This page will help you learn all about safer gambling, with details on how to bet safely whilst gambling, as well as details on how to gamble responsibly at any UK bookmakers.
Gambling can be fun, but only if you are gambling responsibly. To make sure you are gambling responsibly, you need to learn about safer gambling, with UK bookies providing multiple services to help your experience be fun but also safe.
If you are ever feeling like the gambling experience is not fun, then do step away from betting with UK bookmakers and take a break. Do remember that it is good to set yourself limits and we will provide information below telling you some of the main safer gambling tools available on betting sites.
As well as offering guidance on how to identify when gambling is negatively affecting your physical and mental health, this article will also provide details on how you can make sure you are gambling responsibly and safely.
Safer Gambling Advice: How to Gamble responsibly in 2024
There are lots of different methods and options available to help you gamble responsibly whilst using any UK betting site. These methods are ones in which you can do yourself.
Take Regular Breaks
A simple way to make sure that you are gambling safely is by taking regular breaks. This effective method is one that many use if they feel like the fun in their betting experiences is starting to disappear or if they just want to stop betting for a period of time. You can delete betting apps, use the screen time feature available on iPhone devices, or just make sure that you put down your phone or step away from your computer if you have been on a betting site for a long period of time.
Effective Bankroll Management
Making sure you have a good bankroll for betting is very important and this method is good in helping you gamble responsibly as it makes sure that you are not chasing losses and placing bigger bets than you might be able to afford. In order to create a bankroll, all you have to do is set a winning or loss limit for a specific period of time. An example of this would be if you set yourself a loss limit of £50 over the course of one week. If this limit has been reached during the week, you would then stop gambling until the end of that week. You would then be able to gamble from the week after and this method slows down gambling and also makes sure you are more responsible when betting.
Safer Gambling Tools
There are also some great safer gambling tools provided by UK bookmakers which encourage you to gamble responsibly and safely when you are betting on their sites or mobile apps.
Deposit Limits
This safer gambling tool will allow customers to set a limit on how much they want to deposit into their account for a certain time period, be it a day, week, month, or year. You are able to change the deposit limit whenever you fancy, with you being able to increase or decrease the deposit limit. It is typically best to set a deposit limit and stick to it in order to make sure you are gambling responsibly.
Reality Checks
Some betting sites provide the Reality Checks safer gambling tool. This helps you be aware of your activities on the UK betting site you are using. You will receive timed reminders, somewhat like notifications, which will tell you that you have been using the bookies for a certain period of time. You can set the time period in which you want to receive these reminders. Time periods typically are 30 minutes or a certain amount of hours. They will give you the option to stop playing or you can dismiss the reminder and continue playing.
Self-Exclusion
This self-exclusion safer gambling tool gives betting customers the option to exclude themselves from being able to access their account. The tool basically blocks you from using the bookies that you are betting with and stops you being able to participate in gambling activities for a period of time which you can pick.
Cool-Off Periods/Taking Breaks
You will be able to take a break from gambling for a voluntarily picked amount of time. This temporary suspension of account activity promotes self-regulation and encourages responsible gambling habits. Cool-Off periods are slightly different from self exclusion tools as it just stops account activity, it doesn’t block you from accessing the betting site.
Profit & Loss
The profit and loss tool allows betting customers to track how much money they are winning or losing. This feature is great as it can tell you how much you have won or lost over a period of time and help you make informed decisions on whether you should take a break from gambling for a period of time.
Gambling effects on mental health
We encourage safe and responsible gambling as betting can have a negative impact on your mental health. If you are not responsible with your gambling then it can effect you negatively. Lots will be tempted to chase the wins or the losses in order to win money, but this can cause huge financial stresses and see customers become depressed or anxious over their finances. This stress can then effect your personal life, be it your work life or your social life, so it is massively important that you are safe and responsible when gambling and you know that when the fun stops, you should stop.
In order to make sure that you, or anyone you know is not being negatively impacted by gambling, you need to keep an eye out for any signs on yours mental health, as well as anyone you know who is betting. This helps everyone stay on top of any gambling habits and will hopefully make sure that you are gambling safely.
UK Bookies will also be doing their best to keep an eye on any signs that a player is being negatively impacted by gambling and they are allowed to lock, block or deactivate betting accounts.
Safer Gambling Week 2024: Everything You Need to Know
Safer Gambling Week has arrived. It takes place between the 18th November and 24th November. During this week, safer gambling organisations will showcase a number events which will help educate you about safer gambling and also provide you with responsible gambling tools, information and advice. Safer Gambling UK will be leading most of the week, with them emphasising that it is good to think and talk about your gambling, as well as provide yourself with the knowledge and tools to take control and gamble more safely and responsibly. There will be online seminars, courses and educational talks going on all throughout the week, with you being able to access any of them.
This annual event aims to create conversations around safer gambling and drive awareness of how to approach gambling more safely, with possible questions you can ask and behaviours to consider.
If you want to learn more about the safer gambling week then feel free to head over to the Safer Gambling UK website, where they reveal what they will be doing over the course of this week.
How to identify Problem Gambling and methods of support
In order to overcome gambling problems or help others overcome a gambling problem, you need to either acknowledge the issue yourself or help someone else acknowledge that they may have a gambling problem. In order to do this, you need to be able to know and understand the signs you need to look out for.
Some ways to identify if problem gambling is occurring is if someone’s stress or anxiety has increased, and this can be caused by gambling losses, as well as trying to win bets. This would become a become problem if it then caused that person to distance themselves from their support networks like their family or friends.
If you see someone is spending an excessive time gambling, then it most likely means that they are spending a lot of their money on gambling sites and this is another way to identify problem gambling. One of the biggest ways to identify problem gambling is if your family or friends are asking to borrow money from you to allow them to bet.
If you do believe that someone you know is having gambling problems, then you should talk to them and offer your advice and support. You can then send them to look at Safer Gambling Organisations who provide support and information on gambling problems.
Safer Gambling Organisations
There are a lot of different safer gambling organisations available to contact and they all provide great support services for gamblers who need it. Here are some of the Safer Gambling Organisations that you can look to for support or guidance should you need to do so.
GambleAware
GambleAware are an organisation who provide information to anyone who is gambling to help them make safe and responsible decisions when they bet. They are a charity registered in England, Wales and Scotland who are registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales and the Scottish Charity Regulator. They also have an affiliation with most UK Bookmakers.
Contacting them is easy, with them having a 24/7 Live Chat and Helpline service for any gambler that is struggling with mental health issues or any gambler who wants to find out more about safe gambling. The number to call their helpline is 0808 8020 133, whilst their live chat service is available on the GambleAware website.
GAMSTOP
GAMSTOP is another safer gambling organisation which helps you control your online gambling. They provide a service which sees you prevented from using gambling website or apps run by betting sites in the UK for a voluntarily selected period of time. In order to use this service, you have to register at GAMSTOP. Over 500,000 people have registered with GAMSTOP to help them take back control and make sure they are safe and responsible with their gambling.
GamCare
GamCare are one of the leading providers for information, advice and support for anyone affected by gambling problems. What is good about GamCare is that they operate the National Gambling Helping. They aim to create awareness about safe and responsible gambling for anyone struggling or anyone who wants to learn more.
You can contact the organisation to talk about your own gambling or someone else’s. They have a free of charge 24/7 phone service as well as a live chat service as well. GamCare’s contact number is 0808 8020 133.
SaferGamblingUK
SaferGamblingUK, who are leading most of the talks going on during Safer Gambling Week, are an organisation who run an annual campaign to help promote safer gambling across the UK and Ireland. The annual campaign is Safer Gambling Week. They want to help people talk about responsible gambling, take action by using safer gambling tools and to also get support using advice and helplines. Like GamCare, they work with the National Gambling Helpline.
National Gambling Clinic
The National Gambling Clinic is a free service run by the NHS, which is also confidential, which supports people in London and the South East who are have been suffering from gambling addiction. It was established in 2008 and assesses the needs of people who have gambling problems and also provides support for families as well. You can phone them on 0207 381 7722 or email gambling.cnwl@nhs.net for further information.
Take Time To Think
Take Time To Think is a national campaign in the UK aiming to make more people use safer gambling tools more frequently. They want to encourage consistent use of these tools in order to provide a safe and responsible gambling experience. The campaign is managed by the Betting and Gaming Council, who are the standards body for the majority of the regulated UK betting industry. You can get in touch with them via email info@taketimetothink.co.uk. They run TV adverts and are visible on most betting sites.
