Understanding gambling

To ensure you maintain control of your gambling so that it remains enjoyable, please consider the following.

Maintaining Control

  • Gambling should be done in moderation and undertaken as a form of leisure not as a way of making money or to escape problems
  • Avoid chasing losses
  • Only gamble with money you can afford to lose
  • Keep track of the time and monitor the amount of money you spend. We provide detailed account statements and P&L history in the ‘My Account’ section
  • Use the deposit and loss limits tools to help you control the amount you can spend. For further information please visit our Deposit, Transfer and Loss Limits page
  • If you need a break from gambling, self exclusion can be set either fully from all products, or individually from each product. For further information please visit our Exclusions page
  • Balance your gambling with other leisure activities
  • Try to understand the odds/probabilities of winning and losing, and the rules of the games you are playing

Self Assessment

Where difficulties arise it is important that you find this out as early as possible so that you can put preventative measures in place and get further help if needed. Below are common signs that indicate you may be experiencing issues with your gambling:

  1. Does gambling prevent you from attending work or college?
  2. Do you gamble to pass time or to escape boredom?
  3. Do you gamble alone for long periods of time?
  4. Have others ever criticised you for your gambling?
  5. Have you lost interest in family, friends or hobbies due to gambling?
  6. Have you ever lied to cover up the amount of money or time you spend gambling?
  7. Have you lied, stolen or borrowed in order to maintain betting habits?
  8. Are you reluctant to spend ‘gambling money’ on anything else?
  9. Do you gamble until you lose all your money?
  10. After losing, do you feel that you have to try and win back the losses as soon as possible?
  11. If you run out of money when gambling, do you feel lost and in despair and feel the need to gamble again as soon as possible?
  12. Do arguments, frustrations or disappointments make you want to gamble?
  13. Does gambling make you depressed or even suicidal?

The more questions that you answer ‘yes’ to, the more likely it is that you are having difficulties with your gambling. To speak with someone who can give you advice and support, please contact one of the organisations listed in our ‘help and support’ page.