Practical UK resources for staying in control
Gambling should stay a form of entertainment with a cost, never a way to make money. If it's stopped feeling that way, the services below are free, confidential and independent of any operator.
Where to get help
GamStop
A free national self-exclusion scheme that blocks your access to every UK Gambling Commission-licensed online gambling site, including all the operators compared on this page, in one registration lasting from six months to five years.
GamCare
Runs the National Gambling Helpline (free, 24 hours a day) along with free counselling, group support and a dedicated service for friends and family affected by someone else's gambling.
GambleAware
An independent charity that funds prevention and treatment services across Great Britain and provides a National Gambling Support Network with free advice and support tools.
UK Gambling Commission
The statutory regulator for gambling in Great Britain. Its site lets you check whether an operator holds a valid licence and explains your rights as a consumer.
Tools built into every licensed operator
UK Gambling Commission licensing conditions require every operator, including all six compared on this site, to make these tools available to account holders.
Deposit limits
Set a daily, weekly or monthly cap on how much you can deposit. Lowering a limit takes effect immediately; raising one is delayed, usually by 24 hours, to prevent impulsive changes.
Reality checks
A pop-up at intervals you choose, showing how long you've been playing and what you've won or lost in that session.
Time-outs and self-exclusion
A short cooling-off period of a day to a few weeks, or a longer self-exclusion directly with the operator, separate from the whole-market block that GamStop provides.
Signs it's worth taking a step back
Worth noticing
- Spending more time or money than you planned to on a regular basis.
- Chasing losses with the aim of winning them back.
- Borrowing money, or using money set aside for other things, to keep playing.
- Feeling irritable, anxious or low when you try to cut back.
Worth doing about it
- Set a deposit limit before you play, not after a session goes badly.
- Use GamStop if you want a break from every licensed site at once, not just one.
- Talk to GamCare's helpline — it's free, confidential, and staffed by people who won't judge the conversation.
- Tell someone you trust. Gambling problems tend to grow in silence.