Gambling is entertainment that costs money. It is not income, and it is not a way to recover a loss.
Before you start
- Decide what you can afford to lose, and treat it as the price of the entertainment.
- Decide how long you will play before you start.
- Never gamble with money you need for something else, and never gamble with borrowed money.
- Do not gamble to win back what you have lost. This is the single most common way a manageable loss becomes an unmanageable one.
Signs worth taking seriously
- Spending more time or money than you intended, repeatedly.
- Hiding how much you gamble from people close to you.
- Gambling to escape stress, boredom or low mood.
- Borrowing money, selling things, or missing bills to keep gambling.
- Feeling unable to stop after deciding to.
If more than one of these sounds familiar, it is worth talking to someone.
Tools that actually help
Licensed operators are generally required to offer these, and using them early works better than using them late:
- Deposit limits — a ceiling you set in advance and cannot raise immediately.
- Session reminders — a prompt telling you how long you have been playing.
- Time-outs — a short break you cannot reverse on impulse.
- Self-exclusion — a longer block, often available across multiple operators at once.
Where to get help
Free, confidential support is available in most countries. These organisations are independent of operators and of this site:
- Canada — Responsible Gambling Council publishes provincial help services.
- New Zealand — Safer Gambling NZ and the Ministry of Health's gambling harm services.
- International — Gamblers Anonymous and GamCare (UK-based, resources widely applicable).
We deliberately do not reproduce helpline phone numbers on this page. Numbers change, and a number that has changed is worse than no number. Follow the links above for current contact details.
Age
Online gambling is restricted to adults. The minimum age is 18 or 19 depending on where you live. If you are under that age, nothing on this site is for you.