Play safely

Set your limits before you play

Decide in advance how much time and money you can afford to spend. Treat that amount as the full cost of your entertainment and never use money needed for rent, food, bills or savings.

• Set deposit, loss and session limits where the operator provides them.
• Never borrow money to gamble.
• Do not chase losses or increase your stakes to win money back.
• Take regular breaks and avoid gambling when upset, stressed or under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
• Keep gambling separate from work, relationships and everyday responsibilities.

Recognise the warning signs

It may be time to stop and seek support if gambling occupies more of your thoughts, time or money than you intended.

• You hide how much you gamble or lie about losses.
• You repeatedly spend more than planned.
• You borrow, sell belongings or miss payments to continue gambling.
• You feel anxious, irritable or restless when you are not gambling.
• Gambling is harming your health, work, studies or relationships.

One warning sign is enough reason to pause. You do not need to wait for the situation to become severe.

Take action early

Use the safer-gambling controls available in your casino account. Depending on the operator and your location, these may include deposit limits, time reminders, cooling-off periods and self-exclusion.

If you want to stop, withdraw any remaining balance, disable marketing messages and request self-exclusion from every operator you use. Blocking software and payment blocks offered by some banks can add another layer of protection.

If gambling has affected your finances, avoid trying to recover losses through more gambling. Contact a free debt-advice service in your country and speak with someone you trust.