Set a fixed budget
Choose an amount you can afford to lose without affecting bills, savings, debt payments or essential spending.
Player safety
Responsible Gambling — Limits, Warning Signs & Protective Controls
Gambling involves financial risk. Set limits before playing, recognize warning signs early, and use stronger controls or independent support when gambling stops being recreational.
Independent publisherEvidence-led content18+ • Gambling involves risk
Control framework
Responsible gambling starts before the first stake
Set money and time limits while decisions are still calm. Gambling should remain discretionary entertainment, not a way to solve financial problems or recover previous losses.
Set a time boundary
Decide when the session ends and avoid extending it because of wins, losses or promotional deadlines.
Use available controls
Where the operator provides deposit limits, time-outs or self-exclusion, use them early if control is becoming difficult.
Warning signs
Signals that gambling may no longer be recreational
No single sign diagnoses a gambling problem, but repeated patterns can indicate that stronger controls or independent support are appropriate.
| Signal | Practical response |
|---|---|
| Chasing losses | Stop the session and do not increase stakes to recover previous losses. |
| Borrowing or using essential money | Stop gambling and seek financial or gambling-support help. |
| Hiding gambling activity | Consider discussing the issue with a trusted person or professional support service. |
| Repeatedly breaking self-set limits | Use stronger operator controls, time-outs or self-exclusion. |
| Gambling affecting work, sleep or relationships | Stop and seek independent support rather than continuing to play. |
Protective actions
Escalate controls when simple limits are not enough
If voluntary budgeting is repeatedly ignored, move to stronger tools. Self-exclusion is designed for situations where continued account access itself has become part of the problem.
Self Exclusion
See how self-exclusion and time-out concepts work and what to do next.
Independent support
Use a recognized gambling-support organization or appropriate local health service if gambling is causing harm.
Financial safeguards
Consider banking or device-level gambling blocks where available, alongside operator controls.