Gambling Safely

Gambling is sold as entertainment, and for many adults that is what it stays. But it is also a product designed to cost the player money over time, and for some people it gradually eats into more cash, hours and headspace than was ever planned. This page is our plain guide to keeping it in proportion.

Adults only

Nothing on these pages is meant for anyone under 18, or under the higher age some places set. If you are under the legal age, please do not gamble, online or offline. Parents can use device and network filters to block gambling sites on shared computers and phones.

Know what you are paying for

Every casino game, sportsbook price and lottery ticket includes a margin for the operator. Wins happen, but over enough play the margin wins out. Thinking of a session as an evening's entertainment with a price tag, rather than a way to make money, is the most useful mindset we know. Our guide on making sense of odds shows how that margin is built into prices.

Warning signs

Any of these, especially if several apply, suggests gambling may be causing harm:

• regularly going past the money or time you set out to spend;
• chasing losses by betting again to win back what is gone;
• borrowing, using savings meant for bills, or selling things to gamble;
• hiding gambling from partners, family or friends;
• feeling restless, irritable or low when trying to cut down;
• gambling to escape stress, boredom or other problems;
• neglecting work, study, sleep or relationships because of it.

Limits that help

1. Fix a spending amount in advance and consider that money gone from the moment you put it aside.
2. Set a time limit too, ideally with an alarm, because hours slip by faster than money.
3. Use the tools licensed operators provide: deposit limits, loss limits, reality checks, time-outs and self-exclusion.
4. Never gamble with borrowed money or money needed for essentials.
5. Avoid gambling when upset, tired or after drinking, when judgement is weakest.
6. Take regular breaks and some days off entirely.

Where to find help

If gambling is causing problems for you or someone close to you, you do not have to deal with it alone. Most countries have free, confidential support services, including telephone helplines, online chat and in-person counselling, as well as peer support groups for gamblers and for affected family members. Your doctor can also point you to local services. Searching for "gambling support" with the name of your country will usually find the official national service.

Many regions also run self-exclusion schemes that block access to several gambling operators at once, and banks increasingly offer card blocks for gambling transactions. Both are worth setting up during a calm moment.

If you ever feel at immediate risk of harming yourself, call your local emergency services immediately.

For friends and family

Raising the subject gently, without blame, often helps more than confrontation. Support services usually help family members too, even if the person who gambles is not ready to ask for help yet.