Responsible Gambling

Safer Gambling


As part of the entertainment industry, gambling should be enjoyable. While most bettors enjoy a healthy relationship with betting, for a small minority, what should be a pastime becomes a problem. For some, gambling hurts financial stability and emotional wellbeing.

Responsible gambling practices help bettors understand and control the inherent risks. The UK Gambling Commission’s social responsibility requirements state that all UKGC-licensed operators must take steps to protect customers from gambling-related harm.

What is Responsible Gambling?

To gamble responsibly means to gamble in a controlled way, minimising the risk of harm to the bettor, their loved ones, or their finances. Keys to gambling responsibly include only gambling within your means and managing the time and money you spend.

All forms of gambling contain an element of risk - the risk-reward relationship is central to the appeal of the activity. Responsible gambling includes an awareness of the risks involved and the knowledge that potential losses are an inevitable feature of betting. Gambling should be viewed as a recreational pastime, not as a reliable way to make money.

As with many problems in life, the first step is recognising and accepting that you have a problem. Many UK players keep gambling where it should be throughout their betting lifetime, i.e. as a controlled, recreational activity. However, that isn’t the case for everyone. Signs that gambling habits may be veering away from responsible practices include:

  • Staking more than you intended
  • Spending more time betting than planned
  • Chasing losses
  • Increasing stakes to increase excitement
  • Borrowing money to gamble
  • Neglecting other interests, hobbies, or family responsibilities to gamble
  • Lying about your gambling activity

Rather than appearing suddenly, gambling-related harm can develop slowly over time. Recognising potential problems early helps bettors to adjust their behaviours and stay in control. UK-licensed betting sites offer a range of protective tools and support materials to help keep customers safe.

Our Approach

Here at NewBettingOffers.co.uk, we are firm believers that betting should be fun and not a source of stress. As such, we take our role in responsible gambling seriously.

Importantly, we only ever feature UK Gambling Commission-licensed operators. To receive a UKGC licence, an operator must meet strict standards of customer protection, fair play, and responsible gambling measures. By only featuring UKGC-licensed betting sites, we direct readers to bookmakers that are required to provide responsible gambling tools and customer protections.

Every betting offer, free bet, and welcome bonus featured on the site comes from a UKGC-licensed bookmaker. We compare and explain these offers and promotions, highlighting key terms and conditions such as minimum odds and expiry dates, to help readers make well-informed decisions. What we will never do is encourage anyone to bet beyond their means.

The promotions we feature can add value to the betting experience when used sensibly. However, they should never be seen as a reason to bet more than intended and certainly aren’t a guaranteed way to make money.

As part of our commitment to safer gambling, we signpost and provide links to leading information and support services.

Responsible Gambling Tools

UKGC-licensed bookmakers must provide access to responsible gambling tools to help customers manage their betting. Some of these tools are mandatory for every UKGC-licensed operator, while others are optional. Away from the betting sites, additional third-party tools are available.

Rather than seeking help if and when a problem arises, it is sensible to familiarise yourself with the tools available in advance. You may not need them, but a little knowledge never hurts.

  1. Deposit Limits (mandatory)
  2. Loss Limits
  3. Wagering Limits
  4. Reality Check (mandatory for applicable products including casino games and bingo)
  5. Time-Outs (mandatory)
  6. Self-Exclusion (mandatory)
  7. Account History
  8. Third-Party Gambling Blocks

Items 1-7 on the above list are tools available through betting accounts and apps, although availability for the non-mandatory tools varies between operators. Item number 8 includes tools you can access via banks or independent organisations.

Deposit Limits

As the name suggests, deposit limits apply a strict cap on how much you can deposit into your account. UKGC-licensed operators must offer daily, weekly, and monthly deposit limits.

You will be prompted to set your deposit limits during the sign-up process. You can skip it and do it later if you wish, but it is a good idea to think about how much you are willing to spend and choose an appropriate limit. Once set, you can usually reduce your limit immediately, but increases are subject to a cooling-off period of at least 24 hours and require your confirmation before taking effect.

Deposit limits come in two types:

  • Gross Deposit Limits - A gross deposit limit caps the total amount deposited over the chosen time period, regardless of withdrawals. For example, a weekly gross deposit limit of £100 means you cannot deposit more than £100 per week, no matter how much you withdraw during the week.
  • Net Deposit Limits - Net deposit limits take withdrawals into account. Provided your deposits minus your withdrawals do not exceed the chosen limit, you can continue to deposit. With a weekly net deposit limit of £100, if you deposit £100 on Monday and withdraw £50 on Tuesday, you can deposit a further £50 if you wish.

Gross deposit limits are mandatory at all UKGC-licensed bookmakers, while net deposit limits are optional.

Loss Limits

While not mandatory, some bookmakers offer daily, weekly, and monthly loss limits. Loss limits cap gambling losses rather than deposits. For example, if you set a weekly loss limit of £20, you will be prevented from placing further bets as soon as your net loss reaches £20 in that week; that could happen as a result of a single £20 losing bet or £200 spread over 50 bets that produce an overall £20 loss.

Wagering Limits

Also known as stake limits or betting limits, this tool restricts how much you can stake during a specified period – usually daily, weekly, or monthly. By focusing on total stakes rather than deposits or losses, this tool can be useful for customers concerned about the volume or frequency of their betting. As an optional tool, wagering limits aren’t available everywhere, and the mechanics can vary between operators.

Reality Check

Reality checks provide pop-up reminders during a gambling session. These pop-ups break up play, allowing you to pause, consider how long you have been playing, and decide whether to continue. Depending on the operator, reality check pop-ups may include win/loss/staking information for the current session. Some operators enforce reality checks at set intervals, e.g. every hour; others let the player set the frequency.

Reality checks are mandatory for applicable products, including casino gaming, where continuous play can make it easy to lose track of time and total stakes. They are not compulsory for standard sports betting.

Time-Out

A time-out lets you take a short break from betting. All UKGC-licensed betting sites must offer time-out periods of 24 hours, 1 week, 1 month, and any other reasonable request up to a maximum of 6 weeks. Once set, you will not be able to gamble using the account during the time-out period. You can normally resume betting when the time-out period ends, provided no other restrictions apply to your account. A time-out is designed to enable a shorter break without permanently closing your account.

Self-Exclusion

Self-exclusion gives customers a more significant break than a time-out. All UKGC-licensed betting sites must offer a self-exclusion period of at least 6 months. Once self-exclusion is active, a player cannot gamble with that operator during the exclusion period.

Players who want to self-exclude from more than one betting site may want to consider GAMSTOP self-exclusion. GAMSTOP offers self-exclusion from all participating UKGC-licensed sites, so you don't need to contact each operator individually. Players can choose from self-exclusion periods of six months, one year, five years, or five years with automatic renewal.

Account History

While not a restrictive tool, such as a deposit limit or a time-out, access to account history – including deposits, withdrawals, and betting transactions – can help players understand spending levels and habits and potentially identify problems. All UK-licensed bookmakers must provide access to account information, but the presentation and level of detail can vary between operators.

Third Party Gambling Blocks

The following tools work independently of bookmakers and can provide an additional layer of protection:

  • Bank Gambling Blocks - Many UK banks allow customers to block payments to betting sites. Where available, you may be able to activate this block via the banking app, or by contacting the bank directly.
  • Gamban - Gamban software prevents access to gambling websites and apps.
  • BetBlocker - Once installed, the free BetBlocker app restricts access to betting websites and apps.

Safer Gambling Tips

Approaching gambling with the right mindset is key to minimising the risk of harm and keeping the activity under control. The following tips are worth bearing in mind for any bettor:

  • Treat gambling as entertainment - If you gamble, it should be because you find the activity enjoyable. Most recreational activities, going out for a meal, a trip to the cinema, etc., come with a cost. If you lose money during a session, think of it as the cost of your entertainment.
  • Set a budget and stick to it - Do this with a clear head before you start gambling. First, assess how much you need for essential bills, expenses, food, and other entertainment. Only allocate a portion of the remaining funds to gambling. Sticking rigidly to this budget will minimise the chance of negative financial implications.
  • Don’t chase losses - If you reach your set spending limit, accept the loss and stop. Trying to win back lost money can result in spiralling losses and problematic gambling habits.
  • Set time limits - Allocating a set time limit to gambling sessions can help ensure the activity doesn’t encroach on other areas of your life. Set an alarm if you need to.
  • Don’t mix gambling and alcohol - It is important to keep a clear head when you gamble. Mixing gambling with alcohol makes this more difficult.
  • Don’t gamble while stressed or emotional - Using gambling as a distraction from anxiety, stress, depression, or boredom can increase dependency and trigger patterns of addiction.
  • Maintain balance in your life - Make sure you maintain other interests outside of gambling to ensure betting doesn’t become your only form of entertainment.

The above tips provide a useful framework for gambling responsibly and reducing the risk of harm. Remember, tools are available to help stick to a sensible gambling strategy.

Help Is Available

Responsible gambling help doesn’t begin and end with the tools offered by UK betting sites. The following organisations provide information, advice, or support for anyone experiencing gambling problems, with free services available.

You can contact these organisations at any time; you don’t need to wait until gambling has caused significant harm before seeking help. You are not alone. There is always someone ready and willing to help.

GamCare – National Gambling Helpline

  • Website - gamcare.org.uk
  • National Gambling Helpline - England and Scotland: 0808 8020 133, Wales: 0808 2819 265
  • WhatsApp Chat - 0808 8020 133

GamCare provides information, advice, and support for people negatively affected by gambling – be that the gambler themselves or affected friends and family. The National Gambling Helpline number is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. GamCare also offers a live chat service and access to treatment and support.

GambleAware

This comprehensive site includes information about gambling harms, routes to help, and useful tools, including a gambling self-assessment quiz, a gambling spend calculator, and a postcode lookup to locate local support.

Gamblers Anonymous UK

Gamblers Anonymous was founded in the US in 1957 and held its first meeting in England in 1964. The organisation provides peer-to-peer support meetings, both in person and online, enabling affected individuals to share their experiences and work towards overcoming their gambling problems.

Gordon Moody

Gordon Moody is a specialist charity focused on treating people experiencing serious gambling-related harm. The charity is well known for its residential treatment programmes, retreats, and support in the community. The charity is named after its founder, the Reverend Gordon Moody, who received an MBE for his work in the problem gambling sphere.

NHS Gambling Support

The NHS Gambling Support website provides links to specialist NHS gambling support services available in England. Treatment options include access to psychiatrists, psychologists, and therapists, in addition to support for friends and family. Affected individuals can self-refer to specialist gambling clinics located throughout the country.