If gambling feels difficult to stop, is causing distress or is putting essential money at risk, focus on the next few hours rather than trying to solve everything at once. Create distance from gambling, protect the money still available and contact someone who can support you.
What to do right now
Stop the current gambling session and move away from the device or place being used. Close gambling apps and websites rather than continuing in an attempt to recover money. Put physical distance between yourself and any venue where you might gamble.
Tell one trusted person what is happening. A short, direct message is enough: “I am struggling with gambling and need help not to gamble today.” Ask them to stay with you, call you or help you complete the practical steps below.
GamCare offers confidential gambling support channels. Its support service is an appropriate place to speak openly about what is happening and consider the next step. The NHS also provides gambling-harm information and treatment signposting.
Make gambling harder to access
Add more than one barrier. A single closed account may not prevent access to another operator, device or payment route. Start with the barriers you can put in place immediately, then add broader restrictions.
Log out of gambling accounts and remove saved passwords. Delete gambling apps and clear gambling bookmarks. Turn off gambling notifications and promotional messages where the relevant controls are available. If someone trustworthy is helping you, ask them to sit with you while you complete these actions.
GAMSTOP is the multi-operator online self-exclusion scheme for participating operators licensed in Great Britain. Registering with GAMSTOP can therefore be one part of a wider plan, but its recorded scope is participating GB-licensed operators. Read the self-exclusion guide for a practical explanation of how to combine exclusion with other barriers.
Protect money needed for essentials
Identify what must still be paid before the next income arrives: housing, energy, food, travel, childcare and other essential commitments. Do not use gambling as a plan for replacing losses or meeting those costs.
Move essential payments to a separate account if that is practical for you. Remove stored card details from gambling accounts and digital wallets. Consider asking a trusted person to help you review upcoming payments or hold cards temporarily, but only choose an arrangement that you understand and freely accept.
Do not share banking passwords, security codes or identity credentials. Support does not require giving another person unrestricted access to your accounts. For broader checks involving deposits or withdrawals, use the payment checks guide.
| Priority | Action now | Useful follow-up |
|---|---|---|
| Stop immediate access | Close gambling sites and apps; leave the gambling environment | Add account, device and self-exclusion barriers |
| Preserve essential funds | List urgent bills and separate essential money where practical | Review future payment arrangements with a trusted person |
| Reduce isolation | Tell one trusted person what is happening | Contact a confidential gambling-support service |
| Record important details | Save account, payment and message records | Use the complaints route if a specific dispute remains |
Contact specialist support
You do not need to prepare a complete explanation before contacting support. Begin with what is happening now, such as being unable to stop, feeling distressed, using essential money or returning to gambling after trying to exclude.
GamCare offers confidential gambling support channels. GambleAware also provides support tools and signposting to services through its tools and support information. The NHS signposts gambling-harm information and treatment support.
Different forms of help can serve different purposes. One conversation may focus on getting through the immediate urge to gamble. Later support may address patterns, money problems, relationships or treatment options. If speaking feels difficult, write down three points first: what happened, what you need help with today and which barrier you can put in place next.
If another person is affected
If you are helping someone else, stay calm and use specific, non-judgemental language. Describe what you have noticed without claiming to know every detail. For example: “I am worried because essential money appears to be at risk. Can we stop and look at the options together?”
Offer practical help without taking control by force. You might sit with the person while they contact a support service, remove an app or register for an exclusion scheme. Avoid lending money for further gambling or presenting another bet as a way to repair the situation.
Protect your own finances and personal information as well. Do not disclose passwords or security codes. Keep clear records of any shared bills or agreed payments. Specialist support can also help people affected by somebody else’s gambling; GamCare’s recorded offering includes confidential gambling support channels.
Keep evidence if there is a dispute
Urgent support and an operator dispute are separate needs. First reduce immediate gambling access and protect essential money. If there is also a disputed transaction, account restriction, promotional issue or self-exclusion concern, keep the available records.
Save dates, transaction references, account messages and copies of correspondence. Write a short chronology while events are fresh. Separate what you can document from what you suspect. Do not alter screenshots or remove information needed to understand their context.
Use the complaints guide when you are ready to organise a complaint. Keeping evidence does not require staying logged in to gamble, placing another bet or making another deposit.
Plan for the next 24 hours
Choose a simple plan that does not depend on willpower alone. Decide where you will be, who you will contact and which gambling barriers will be active. Avoid carrying out the plan in isolation if a trusted person can help.
Write down the next three actions in order. A workable sequence might be: contact confidential support, register for an appropriate self-exclusion tool, then review access to essential funds. Keep the list visible and mark each action when completed.
Expect the plan to need adjustment. If one barrier is unavailable or does not cover the gambling route involved, move to the next practical barrier rather than abandoning the whole plan. GambleAware’s tools and service signposting, NHS information and treatment signposting, GamCare support channels and GAMSTOP’s defined self-exclusion scheme each have different recorded roles.
Frequently asked questions
Where can I speak to someone confidentially about gambling?
GamCare offers confidential gambling support channels. Its support service can be used to discuss what is happening and possible next steps. The NHS also signposts gambling-harm information and treatment support, while GambleAware provides tools and service signposting.
Does GAMSTOP cover every gambling operator?
The supplied authority record defines GAMSTOP as the multi-operator online self-exclusion scheme for participating GB-licensed operators. That wording does not establish coverage of every operator or every form of gambling, so combine it with other practical barriers where needed.
What should I do if essential money is at risk?
Stop gambling, list the payments that must be protected and separate essential funds where practical. Remove stored payment details and ask a trusted person for help reviewing immediate commitments. Do not share passwords, security codes or identity credentials.
Should I keep records of what happened?
Yes, if there is a transaction or account dispute. Save dates, references, messages and correspondence, and write a factual chronology. Protecting evidence should not involve placing another bet, making another deposit or continuing to use the account for gambling.
How can I help someone who is struggling?
Speak calmly, explain the specific behaviour that concerns you and offer to help with one immediate action. You can stay with them while they contact confidential support or put an exclusion barrier in place. Protect your own finances and do not fund further gambling.