Responsible Gambling in the UK: Warning Signs and Help
Gambling can lead to financial and personal harm. It is not a way to earn money and cannot solve money problems. Treat any money you spend as money you may lose.
Recognise when gambling is becoming a problem
Look for changes in what you do, not only how you feel. Warning signs include:
- spending more time or money gambling than you planned;
- trying to win back losses by continuing to gamble;
- borrowing money, using credit, or selling possessions to fund gambling;
- missing bills, work, study, sleep or time with family because you are gambling;
- hiding gambling or its cost from people close to you;
- feeling unable to stop, or repeatedly returning after deciding to stop.
If any of these apply, stop depositing and gambling for now. Do not try to recover losses with another bet. Tell someone you trust what is happening and take a practical step to block access to gambling.
Tools to limit or stop gambling
Remote gambling operators must prompt new customers to set a financial limit before their first deposit and provide accessible account-level controls. Use those controls to set a limit that fits your finances; lowering it can restrict future gambling, while increasing or removing a limit may not take effect immediately.
UK-licensed casinos must provide responsible gambling tools, including self-exclusion. Self-exclusion is an account-level measure intended to prevent you from gambling with that operator. Check the operator’s terms for how to activate it and what it covers. You can also ask the operator to close your account.
These tools do not replace help from another person or service. If you have already lost money you cannot afford, do not treat a limit as a plan to win it back.
Where to turn
If gambling is affecting your finances, safety or relationships, contact a trusted person and ask them to stay with you while you take the next step. You can also contact the gambling operator to use its account controls or self-exclusion process. UKGC-licensed casinos must provide access to an approved Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) service for complaints.
No verified gambling support organisations or service contact details are available on this page. Do not rely on an unverified number or address found elsewhere in a gambling advert. If you are in immediate danger, contact the UK emergency services.
Age and protections in Britain
You must be at least 18 to gamble in a UK casino. Operators must verify a customer’s age before allowing them to deposit funds into a gambling account.
Some rules limit the speed and payment methods involved in online gambling. Online slot autoplay is banned in Britain, and each online slot spin must last at least 2.5 seconds. For an online slots game, the total amount you may stake in a game cycle is capped at £2 if you are under 25, or £5 if you are 25 or older. At least 2.5 seconds must pass from the start of one game cycle before the next can begin.
Remote gambling operators cannot accept credit-card payments for gambling, including credit-card funding routed through a money service business. They also cannot accept wallet payments where the wallet allows credit-card funds to be used for gambling. These restrictions do not remove the risk of losing money from other payment methods.
Casino not on Gamstop provides information about casino gambling. Use the operator’s account controls if you want to limit or stop your gambling. If you have a complaint about a UKGC licensee, follow its internal complaints process and ask about access to an approved ADR service.