit. Setting limits before you begin gambling helps prevent impulsive decisions that could lead to significant losses or problematic behaviour.

Financial limits are among the most important controls you can implement. Decide in advance how much money you can afford to lose without impacting your ability to pay for essential expenses such as housing, food, utilities, and transportation. This amount should be considered entertainment money, similar to what you might spend on a night out or other leisure activities.

Time limits are equally crucial for responsible gambling. Gaming can be highly engaging, and it’s easy to lose track of time while playing. Set specific time limits for your gambling sessions and stick to them regardless of whether you’re winning or losing. Many players find it helpful to set alarms or reminders to indicate when their predetermined gaming time has ended.

Limit Type	Purpose	Recommended Practice
Daily Deposit Limit	Control daily spending	Set based on disposable income
Weekly Loss Limit	Prevent excessive losses	Maximum affordable weekly loss
Session Time Limit	Control gaming duration	1-2 hours maximum per session
Wagering Limit	Control bet sizes	Small percentage of bankroll per bet

Deposit and Spending Controls

Modern online gambling platforms offer various tools to help players manage their deposits and spending effectively. These controls are designed to prevent impulsive gambling decisions and help maintain responsible gaming habits throughout your gambling experience.

Deposit limits allow you to restrict the amount of money you can add to your account within specific timeframes, such as daily, weekly, or monthly periods. Once you reach your predetermined limit, you will be unable to make additional deposits until the relevant period resets or you modify your settings following appropriate cooling-off periods.

Loss limits function similarly to deposit limits but focus specifically on the amount you can lose rather than deposit. These limits help ensure that you don’t exceed your predetermined loss threshold, even if you have additional funds available in your account from previous gaming sessions.

Spending velocity controls monitor the rate at which you’re gambling and can alert you or temporarily restrict your account if your spending patterns indicate potentially problematic behaviour. These systems use sophisticated algorithms to identify unusual gambling patterns and intervene when necessary.

Time Management and Session Controls

Effective time management is crucial for maintaining a healthy relationship with gambling activities. Extended gambling sessions can lead to fatigue, poor decision-making, and increased risk of problematic behaviour, making it essential to establish clear boundaries around your gaming time.

Session time limits help you control how long you spend gambling during individual gaming sessions. These limits can be particularly useful for preventing the common tendency to continue gambling longer than originally intended, especially during winning or losing streaks that can cloud judgment.

Many players benefit from taking regular breaks during gambling sessions, even if they haven’t reached their time limits. Short breaks allow you to step away from the gaming environment, assess your current situation objectively, and make rational decisions about whether to continue playing or conclude your session.

Reality checks are automated reminders that appear at predetermined intervals during your gambling sessions, displaying information about how long you’ve been playing and how much you’ve spent. These notifications help maintain awareness of your gambling activity and provide opportunities to reassess your continued participation.

Self-Exclusion and Cooling-Off Periods

Self-exclusion is a powerful tool that allows individuals to restrict their access to gambling services for predetermined periods. This measure can be particularly valuable for players who recognise that they’re developing problematic gambling habits and need time away from gaming activities to regain control.

Temporary self-exclusion options, often called cooling-off periods, allow you to restrict your account access for shorter periods, typically ranging from 24 hours to several weeks. During this time, you cannot access your account, make deposits, or participate in any gambling activities on the platform.

Permanent self-exclusion provides longer-term protection for individuals who recognise that they have a serious gambling problem and need extended time away from gambling activities. These exclusions typically last for minimum periods of six months to several years, with some options for indefinite exclusion.

The UK Gambling Commission operates the GAMSTOP service, which allows individuals to exclude themselves from all licensed gambling operators simultaneously. This comprehensive approach helps prevent account proliferation across multiple gambling sites during periods of vulnerability.

Support Resources and Help Organizations

Numerous organisations throughout the United Kingdom provide professional support and assistance for individuals struggling with gambling-related problems. These services range from confidential helplines and online counselling to face-to-face therapy and peer support groups.

GamCare is one of the UK’s leading providers of gambling harm prevention and treatment services. They offer free, confidential support through their helpline, online chat services, and face-to-face counselling sessions. GamCare also provides educational resources and training programmes for individuals and organisations seeking to understand and address gambling-related harm.

BeGambleAware serves as the UK’s leading charity focused on minimising gambling-related harm. They provide comprehensive information about safer gambling practices, fund research into gambling-related harm, and support various treatment and prevention initiatives across the country.

GamCare National Gambling Helpline: 0808 8020 133 (free, confidential, 24/7)
Gamblers Anonymous: Fellowship meetings and peer support groups
Citizens Advice: Free financial guidance and debt management support
NHS Gambling Clinics: Professional treatment services for gambling addiction
Gordon Moody Association: Residential treatment programmes
Samaritans: Emotional support and crisis intervention (116 123)

Protecting Minors and Underage Gambling Prevention

Protecting minors from gambling-related harm is a fundamental responsibility shared by gambling operators, parents, and society as a whole. In the United Kingdom, gambling is strictly prohibited for individuals under the age of 18, with severe penalties for operators who fail to prevent underage gambling.

Parents and guardians play a crucial role in educating young people about the risks associated with gambling and monitoring their online activities. This includes maintaining open communication about gambling, understanding the gaming applications and websites that children use, and implementing appropriate parental controls on devices and internet connections.

Age verification systems employed by licensed gambling operators use sophisticated technology to verify the identity and age of all players before allowing account registration or gambling activities. These systems may require documentation such as driving licences, passports, or utility bills to confirm identity and age.

Parents should be aware that many online games and applications marketed to young people contain gambling-like elements, such as loot boxes or virtual currency systems. While these features may not constitute legal gambling, they can introduce gambling concepts and potentially normalise gambling behaviours among young people.

Financial Management and Debt Prevention

Effective financial management is essential for responsible gambling and preventing gambling-related debt. This involves creating clear budgets that separate gambling funds from money needed for essential expenses and long-term financial goals.

Before engaging in any gambling activities, establish a comprehensive household budget that accounts for all essential expenses, including housing costs, utilities, food, transportation, insurance, and debt payments. Only after meeting these obligations should you consider allocating money for entertainment purposes, including gambling.

Never gamble with borrowed money, including credit cards, loans, or money borrowed from friends and family members. Gambling should only be funded through disposable income that you can afford to lose completely without impacting your financial stability or ability to meet essential obligations.

If you’re experiencing gambling-related financial difficulties, numerous organisations can provide assistance with debt management and financial planning. Citizens Advice offers free, confidential guidance on managing debts and creating sustainable budgets, while organisations like StepChange provide specialist debt advice services.

Maintaining Healthy Gambling Habits

Developing and maintaining healthy gambling habits requires ongoing self-awareness, discipline, and commitment to responsible gaming principles. This involves treating gambling as one form of entertainment among many, rather than as a primary leisure activity or source of income.

Maintain balance in your life by engaging in diverse activities and interests outside of gambling. This might include sports, hobbies, social activities, education, or volunteer work. Having multiple sources of enjoyment and fulfilment reduces the likelihood that gambling will become an excessive focus in your life.

Avoid gambling when you’re experiencing negative emotions such as stress, depression, anxiety, or anger. Emotional gambling often leads to poor decision-making and increased risk of problematic behaviour. Instead, develop healthy coping mechanisms for managing difficult emotions, such as exercise, meditation, social support, or professional counselling.

Regular self-evaluation is important for maintaining awareness of your gambling habits and identifying any concerning changes in behaviour. Consider keeping a gambling diary that tracks your spending, time spent gambling, and emotional states before and after gambling sessions.

Remember that gambling should never be viewed as a solution to financial problems or a reliable way to generate income. The mathematical advantage always favours the house in the long term, making it statistically unlikely that gambling will provide consistent financial returns.

Last updated: November 2024