Support information
Responsible gambling
Gambling products are built so that the house wins over the long run. That is not an opinion, it is what an RTP below 100 per cent means. This page covers which signals matter and what you can actually do about them.
Start from the maths
Every game documented in this index returns less than 100 per cent in theory. An RTP of 96 per cent means that, across an enormous volume of rounds, the game gives back ninety-six of every hundred staked. The gap is the house edge, and it is structural: it does not depend on luck, timing or any strategy.
Which is why the only sustainable way to treat this is as entertainment spending with a fixed budget, the same as a cinema ticket, and never as income or as a route to recovering money already lost.
Signals worth looking at honestly
- Playing longer, or for more, than you decided before starting.
- Going back in to recover losses, with bigger stakes than before.
- Hiding from people close to you how much you play or have lost.
- Borrowing, selling things, or redirecting money meant for something else.
- Irritability or restlessness when you try to cut down or stop.
- Gambling displacing work, study, sleep or relationships.
One signal on its own means little. Several of them sustained over weeks is the point at which this becomes something to talk about with someone rather than to solve alone.
Tools that actually block access
- National self-exclusion. In Great Britain, GAMSTOP blocks account access across every operator licensed there from a single free registration, for six months, one year or five years. Most regulated markets run an equivalent scheme.
- Operator self-exclusion. Every licensed operator must let you exclude yourself directly, and must honour it.
- Blocking software. Device-level blockers cover gambling domains including sites outside any national scheme.
- Bank gambling blocks. Most major banks can block gambling transactions on your cards, often with a delay before the block can be lifted.
These stack. Using more than one is more effective than picking the best single option.
Practical steps before it escalates
Set a fixed monthly budget and do not move it. Set a time limit per session. Never play to make up for a bad day. And tell someone you trust, because isolation is what lets this grow unchecked.
Free support
The National Gambling Helpline is free and available around the clock on 0808 8020 133 for anyone in Great Britain, including people affected by someone else's gambling. The services linked below also offer self-assessment tools, treatment referrals and support for family members. If you are outside Great Britain, your national regulator will list the equivalent services for your country.
Support and self-exclusion
- GamCare and the National Gambling HelplineFree support across Great Britain, 24 hours a day, on 0808 8020 133.
- GAMSTOPFree national self-exclusion scheme covering every gambling site licensed in Great Britain.
- GambleAwareSelf-assessment tools, blocking software guidance and routes into treatment.
- UK Gambling Commission safer gamblingRegulator guidance on staying safe and the tools operators must offer.
Frequently asked questions
How do I know if gambling has stopped being entertainment?
Common signals include playing longer or for more than you intended, chasing losses with bigger stakes, hiding how much you gamble, borrowing to fund it, and letting it displace work, sleep or relationships. No single signal proves anything; several of them sustained over weeks does.
What is self-exclusion and how do I use it?
It is a voluntary block on your own access to gambling. In Great Britain, GAMSTOP registers you once and blocks account access across every operator licensed there, free, for six months, one year or five years. Most regulators run an equivalent scheme, and individual operators must also let you self-exclude directly.
Does a high RTP make a game safer?
No. A higher RTP lowers the house edge over the long run, but every gambling product returns less than 100 per cent, which means a sustained expected loss. RTP is a technical figure, not a safety rating.