Limits on time and money
The Gambling Commission lists reality checks that pop up on screen, time trackers, limits on some gaming machines and limit setting through membership cards. Some operators offer these; none is guaranteed.
Responsible gambling and where to get help
This site sells nothing and takes no bets, so nothing here is an offer to gamble. The page is for readers who want to check their own gambling or find help.
Gambling is for adults only, 18+, and it may be illegal in your jurisdiction.
Signs it is getting out of hand
Five warning signs, each worded from the NHS page on gambling problems. Recognising one is a reason to talk to someone, not a diagnosis.
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Step 01
Betting more than you can afford to lose
The NHS lists this as a screening question: do you bet more than you can afford to lose?
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Step 02
Needing bigger stakes for the same feeling
Another NHS question asks whether you need to gamble with larger amounts of money to get the same feeling.
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Step 03
Trying to win back what you lost
Chasing losses, in the NHS wording: have you tried to win back money you have lost?
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Step 04
Borrowing or selling things to gamble
The NHS asks whether you have borrowed money or sold anything to get money to gamble.
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Step 05
Other people raising it
Have other people criticised your betting or told you that you had a problem, whether or not you thought it was true? The NHS counts that as a warning sign.
Page last reviewed 8 December 2023, next review due 8 December 2026. The page asks nine questions in all and explains how to read the answers. It also lists treatment clinics in England and helplines.
Tools that help
What the tools do, as the Gambling Commission, GAMSTOP and the NHS describe them for Great Britain. Other countries' routes are in the table below.
A break
GAMSTOP says a break can be worth taking even if you feel in control. The NHS describes the block as lasting six months, one year or five years.
Self-exclusion
A formal agreement not to gamble. The operator must close the account, return the money in it and remove you from its marketing lists. One GAMSTOP request covers online operators.
Blocking access and payments
Blocking software such as Gamban stops gambling sites and apps on your devices, and a bank can block payments to gambling. The NHS names both; the Gambling Commission lists the banks that offer a payment block.
NHS, Help for problems with gambling · Gambling Commission, block gambling payments with your bank
Help by country
Great Britain first, then the countries where this site's research found a source. A cell reading “No data in our sources” means the first source was read and gave nothing, not that no help exists.
| Country | Organisation | Contact | Self-exclusion | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Great Britain Age18 in most cases, online gambling included | National Gambling Helpline, run by GamCare (England and Scotland). Listed by the Gambling Commission, the regulator for Great Britain NHS Wales Helpline (Wales) | 0808 8020 133, free, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week 0808 2819 265, free, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week | GAMSTOP is free and covers online operators with one request. Operators also run their own self-exclusion schemes, and multi-operator schemes cover land-based gambling in an area. | Gambling Commission, home page (helplines)Gambling Commission, self-exclusionGAMSTOPGambling Commission, gambling and young people Checked |
| Germany AgeCheck local law | BIÖG (Federal Institute for Public Health), gambling addiction helpline Telefonseelsorge | 0800 1372700, Mon-Thu 10-22, Fri-Sun 10-18, free; check-dein-spiel.de 0800 111 0 111, 24 hours, free | Nationwide block file (Sperrdatei), run by Regierungspräsidium Darmstadt. Apply there or with an operator. | GGL, help and counselling page Checked |
| Austria Age18 for casino (Spielbank) entry; no age found for online games in the norms read | No national line found. The Ministry of Finance lists services by federal state. Vienna: Glücksspielsucht-Hotline, Medical University of Vienna | 0800/20 5242 | No data in our sources | BMF, help services by federal stateGSpG § 25 (RIS) Checked |
| Switzerland AgeCheck local law | Spielen ohne Sucht (intercantonal programme) | 0800 040 080, 24 hours, free, anonymous | In casinos: Spielsperre (ESBK). | Spielen ohne SuchtESBK, questions and answers Checked |
| Spain AgeCheck local law | DGOJ directory “Juego seguro en España” (organisations by autonomous community) | No data in our sources | RGIAJ register, kept by the DGOJ. | DGOJ, safe gambling and RGIAJ Checked |
| Portugal AgeCheck local law | Linha 1414 (SOS Jogador), run by ICAD | 1414, working days 10-18, free and anonymous | Online, on an operator's site (valid for that operator only) or through the SRIJ platform. Terms are on the SRIJ page. | SRIJ, support servicesSRIJ, self-exclusion Checked |
| Italy AgeCheck local law | Telefono Verde Nazionale (Istituto Superiore di Sanità) | 800 558822, free, anonymous | ADM self-exclusion service for remote gambling. The ADM page gives two sets of terms that contradict each other, so see the ADM page. | Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Telefono VerdeADM, self-exclusion Checked |
| Greece Age21 for licensed games | EOPAE gambling counselling line. The HGC also lists Gamblers Anonymous | 1114 | Online: apply to a licensed operator; the exclusion applies to that operator only. There is no single register yet. | HGC, support servicesEOPAE, home page (line 1114)HGC, self-exclusionLaw 4002/2011 (HGC) Checked |
| Romania AgeCheck local law | No national helpline found in ONJN sources | No data in our sources | A right under OUG 77/2009 art. 15^1. Apply through ONJN. | ONJN, self-exclusionONJN Checked |
Numbers and opening hours were read from the linked pages on the dates shown. They change, so confirm them on the linked page before you rely on them.
Frequently asked questions
What if I think I have a problem?
Contact a help service before anything else. The table lists one or more for each country, with a source and the date it was read. In Great Britain the National Gambling Helpline is free and open around the clock. You can also ask a GP, and use the self-exclusion and blocking tools described above.
How do I self-exclude?
The route depends on the country, and the table shows it with a source. In Great Britain one GAMSTOP request covers online operators. Elsewhere an exclusion may apply to a single operator only: the sources for Greece and Portugal say so. Follow the link in the table row for your country.
Is this site a gambling operator?
No. This site accepts no bets, offers no games for money and links to no operator. It records the status of one game from the pages of its publisher. If that changes, such links will be labelled and the disclosure in the footer will be updated.
Why 18+ on this site?
Gambling content is for adults, so every page carries 18+. The legal age depends on the country: in Great Britain it is 18 in most cases, online gambling included, and in Greece 21 for licensed games. Where the table gives no age, check local law before you play anywhere.
18+. Gambling can be addictive. Play responsibly. Responsible gambling