Responsible Gaming
Effective 19 August 2026
Start From The Arithmetic
Every casino game carries a built-in house advantage. Played long enough, the expected result is a loss — not because of bad luck or bad timing, but because that is how the maths is constructed. Treat gambling as entertainment with a price, never as a way to make money.
Only ever stake funds you can lose without consequence. Not rent, not bills, not money owed to someone else.
Early Warning Signs
The shift is usually gradual:
- Stakes and sessions creeping past what you intended
- Returning specifically to win back a loss
- Borrowing or selling to fund play
- Being evasive with family or friends about how much you play
- Irritability or restlessness when you try to stop
- Playing to escape stress, boredom or low mood
- Work, sleep or relationships giving way to screen time
One in isolation may mean little. Several at once deserve attention now rather than later.
Controls Worth Setting Early
Licensed operators build these into the account. Set them while you are calm, not mid-session.
Deposit limits cap what enters the account per day, week or month. Loss limits cap what a period may cost regardless of deposits. Session timers interrupt with elapsed time. Reality checks report time and net position at chosen intervals.
Cool-off locks the account briefly — 24 hours to six weeks. Self-exclusion closes it for a longer fixed term, from one month to permanent. During either you cannot log in, deposit or receive marketing, and the period cannot be shortened. That rigidity is the protection.
Practical Discipline
- Decide the budget before opening the site
- Set a time limit and honour it
- Leave the screen every hour
- Never play under the influence, exhausted or upset
- Keep gambling one interest among several
- Accept a loss as spent, not owed back
Protecting Minors
Strictly 18 and over. Where children share a device, install filtering software — Gamban, GamBlock and Net Nanny all block gambling sites. Keep credentials private and never permit a minor to play on your account.
Free And Confidential Support
None of these services require a name.
- GamCare — gamcare.org.uk · National Gambling Helpline 0808 8020 133, around the clock
- BeGambleAware — begambleaware.org · guidance, self-assessment and referral
- Gamblers Anonymous — gamblersanonymous.org · peer groups online and in person
- Gambling Therapy — gamblingtherapy.org · multilingual support and a self-test
- Loket Kansspel (Netherlands) — loketkansspel.nl · 0800 3005
- AGOG (Netherlands) — agog.nl · 0900 217 27 21, for players and for families
Asking early is straightforward and effective. Waiting until it is severe makes everything harder.