Gambling is entertainment, not income

Signs worth paying attention to

• Spending more time or money than you planned, then telling yourself you'll stop next time.
• Chasing losses with bigger bets in the hope of getting back to even.
• Gambling to cope with stress, boredom, or a bad mood rather than for fun.
• Hiding the amount you spend from people close to you.
• Borrowing money, or using money set aside for bills, to keep gambling.

Tools that actually limit access

GAMSTOP is the UK's free self-exclusion scheme. Register once and it blocks your access to every operator licensed by the UK Gambling Commission — including all six compared on this site — for a period you choose, from six months up to five years.

Most licensed operators also offer their own deposit limits, loss limits, and time-out periods you can set directly on your account, which are worth using even if you never plan to self-exclude fully.

Where to get support

GamCare runs a free helpline and live chat staffed by trained advisers, and can point you toward local support groups. GambleAware funds treatment services across the UK and publishes practical, judgement-free information for anyone worried about their own gambling or someone else's.