Keeping Gambling in Balance

Does your play still feel manageable?

Pause and consider these questions honestly:

• Does gambling distract you from work or school?
• Do you play alone for long stretches or simply to escape boredom?
• Have people close to you criticized your gambling?
• Have you lost interest in family, friends or hobbies because of it?
• Have you hidden how much time or money you spend gambling?
• After a loss, do you feel driven to win the money back straight away?

Several yes answers may indicate a gambling problem. Speaking to an independent support organization can help you examine what is happening and decide what to do next.

Other signs deserve attention too. These include borrowing or taking money to gamble, playing until nothing remains, feeling desperate when funds run out, or turning to gambling after arguments, frustration or disappointment. Seek support if gambling leaves you depressed or affects people close to you.

Which habits help keep gambling as leisure?

Treat gambling as entertainment, not as a source of income. Use only spare money that you can afford to risk. Keep track of both the time you spend and the amount you spend, and stop before play pushes aside other parts of life.

Do not chase a loss. Losing does not create a debt that another bet must recover, and trying to win money back immediately can make control harder. Pay attention if gambling begins to replace time with family, friends or hobbies, or if you feel the need to hide your spending.

How can you take a break or self-exclude?

If you need a break, contact support. For self-exclusion, write to [email protected]. Your account is then closed as soon as we practicably can.

Tell us about any other accounts you hold with us and do not open new ones. We will make reasonable efforts to prevent new accounts, but you remain responsible for ensuring that no further account is opened. We are not responsible for potential losses on other accounts.

How are minors protected?

Registration by anyone under 18 is prohibited and illegal. We check the age of every customer, and winnings obtained by an underage player are cancelled.

Shared devices need extra care. Parents and other adults can use filtering or parental-control software such as Net Nanny to limit children's access to gambling content. This is also relevant when a computer is shared with family members or friends who are not legally entitled to register and bet.

Where can you find independent help?

GamCare provides information, advice and practical help with the social effects of gambling.

Gamblers Anonymous is a fellowship whose members work on their own gambling problems and support other compulsive gamblers.

Gambling Therapy offers support and counselling to people affected by gambling.