Play Responsibly

Gambling is entertainment that costs money. For many adults it stays that way: an occasional flutter on a match or a few spins with a set amount. For some, it slowly becomes something else. This page is for anyone who wants to keep it in proportion, and for anyone who suspects it no longer is.

A few ground rules

• Gambling is for adults only, at 18 or the higher legal age where you live.
• Treat every stake as the price of entertainment, not as money that might come back.
• No system, streak or feeling changes the margin built into a game or a betting price.
• Only use operators that are licensed where you live, and follow your local law.

Warning signs

None of these on its own proves there is a problem, but together they are worth taking seriously:

• You spend more time or money than you meant to, more often than not.
• You try to win back losses by betting again, or betting bigger.
• You feel tense, low or irritable when you are not gambling, or when you try to stop.
• You borrow money, sell things or dip into bill money to keep playing.
• You keep your gambling from people close to you.
• Work, sleep, relationships or health are suffering because of it.

Limits that help

Setting limits before you begin is far easier than setting them halfway through a losing session. Most licensed operators offer tools such as:

1. Deposit limits that cap how much can go into an account per day, week or month.
2. Loss limits that stop play once a set amount has been lost.
3. Session reminders that tell you how long you have been playing.
4. Time-outs that lock an account for a short period.

Writing down every session, win or lose, also helps: a plain record tends to be more honest than memory. Our piece on tracking wins and losses shows one simple way to do it.

Taking a longer break

If limits no longer feel like enough, self-exclusion lets you block yourself from an operator, a venue or, in some countries, all licensed operators at once, for months or years. It usually cannot be reversed early, which is exactly what makes it useful. Our article Self-Exclusion Explained walks through how it works and what helps it hold. Blocking software on your devices and a gambling block on your bank card, where your bank offers one, add further protection.

Where to get support

Nobody has to work through this on their own. Most countries have a national gambling helpline offering free, confidential advice, and your local gambling regulator usually lists it on its website. Your family doctor is another good first step, particularly if gambling is affecting your mood, sleep or health. If someone close to you is worried about your gambling, or you are worried about theirs, those same services can help family members too.

If you are in immediate distress or feel unsafe, contact your local emergency services straight away.

A note from the hub

We write about gambling because many adults are curious about it and deserve clear information. We would far rather you closed this site and took a walk than placed a bet you were not comfortable with. If a message to us would help, you can find us on the Reach Us page, though we will always point you towards proper support first.