◆ safer gambling
Support, self-exclusion and player protections
Gambling should be entertainment within means you are comfortable losing. This page covers the practical tools available to UK players — from in-account limits to national self-exclusion — and where to get free support if gambling has become a problem.
If you need immediate support: Call the National Gambling Helpline on 0808 8020 133 (free, 24 hours, run by GamCare), or visit GAMSTOP to self-exclude from all UK-licensed gambling sites immediately.
GAMSTOP is the UK's free national self-exclusion register. Registering means you will be blocked from all UKGC-licensed online gambling sites for your chosen period: six months, one year, or five years. It takes effect across all participating operators — you do not need to contact each one individually.
Self-exclusion can be extended but not shortened once in place. If you register and then try to gamble at a UKGC-licensed operator, your registration details should prevent you from creating or accessing an account. It is one of the most direct tools available to UK players who want to stop gambling online.
GamCare runs a free, confidential national gambling helpline — 0808 8020 133, available 24 hours a day. They also offer a live webchat service and a forum for people affected by gambling, including family members and friends of people experiencing harm.
Alongside immediate support, GamCare can refer you to structured treatment through the National Gambling Treatment Service, which is NHS-funded and free at the point of access.
GambleAware is a charity that funds research, education and treatment relating to gambling harm. Their website has information about types of gambling harm, how to recognise problem gambling, and how to access treatment.
They also run the BeGambleAware campaign and fund the National Gambling Treatment Service alongside NHS support. If you are not sure where to start, GambleAware is a good first contact.
In-account tools all UKGC-licensed operators must offer
Deposit and spending limits
All UKGC-licensed operators are required to offer deposit limits. You can set a daily, weekly or monthly cap on how much you deposit. Some operators also offer stake limits per spin or hand. Setting these before you start playing is a practical step for keeping gambling within a budget you are comfortable with.
Reality checks and session reminders
Operators are required to offer session time reminders — prompts that tell you how long you have been playing. These are configurable in your account settings and are useful for keeping track of time spent, particularly when playing in-browser on a device without easy clock access.
Take-a-break periods
Separate from full self-exclusion, all UKGC-licensed operators must offer a take-a-break feature — a temporary pause on gambling activity, usually ranging from 24 hours to several weeks. Unlike self-exclusion, this can be used flexibly without committing to a longer exclusion period.
Account closure vs self-exclusion
Closing an account is not the same as self-excluding. If you close an account without using the operator's self-exclusion or GAMSTOP, you may be able to reopen it or create a new one. For people who want a meaningful pause or stop, using the self-exclusion tools (or registering with GAMSTOP) is the more robust option.
Gambling is not a way to make money, and no casino game has an expected positive return for the player over time. Treating gambling as entertainment — with money you can afford to lose — is the safest approach.