Responsible Gambling: Tips and Tools for Staying in Control

For the vast majority of people, gambling is a fun, social activity. However, for some, it can become a problem. Under UK regulations, both comparison sites like ours and online casinos have a duty of care to promote safe play. In this guide, we outline the best practices for gambling responsibly and the tools available to protect yourself.

Understanding the Golden Rules

To keep gambling safe, you should follow these three rules:

• Never chase losses: Accept that losing is part of the game. Trying to win back lost money usually leads to larger losses.
• Set a budget: Only play with money you can afford to lose. Treat it as the price of admission for entertainment.
• Monitor your time: It is easy to lose track of time while playing. Set alarms or limit your session times.

Tools to Help You Manage Your Play

UK-licensed casinos offer a suite of built-in safety tools to help you manage your gambling:

• Deposit Limits: You can limit how much money you can deposit daily, weekly, or monthly. Once reached, you cannot deposit more.
• Reality Checks: Pop-up alerts that remind you how long you have been playing and show your total wins/losses.
• Time-Outs: Temporary account suspensions ranging from 24 hours to 6 weeks.
• Self-Exclusion: A formal process to block yourself from all gambling sites for months or years.

Where to Get Help

If you or someone you know is struggling with gambling, free, confidential support is available 24/7:

• National Gambling Helpline: Call 0808 8020 133 for free, confidential advice.
• BeGambleAware.org: Provides information to help people make informed decisions about their gambling.
• GAMSTOP: A free service that lets you self-exclude from all online gambling companies licensed in Great Britain in one go.