Stay in control. Help is free and confidential.

You must be 18 or over

Online gambling in the United Kingdom is restricted to adults aged 18 and above. UK-licensed operators are required to verify a customer's age and identity before they can deposit, play with real money, or withdraw winnings.

Free UK support services

• GamCare — National Gambling Helpline on 0808 8020 133, free and confidential, 24/7. Live chat and online forums at gamcare.org.uk.
• BeGambleAware — independent charity with information, advice and a route to free treatment at gambleaware.org.
• GAMSTOP — free national self-exclusion. Blocks your access to every UK-licensed gambling site and app for six months, one year, or five years at gamstop.co.uk.
• Gambling Therapy — international online support service for anyone affected by problem gambling.
• NHS — specialist treatment is available through the NHS National Problem Gambling Clinic and regional gambling clinics.

Practical tools you can switch on today

• Set a deposit limit on every account you hold. Lower it any time; raising it takes a cooling-off period.
• Use the operator's loss limit if it's offered. It caps the net amount you can lose in a chosen window.
• Switch on reality checks so the operator interrupts long sessions with a clear time and balance summary.
• Use time-outs for a short cool-off (24 hours up to several weeks) before considering full self-exclusion.
• Turn off marketing emails, push notifications and SMS in your account settings.

Signs to take seriously

Spending more than you intended, chasing losses, gambling to feel better, hiding the activity from family, missing work or social commitments, borrowing money to play — any of these is a signal worth listening to. Talking to GamCare costs nothing and you do not need to give your name.

What Red Post Picks won't do

• We won't describe gambling as a way to make money.
• We won't use language like “risk-free”, “guaranteed”, or “beat the casino”.
• We won't target our content at anyone under 18 or anyone who has self-excluded.
• We won't push readers towards specific offers when they're here to read safer-gambling information.

If you are in crisis, please call Samaritans on 116 123, free, 24 hours a day. For immediate medical concern, contact NHS 111 or 999 in an emergency.