Responsible Gambling – Non Gamstop Bets

Betting should be an enjoyable pastime, not a source of financial stress or personal harm. This page sets out the tools, organisations and practical steps that can help you stay in control — whether you bet with UK-licensed bookmakers or with sports betting sites not on Gamstop.

If you are in crisis right now, contact the National Gambling Helpline free on 0808 8020 133 (available 24 hours, 7 days a week) or text a counsellor via the live chat at gamcare.org.uk.

What responsible gambling means in practice

Responsible gambling is not about betting less — it is about betting within limits you have set for yourself, with money you can afford to lose, for entertainment rather than income. The distinction matters because problem gambling often develops gradually, through small changes in habit that are easy to rationalise.

A few straightforward principles help maintain that balance:

Set a budget before you deposit, and treat any loss as the cost of entertainment.
Only bet with money that is not earmarked for rent, bills or essential spending.
Avoid chasing losses — a losing run does not make a win more likely.
Keep track of how much time you spend on betting sites, not just how much you stake.
Never bet while under the influence of alcohol or when you are emotionally distressed.
Take regular breaks, even mid-session.

Recognising when gambling stops being fun

Problem gambling can affect anyone. The warning signs are not always obvious, and many people recognise them only in hindsight. The following are commonly associated with gambling harm:

Spending more than you planned, or more than you can afford.
Feeling restless or irritable when you try to cut back.
Gambling to escape worry, boredom or low mood.
Hiding your betting from family or friends.
Borrowing money or selling possessions to fund gambling.
Neglecting work, study or personal relationships because of time spent betting.
Continuing to gamble after deciding to stop.

If several of these apply, speaking to a trained adviser — free of charge — is a good first step. There is no obligation and no judgment involved.

Free support organisations in the UK

The organisations below offer confidential help at no cost to you.

Organisation	What they offer	Contact
GamCare	Free counselling, live chat support and the National Gambling Helpline	0808 8020 133 / gamcare.org.uk
Gamblers Anonymous UK	Peer support meetings across the UK and an online community	gamblersanonymous.org.uk
GamTalk	Moderated online peer support forums, available 24/7	gamtalk.org
BeGambleAware	Information, self-assessment tools and referrals to local treatment services	begambleaware.org
Gordon Moody	Residential treatment and online therapy programmes for severe gambling harm	gordonmoody.org.uk
Money Advice Service (MoneyHelper)	Debt and money guidance for those experiencing financial harm from gambling	moneyhelper.org.uk

Self-exclusion: your options

Self-exclusion allows you to block yourself from gambling sites for a set period. There are different schemes depending on which type of site you are using.

Gamstop

Gamstop is the UK's national self-exclusion register, operated under a requirement from the UK Gambling Commission. Registering at gamstop.co.uk blocks you from all UKGC-licensed betting and casino sites for a minimum of six months, up to five years. The exclusion is difficult to reverse before the chosen period ends.

Non-Gamstop sites

Betting sites that operate outside the Gamstop scheme are licensed in other jurisdictions and are not connected to the UK register. If you have self-excluded via Gamstop and wish to extend that protection to offshore sites, most reputable offshore bookmakers offer their own self-exclusion or account-closure tools within their account settings or via customer support. It is worth using these tools in addition to any national scheme.

Other blocking tools

Gamban — software that blocks gambling sites and apps across all your devices. Available at gamban.com, with free access for those seeking help through GamCare.
BetBlocker — a free app that blocks access to gambling sites on any device for periods ranging from 24 hours to five years. Available at betblocker.org.
Gambling Therapy — a global service by Gordon Moody offering online support and a site-blocking tool, at gamblingtherapy.org.

Practical tools for staying in control

Whether or not you have concerns about your gambling, using built-in account controls is a sensible habit. Most licensed betting sites — including those holding licences outside the UK — offer some or all of the following:

Deposit limits

Set a daily, weekly or monthly cap on how much you can deposit. Reducing a limit usually takes effect immediately; increasing one normally requires a cooling-off period of 24 hours or more.

Loss limits

Cap how much you can lose within a given period. Once the limit is reached, further betting is blocked until the period resets.

Session time limits and reality checks

Set a maximum session length, or opt in to regular on-screen reminders that show how long you have been betting and how much you have staked or won or lost in that session.

Cool-off and timeout

A short break — typically 24 hours to 30 days — that blocks access to your account while still allowing withdrawals. Useful if you notice your habits changing but do not want a full exclusion.

Account closure

Permanent account closure is always available on request via a site's customer support team. Keep a record of the request and any confirmation you receive.

Managing your money

Financial harm is one of the most common consequences of problem gambling, and it is often the most immediate. These steps can help keep your betting separate from essential spending:

Open a separate current account or use a prepaid card exclusively for gambling deposits, funded only with your pre-set entertainment budget.
Avoid using credit to fund gambling. Many UK card issuers already block gambling transactions on credit cards under FCA guidance, but this does not apply to all offshore sites.
If debt has already built up, contact MoneyHelper (moneyhelper.org.uk) or StepChange (stepchange.org) for free, impartial debt advice.
Review your bank statements monthly. Some banking apps flag gambling transactions separately and allow you to set spending limits by merchant category.

A note on betting sites outside Gamstop

Non Gamstop Bets reviews and compares sports betting sites that operate outside the Gamstop self-exclusion scheme. We believe that adults are entitled to make informed choices about where they bet. Our full guide to non-Gamstop betting sites covers how these sites are licensed, what protections they offer and what to look for before registering.

We also want to be straightforward: if the reason you are looking at offshore sites is to work around a self-exclusion you have placed, we would encourage you to speak to one of the support organisations listed on this page before doing so. Exclusion tools work best when they are used as part of a broader plan, and there is expert help available to assist with that.

For more on how we approach our reviews and what drives our rankings, see our About Us page. If you have a query about anything on this site, you are welcome to contact us directly.

How to get help today

You do not need to have reached a crisis point to seek support. If anything on this page feels relevant to your situation, the single most useful thing you can do is make one phone call or open one chat window. Every organisation listed here is free, confidential and staffed by people trained specifically in gambling harm.

National Gambling Helpline: 0808 8020 133 (free, 24/7)
Live chat: gamcare.org.uk
Self-exclusion: gamstop.co.uk
Device blocking: gamban.com or betblocker.org
Peer support: gamtalk.org

18+ only. Gambling involves risk. Please bet within your means.