Most people open this page for one of two reasons: something feels off, or they want to set limits before it does. Either way, you're in the right place. Bonusstrike treats gambling as entertainment with a cost attached, not a way to make money, and this page sets out what that means in practice.
Why responsible gambling matters
Gambling should feel like a night out, not a second job. The moment it starts covering for something else – boredom, stress, a bad week financially – it has stopped doing the job it's meant to do. 18+ only, always, and that applies whether you're playing slots, table games or placing a bet on the sportsbook.
None of this is about judgement. It's about noticing early, because the earlier a pattern is spotted, the easier it is to change.
Signs gambling is getting out of hand
These are concrete behaviours, not vague warnings:
- Chasing losses by increasing the size of the next bet to "win it back"
- Spending money set aside for bills, rent or essentials on deposits
- Lying to people close to you about how much time or money has gone into a session
- Feeling irritable or anxious when you try to stop or take a break
- Borrowing money specifically to keep playing
- Gambling to escape a low mood rather than for the activity itself
One of these on its own isn't a diagnosis. Several together, over weeks rather than one bad night, is worth acting on.
Questions worth asking yourself
A short, honest self-check, answered privately:
- Have you bet more than you could comfortably afford to lose in the last month?
- Have you needed to gamble with larger amounts to get the same feeling?
- Have you tried to cut back or stop and found it harder than expected?
- Do you feel restless or irritable when not gambling?
- Have you gambled to escape worry, stress or a low mood?
- Have you lied to family or friends about how much you gamble?
- Have you borrowed money or sold something to fund gambling?
- Has gambling caused problems at work, at home or in a relationship?
A "yes" to several of these is a reasonable prompt to use the tools below, or to talk to one of the organisations further down this page.
Setting your own limits with us
We support account-level controls that put a ceiling on play before it becomes a problem – deposit limits, time reminders during a session, and the option to step away for a fixed period or close the account outright. If you want to set one of these, contact our team at [email protected] and we'll talk you through what's available on your account.
A limit only works if it's set before the session that would have broken it. Setting one on a bad night, after the fact, is still worth doing – it just protects the next session rather than this one.
Practical limits that work
General advice rarely changes behaviour. Specific habits do:
- Decide the amount you're willing to lose before you deposit, not while you're playing
- Set a session length and use a phone timer rather than trusting yourself to notice the time
- Never deposit again to chase a loss in the same session
- Keep gambling money in a separate account from bills and essentials, so there's a hard ceiling
- Take a full day off between sessions rather than playing daily
- Treat a big win as a reason to stop for the day, not a reason to keep going
Where to get help in the UK
If any of the above struck a nerve, free and confidential support exists and using it doesn't require things to have got as bad as they can get:
- GamCare – run the National Gambling Helpline on 0808 8020 133, free and open 24/7
- BeGambleAware – information, self-assessment tools and referrals to treatment
- GamStop – free national self-exclusion that covers all UK-licensed gambling sites at once
- Gordon Moody – residential and online treatment programmes for more serious problem gambling
Blocking software
If self-exclusion through the operator isn't enough on its own, blocking software works at the device level instead, stopping gambling sites from loading at all. Gamban covers most major platforms; BetBlocker does the same and is free.
Protecting minors
This site and everything on it is restricted to players aged 18+. If a phone, tablet or computer in your household is shared with anyone under that age, parental-control software such as Net Nanny or Qustodio can block gambling content at the device level, which is a more reliable barrier than relying on account settings alone.
Talking to our support team
If you'd rather discuss any of this directly than read through a page, our support team is reachable at [email protected]. Gambling should be entertainment, not a chore, and that's the standard we're working from every time someone gets in touch.
Access to this site is restricted to persons aged 18 and over (18+). We want your play to stay enjoyable – for free, confidential support, visit BeGambleAware.org.