Responsible play and support

Last updated 2026-08-07 · Reviewed by Priya Deshmukh, Player Protection Researcher

Gambling is entertainment for many adults and is a source of harm for a substantial minority. If you are the second, help is free, confidential, and immediately available. This page gathers the resources.

Warning signs

Gambling has become a problem if any of the following are true. You do not need to have all of them for it to be a problem.

• You are spending more than you can afford — repeatedly, not once.
• You are chasing losses: increasing stakes or session length to recover what you've lost.
• You are gambling with money intended for essentials — rent, bills, food.
• You are hiding your gambling from partner, family, or friends.
• You have lied about how much you have lost.
• You have borrowed money — including from credit cards, payday lenders, or family — to fund gambling.
• You have tried to stop and failed.
• You are gambling to cope with anxiety, low mood, or other difficulty rather than for enjoyment.
• You are looking for ways to bypass a self-exclusion you set for yourself.

Immediate action list

1. Call the National Gambling Helpline — 0808 8020 133, free, 24/7. This is the single highest-leverage thing you can do right now.
2. Turn on your bank's gambling block — Monzo, Starling, Barclays, Lloyds, HSBC, NatWest, Nationwide, Revolut and most others have a one-tap toggle with a 48-hour cooldown to disable.
3. Install blocking software — Gamban (paid, best coverage), BetBlocker (free), or Betfilter.
4. Register with GamStop — gamstop.co.uk — blocks every UK-licensed gambling site for six months, one year, or five years.
5. Tell someone you trust — the shame of secrecy is a large part of what keeps the pattern going. A partner, family member, or friend who knows can be an ally.

Ongoing support

• GamCare counselling — free structured programmes, face-to-face, telephone, and web-based. Access via gamcare.org.uk.
• NHS Gambling Services — clinical treatment, free at the point of use, via GP referral or self-referral to the national and regional clinics.
• Gamblers Anonymous UK — peer-support meetings on the 12-step model, free, in-person and online. gamblersanonymous.org.uk.
• Gordon Moody — residential treatment for severe gambling harm. Access via gordonmoody.org.uk.
• Gambling Therapy — international support in multiple languages, run by Gordon Moody. gamblingtherapy.org.
• Samaritans — 116 123, free, 24/7, for any distress including gambling-related.

For families and affected others

Gambling harm rarely affects only the person gambling. GamCare's helpline supports affected family members as well as gamblers themselves, and specific family-support resources are listed on their site. If you are supporting someone whose gambling has become harmful, please look after your own wellbeing too — you cannot fix them, but you can be an ally in the recovery, and you deserve support in doing that.

Age policy

Gambling in the UK is restricted to adults aged 18 or over (16 for the National Lottery). Nothing on this site is intended for under-18s. If you are under 18 and someone in your household is gambling in ways that concern you, please tell an adult you trust, and — if you are 12 or over — you can contact Childline free on 0800 1111.