The National Gambling Helpline is free on <strong>0808 8020 133</strong>, open twenty-four hours a day, and is staffed by trained advisers rather than a script. It is run by GamCare and calls do not appear on itemised bills.
GAMSTOP at gamstop.co.uk blocks every operator holding a UK Gambling Commission licence for six months, one year or five years. It does not reach operators licensed abroad, including every site reviewed on this website. That is a limitation of the scheme and it is stated plainly here because readers deserve to know it before they act.
If you are currently self-excluded, the sites reviewed here are the exact thing you excluded yourself from. Please use the helpline number above instead.
Because blocking software runs on your device rather than on a register the operator has to check, it covers sites GamStop cannot reach. <strong>Gamban</strong> and <strong>BetBlocker</strong> both block unlicensed and offshore gambling sites, and BetBlocker is free.
Chasing losses. Gambling with money set aside for something else. Hiding how much has been staked. Borrowing to gamble. Feeling irritable when trying to cut down. Any one of these is a reason to call the helpline.
Every operator on this site offers deposit limits, cooling-off periods and account self-exclusion in its own settings. Setting a deposit limit when you open an account, before there is any reason to, is the single most effective control available.