Responsible Gambling | FPI Northwest

1. What is responsible gambling?

Responsible gambling means keeping play within limits you can comfortably afford, understanding that losses are part of the activity, and treating gambling as entertainment rather than income or escape. It also means recognising when behaviour is starting to feel difficult to control and acting early rather than waiting for the problem to grow.

2. Age restriction – 18+ only

In the UK, gambling is restricted to adults. Operators should verify age and identity before allowing real-money play, and under-18s should not use gambling services. If you are worried that a child or teenager may be accessing gambling content, contact the operator involved and consider using device or network-level controls.

3. Signs of problem gambling

Gambling-related harm can affect anyone, regardless of experience or stake size. Spotting the warning signs early can make it easier to get support before finances, relationships, or wellbeing are affected more seriously.

• Spending more money or time on gambling than you can afford or intended.
• Chasing losses – trying to win back money you have lost by gambling more.
• Lying to family, friends, or employers about how much you gamble or how much you have lost.
• Borrowing money, selling possessions, or getting into debt to gamble.
• Feeling stressed, anxious, or irritable when you try to cut down or stop.
• Gambling to escape problems or to improve your mood.
• Neglecting work, studies, or relationships because of gambling.

If several of these signs feel familiar, it may be time to pause, use the controls available to you, and speak to a specialist support service. Help is available and can be accessed confidentially.

4. Tools to stay in control

Licensed operators are expected to offer tools that help players stay in control. These features work best when used early, not only after gambling has already become difficult to manage.

• Deposit limits: set a maximum amount you can deposit per day, week, or month. Once set, increases usually take effect after a cooling-off period; decreases are often immediate.
• Loss limits: some sites let you set a limit on how much you can lose in a given period.
• Session time limits and reminders: limit how long you can play in one session, or get reminders at intervals so you can decide whether to continue.
• Reality checks: periodic pop-ups showing how long you have been playing and how much you have won or lost in that session.
• Self-exclusion from a single site: you can ask an operator to exclude you from their site (or app) for a period (e.g. 6 months, 1 year, or longer). During that time you cannot use your account to gamble.
• Cooling-off period: a short break (e.g. 24 hours or 48 hours) during which you cannot access your account.

These settings are usually available in the account area or in a dedicated safer-gambling section. Setting limits before you begin can make them far more effective than adding them later in response to a bad session.

5. GamStop – self-exclusion from all UK licensed sites

GamStop is a free self-exclusion scheme that can block access to participating UK-licensed gambling sites and apps in one step. Once registered, you choose an exclusion period and should no longer be able to create or use accounts with covered operators during that time. Further details are available at www.gamstop.co.uk. As with any exclusion tool, it is most effective when combined with a broader decision to avoid gambling altogether during the exclusion period.

6. Where to get help and support

If you are concerned about your own gambling or the gambling of someone close to you, support is available from specialist organisations. The services below provide advice, information, and practical help.

• BeGambleAware: information and support for anyone affected by gambling. Website: www.begambleaware.org. Free helpline (England, Scotland, Wales): 0808 8020 133 (available 24/7).
• GambleAware: funds prevention and treatment services and provides information. Website: www.gambleaware.org.
• GamCare: free support, advice, and counselling. Website: www.gamcare.org.uk. Helpline: 0808 8020 133.
• Gamblers Anonymous UK: peer support through meetings and fellowship. Website: www.gamblersanonymous.org.uk.
• National Gambling Helpline: 0808 8020 133 (24/7, free from UK landlines and mobiles).

If the situation feels urgent, contact one of the support services above, your GP, NHS 111, or emergency services where appropriate. Gambling-related harm can affect finances, relationships, and mental health, and professional help can make a meaningful difference.

7. Our commitment

We are an information and comparison website rather than a gambling operator. Our role is to keep safer-gambling messaging visible and to avoid presenting gambling as risk-free or as a financial solution.

• Linking only to operators that are licensed by the UK Gambling Commission (or otherwise clearly stated) and that are required to offer responsible gambling tools.
• Including responsible gambling information and links to support organisations on our site (including this page and in our footer).
• Not targeting under-18s or vulnerable people, and not encouraging excessive or problematic gambling.
• Being clear that gambling carries a risk of loss and that it is not a way to solve financial or personal problems.

We cannot control how individual visitors use third-party gambling sites, but we can point people toward the limits, support, and information that may help them make safer decisions.

8. Further information

Further consumer information is available from the UK Gambling Commission at www.gamblingcommission.gov.uk. If you have a dispute with a licensed operator, check the operator’s complaints process and any available ADR route.