Responsible Gambling
Gambling can be an enjoyable form of entertainment, but it carries real risks — and for some people those risks become serious. This page sets out the tools available to help you stay in control, the organisations that offer free, confidential support in Great Britain, and the options open to you if you decide to take a break or stop altogether. Whether you are researching for yourself or for someone you care about, you will find practical guidance here rather than generic cautions.
Recognising When Gambling Is No Longer Just Entertainment
Problem gambling rarely arrives suddenly. It tends to develop gradually, which is why early awareness matters. The following signs are commonly associated with gambling that has moved beyond healthy recreation:
- Spending more than you can comfortably afford to lose
- Chasing losses — placing further bets to recover money already lost
- Borrowing money or selling possessions to fund gambling
- Lying to family or friends about how much you gamble or spend
- Gambling to escape stress, anxiety or low mood
- Feeling restless or irritable when you try to cut down
- Gambling taking up time you had planned to use for other things
- Failed attempts to reduce or stop
Recognising one or more of these does not mean you have a serious problem, but it is a reason to pause, use the tools below and consider speaking to someone.
Free Support Organisations in Great Britain
All of the following services are free, confidential and available to anyone in GB — whether you are affected yourself or supporting someone else.
| Organisation | What it offers | How to reach it |
|---|---|---|
| GamCare | Free counselling, online chat, forum and the National Gambling Helpline | gamcare.org.uk — Helpline: 0808 8020 133 (24/7) |
| BeGambleAware | Information, self-assessment tools and referrals to treatment | begambleaware.org — also via the helpline above |
| Gamblers Anonymous | Peer support meetings (in-person and online) | gamblersanonymous.org.uk |
| GamFam | Support specifically for families and partners of people who gamble | gamcare.org.uk/i-want-help/help-for-family-and-friends |
| NHS Northern Gambling Service | Specialist NHS treatment for gambling disorder | Referral via your GP or self-referral at northerngamblingservice.nhs.uk |
Self-Exclusion: What GamStop Is and How It Works
GamStop is the UK's national online self-exclusion scheme. Registering is free and takes a few minutes. Once active, it blocks you from gambling on any online casino, sportsbook or poker site that holds a UK Gambling Commission licence. The exclusion applies for a minimum of six months and can be extended to one or five years.
To register, visit gamstop.co.uk and provide your name, date of birth, email address and postal address. The block activates within 24 hours across all participating operators. You cannot reverse a GamStop exclusion once it is live — that is deliberate, because the scheme is designed to work even on days when you feel the urge to override it.
What GamStop Does Not Cover
GamStop applies only to UKGC-licensed operators. It does not block access to casinos licensed in other jurisdictions — including the sites reviewed elsewhere on our non-GamStop casino listings. If you are self-excluding because you want to stop gambling, you should be aware of this distinction and consider using additional blocking tools (see below) alongside GamStop.
Additional Blocking Tools
Self-exclusion through an operator or GamStop is one layer. For stronger protection, these software tools block access to gambling sites at the device or network level:
- Gamban — blocks thousands of gambling sites and apps across all your devices. Available at gamban.com; costs a small annual subscription.
- BetBlocker — free to download, blocks gambling sites on up to five devices, with exclusion periods from 24 hours up to five years.
- Net Nanny / parental controls — most home routers and mobile network providers offer content filtering that can be set to block gambling categories.
Using more than one layer makes it significantly harder to act impulsively on a bad day.
Tools Built Into Licensed Gambling Sites
UK Gambling Commission-licensed operators are required to offer responsible gambling tools to all customers. Non-GamStop sites vary in what they provide, but the better ones offer similar features. When reviewing any site, look for:
- Deposit limits — set a daily, weekly or monthly cap on how much you can put in.
- Loss limits — cap how much you can lose over a given period.
- Session time limits and reminders — alerts or automatic log-outs after a set time.
- Reality checks — on-screen notifications showing how long you have been playing and your net result.
- Cool-off periods — a short break (24 hours to 30 days) where you cannot deposit or play.
- Self-exclusion — a longer-term block, usually from one month upwards, managed by the operator.
If a site you are using does not show these options in your account settings, contact their support team directly and ask how to apply them.
How to Self-Exclude from Non-GamStop Casinos
Because the sites listed on Best Online Casinos operate outside the GamStop scheme, registering with GamStop alone will not exclude you from them. If you want to stop using a specific site, the most direct route is to contact that site's customer support and request a self-exclusion. Reputable operators will action this promptly and typically ask for a minimum exclusion period.
Steps to follow:
- Open the live chat or email the support address of the casino you want to leave.
- State clearly that you are requesting a self-exclusion, not a temporary account suspension.
- Ask for written confirmation (email) that the exclusion has been applied and note the date.
- Remove any saved payment details and uninstall any app.
- Consider also installing BetBlocker or Gamban to cover the site at the device level.
Managing Money and Setting Limits Before You Play
Deciding in advance how much you are willing to spend — and treating it as the cost of entertainment rather than a potential return — is one of the most reliable ways to keep gambling in check. Some practical habits:
- Set a separate, capped e-wallet (such as PayPal, Skrill or Neteller) funded only with your entertainment budget. When it is empty, stop.
- Never gamble with money earmarked for rent, bills, food or savings.
- Avoid gambling when tired, upset or under the influence of alcohol.
- Take regular breaks during sessions — set a timer if needed.
- Keep a simple record of what you deposit and withdraw. Honest figures are often a surprise.
Under-18s
All gambling — online or in person — is restricted to adults aged 18 and over. Best Online Casinos does not produce content for or directed at people under 18. If you share a device with children or young people, use parental control software and keep account credentials private. GamCare runs a dedicated resource for young people at youngpeoplesupport.gamcare.org.uk.
Responsible Gambling and the Sites on This Page
The casinos reviewed on our main listings page operate under international licences rather than a UK Gambling Commission licence. That means GamStop does not apply to them, and the statutory protections that UK-licensed sites must provide — mandatory affordability checks, mandatory self-exclusion linkage, complaint escalation to an Alternative Dispute Resolution service — may not be in place in the same form.
This is worth understanding honestly: if you choose to use a non-GamStop site, you are accepting more personal responsibility for managing your own play. The tools described on this page — blocking software, spending budgets, direct self-exclusion requests — become correspondingly more important.
If you have any questions about the content on this site, you can reach us via our contact page. Our terms and conditions set out how this site operates and how we handle editorial independence.
Getting Help Today
If anything on this page resonates with your own experience, the single most useful step is to call the National Gambling Helpline on 0808 8020 133 — it is free, confidential and available around the clock. You do not need to be certain you have a problem to call. The advisers at GamCare are trained to help you think through where you are and what options are open to you, without pressure or judgement.
18+ only. Gambling should be entertainment. If it stops feeling that way, use the tools and support above.