Responsible gambling and support

Gambling is legal for adults, and for most people it stays a form of paid entertainment. For some it does not. If gambling is costing you more money or time than you meant it to, or you are worried about someone else, free and confidential help is available.

Talk to someone

• National Gambling Helpline, run by GamCare: call 0808 8020 133, free, 24 hours a day, or use the live chat at gamcare.org.uk.
• Gambling Therapy, from the charity Gordon Moody: online support in several languages at gamblingtherapy.org.
• NHS gambling services: specialist treatment across England, described at nhs.uk.

Block gambling

• GamStop lets you exclude yourself from every online gambling business licensed in Great Britain for six months, one year or five years: gamstop.co.uk.
• Most banks let you block gambling transactions on your cards from their app.
• Blocking software such as Gamban or BetBlocker stops gambling sites loading on your devices.

Signs worth taking seriously

• Chasing losses, or gambling to win back money you cannot afford to have lost.
• Borrowing, or hiding how much you gamble from people close to you.
• Feeling anxious or irritable when you are not gambling.

Gambling is for adults only. In the UK you must be 18 or over.