Responsible Gambling UK

Gambling is paid for out of money you can afford to lose. It is not income, and no list on this site is advice to deposit. Every site licensed in Great Britain has to carry the controls below, and they work best when they are set before a session rather than during one.

The controls you have

• 18+ and age checks. A UKGC-licensed site has to verify age and identity before a deposit, a bet or a withdrawal.
• Deposit limits. Set in the account, per day, per week or per month. A lower limit takes effect at once; a higher one only after a cooling-off period.
• Loss limits and time-outs. A cap on losses, or a short lock on the account — hours, days or weeks.
• Reality checks. A reminder on the screen telling you how long the session has run.
• GAMSTOP. The free national self-exclusion scheme. One registration blocks every online site licensed in Great Britain for the period you choose.
• Blocking software and bank blocks. Filters on the device and a gambling block in the banking app.
• National Gambling Helpline. Free and confidential, open around the clock, on 0808 8020 133.
• GambleAware. Information, advice and referral to free treatment.

When a break is the right move

Worth taking seriously: chasing losses, borrowing to play, hiding how long a session ran, or playing to change a mood rather than for fun. Help is free, confidential and open at any hour, and asking early is ordinary rather than dramatic.