Tools built into every licensed casino
Each operator on our ledger must offer these under its UKGC licence — you'll usually find them in account settings under "safer gambling" or similar. They work best set up on day one, while the decision is calm and boring.
- Deposit limits — a daily, weekly or monthly cap you choose. Lowering a limit takes effect straight away; raising one comes with a cooling-off delay, which is the point.
- Time-outs — a short break of anything from a day to six weeks, during which you can't log in to play.
- Reality checks — on-screen reminders showing how long you've been playing, at intervals you set.
- Self-exclusion — a longer lock on your account with that operator, typically from six months upward, which the casino cannot undo early at your request.
GamStop: one registration, every licensed site
Self-excluding site by site is slow, so the UK has a national scheme. Register once at gamstop.co.uk — it's free and takes minutes — and every online casino and bookmaker licensed by the Gambling Commission must block you for the period you choose: six months, one year, or five years. The exclusion can't be cancelled early, and operators must also stop sending you marketing.
Some people pair GamStop with blocking software such as Gamban on their devices, and many UK banks now offer a gambling-transaction block on cards. Layers help, because no single tool covers everything.
Signs worth taking seriously
None of these makes anyone a bad person — they're simply the signals treatment services say show up earliest:
- Chasing losses, or increasing stakes to feel the same interest
- Gambling with money set aside for essentials
- Hiding time spent or amounts staked from people close to you
- Feeling restless or irritable when trying to cut down
- Borrowing to fund play
If a couple of those feel familiar, a free chat with the helpline below costs nothing and commits you to nothing.
Free, confidential help
GamCare
Runs the National Gambling Helpline: 0808 8020 133, free, open 24 hours, every day. Live chat too.
GambleAware
Self-assessment tools, advice for family members, and routes into free treatment across Great Britain.
GAMSTOP
The national online self-exclusion scheme. One registration covers every UKGC-licensed site.
UK Gambling Commission
The regulator. Its site explains your rights and how complaints escalate beyond an operator.
The NHS also treats gambling harm directly. Specialist gambling clinics accept self-referrals in much of the country — your GP or the National Gambling Helpline can point you to the nearest one. Nobody needs to hit a crisis point first.