Where to get free help
- GamCare runs the National Gambling Helpline and a live chat at gamcare.org.uk. It also supports people affected by someone else's gambling.
- The National Gambling Support Network gives free treatment across Great Britain, from a few sessions of advice to longer programmes. The helpline can refer you.
- The NHS runs specialist gambling clinics in England, and you can refer yourself through the NHS website.
- Gambling Therapy offers free online support in several languages at gamblingtherapy.org.
Ways to block gambling
- GamStop lets you exclude yourself, free, from gambling websites and apps licensed in Great Britain for six months, one year or five years: gamstop.co.uk.
- Blocking software such as Gamban, BetBlocker or Gamblock stops gambling sites and apps loading on your phone or computer.
- Your bank: many UK banks let you switch on a block on gambling payments in their app.
- The casino's own tools: deposit limits, time reminders and time-outs are set in your account settings.
Signs gambling is becoming a problem
- Spending more money or time than you planned.
- Playing on to win back what you have lost.
- Borrowing, or using money meant for bills, to gamble.
- Hiding how much you gamble from the people close to you.
- Feeling anxious or irritable when you can't gamble.
If any of these sound familiar, the helpline is a good first call. It costs nothing and you don't have to give your name.
What slot figures don't tell you
RTP is a long-run average worked out over millions of spins. In a single session your results can sit far above or below it, and a higher RTP doesn't make a win more likely in the next few spins. Volatility describes how a game's payouts are spread: high-volatility games pay out less often, in larger amounts.
At casinos licensed in Great Britain, online slot stakes are capped at £5 a spin, or £2 if you are aged 18 to 24, and wagering requirements on bonuses have been capped at 10 times the bonus since January 2026.
Children and gambling
Gambling is for adults only. If children use your devices, parental controls and blocking software keep gambling sites off them.