Responsible Gambling: Signs and Practical Steps
Gambling can stop feeling like entertainment before you notice the change. I know the temptation to call a bad run “just bad luck” and put in more to get back what I lost. That’s not a plan. Gambling is not a way to earn money, and it won’t solve money problems.
Signs to pay attention to
Look at what you’re doing, not what you mean to do. It may be a problem if you:
- spend more than you planned, or keep raising your limit after reaching it;
- gamble with money set aside for rent, bills, food or other essentials;
- borrow, sell things or use credit to keep gambling;
- hide gambling or losses from people close to you;
- chase losses by returning to win back money;
- find yourself thinking about gambling when you’re meant to be doing something else;
- feel restless or irritable when you try to stop;
- miss work, plans or responsibilities because you’re gambling;
- keep playing despite arguments, debt or other consequences.
I used to treat each one as an exception. Add them up. That’s the part I missed.
Take a practical step now
If you’re gambling at the moment, close the game and sign out. Don’t make another deposit to try to recover a loss. If you can, tell someone you trust what has been happening and ask them to sit with you while you take the next step.
UK-licensed casinos must provide responsible gambling tools, including self-exclusion. You can also use account-level controls to set limits on your gambling. Remote operators must prompt new customers to set a financial limit before their first deposit and provide accessible account-level limit controls. Check your account’s responsible gambling section and use the controls available there. If you want to stop, look for self-exclusion rather than relying on willpower alone.
There are rules in place, but they don’t remove the need to act when gambling is causing harm. Online slot autoplay is banned in Britain, and slot spins must last at least 2.5 seconds. For an online slots game, the total amount an individual may stake in a game cycle must not exceed £2 if they are under 25 or £5 if they are 25 or older. At least 2.5 seconds must elapse 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 cannot accept wallet payments where the wallet allows credit-card funds to be used for gambling. UK-licensed casinos cannot accept credit cards for gambling. These restrictions are not a substitute for getting help. Money problems can still grow through other routes. Keep it simple.
Where to turn
No verified gambling support organisation or contact details are available on this page, so I won’t guess at a name, number or address. If you need help now, use the responsible gambling or self-exclusion section of the casino account you use. If you have a complaint about a UKGC licensee, it must offer an internal complaints process and access to an approved Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) service; check the operator’s complaints information for the relevant route.
If you feel in immediate danger, contact the emergency service in your area. If you cannot do that yourself, ask someone nearby to help you make contact.
Age and account checks
Operators must verify a customer’s age before allowing them to deposit funds into a gambling account. The minimum age to gamble in the UK is 18. If you’re under that age, don’t open or use a gambling account.
A remote operator must show its licence details on its gambling websites and apps and link to its public register licence information. Operators are also reminded not to rely on payment providers to conduct customer identity checks. These are safeguards, not proof that gambling is right for you.