According to the most recent Gambling Survey for Great Britain, an estimated 2.5% of the UK population struggles with a gambling problem.¹ That percentage equates to around 1.3 million people across the UK who are struggling to control their relationship with gambling.
Charities, the Government, and providers are all aiming to bring that number down through a range of support methods. Whether it’s through education, preventative tools like limits, or things like helplines, there is more support out there than ever before for players. There’s always someone to turn to, so let’s look at what help is available for players who are struggling.
Understanding the Issue
First things first, it’s important that players are able to recognise when their gambling behaviour has become problematic. The majority of providers you visit will offer educational resources, so players know what warning signs to look out for. These include things like spending more than you intended, chasing losses, or playing throughout the night.
Players can also find lists of these signs across charities like GamCare and GambleAware, if they’re struggling to think of them themselves. They cover things like emotional mood swings, hiding gambling habits, and changes to relationships with others.² All of this helps players recognise when their behaviour is straying from healthy to harmful, and try to avoid it.
Questionnaires
Questionnaires are also a great resource for helping players reflect on their relationship with gambling. Many include signs players might not have even considered, like struggling to concentrate or problems sleeping. It can also be difficult to recognise these issues within yourself, so questionnaires are a valuable tool for doing just that.
They’re also simple to use, with players answering questions to get an overall score that indicates their problem gambling risk. These are often things like ‘Have you found yourself thinking about gambling more?’ and the answers are usually categorised like ‘no’, ‘maybe’, ‘sometimes’, and ‘definitely’. It’s important for all players, especially those just starting out, to get to grips with what unhealthy behaviour looks like, so they can try to prevent it from developing.
Preventing Gambling Problems
All players are encouraged to make use of the tools that help them control their behaviour and prevent gambling problems from developing. For those who feel they may already be developing a problem, responsible gambling tools can help to regain control or completely cut off their gambling activity. There are plenty of different methods on offer; let’s cover some of the most widely used.
Deposit Limits
Probably the most popular form of responsible gambling tools is limits; they also come in a variety of different forms. The most common is deposit limits that cap the amount of money players can spend at a site and prevent them from going over that. They help stop problem gambling behaviour, such as overspending or chasing losses, by introducing this maximum.
From the 31st of October, all gambling providers will have to prompt customers to set financial limits before they make their first deposit, and encourage them to review their limits every six months to make sure they’re still suitable.³ Any financial limits set will also come into effect instantly, and there must be a direct link on the homepage to set them, in line with new regulations from the UK Gambling Commission.
In order to make sure more players set limits, from June 2026, it will become mandatory for providers to make players set a deposit limit during their sign-up process. This will mean players have to think about how much they can afford to spend when creating their account, and it will help prevent harmful behaviours from developing.
What Other Limits are Available?
Loss limits are another financially-focused limit; they place a maximum on the amount players can lose at a provider over a set amount of time. For example, they might set a loss limit of £5 a week, and once they hit that upper maximum, they won’t be able to continue spending.
The final limit we’ll discuss is session limits, which control how long players are able to spend at a provider. These can be something like an hour a week, and when a player hits that ceiling, they won’t be allowed to continue playing. Both these limits aim to prevent harmful behaviour, like overspending or chasing losses, and further issues from developing.
Self-exclusion and Breaks
Other essential tools that help prevent gambling issues by cutting players off completely are breaks and self-exclusion. Breaks are short bursts of time when players aren’t able to play at a provider, and they are a great opportunity to completely step away from gambling.
Self-exclusion is a more permanent solution, where the player is prevented from using a site for a period stretching from six months to years. It completely cuts the gambling and problematic behaviour off, which helps players regain control of the situation. All licensed gambling providers in the UK must allow players to self-exclude from their site, then close their account and return any money still in it to the player.⁴ They also have to remove the player from their marketing databases. You can exclude on a provider-by-provider basis or use tools like GAMSTOP to tackle multiple at once.
Reaching Out for Help
On top of educational resources, limits, and things like self-exclusion, there’s further help available for those struggling with problem gambling. Through providers and charities like GambleAware and GamCare, players can access support groups and helplines for instant help.
GamCare also runs the National Gambling Helpline, which is available to provide support 24/7.⁵ They can provide emotional support, advice, and free information to anyone impacted by their own or someone else’s gambling. They usually pick up the phone within 30 seconds, so players experiencing gambling problems can get as close to instant support as possible. For those concerned about coming forward, they can also remain anonymous during the call or use GamCare’s chatroom and forum to reach out under a username only.
Changes to the Gambling Support System
From the start of April 2025, the way the Government collects money from providers to support responsible gambling services has changed. Before, providers had to make a mandatory annual contribution to a list of organisations responsible for the research, education, and treatment of gambling issues. In April, the Government changed to a statutory levy system to directly collect the money and disperse it to public health organisations, who decide where it should go.
The change also brings more gambling support services under the control of public health. As a result, charities like GambleAware, which rely on funding from the previous voluntary contribution model, have announced closures. By the end of March 2026, GambleAware will close its doors, and the support it offers will move into the public sector.
Has the Change Been a Success?
The move was welcomed by many, including gambling support charities, who say it will simplify the system and ensure deserving causes receive needed funding. Andy Boucher, the Chair of Trustees at GambleAware, said, “We have advocated for the introduction of a statutory system and are proud of our contribution to its implementation.”⁶. However, following the first collection of the levy, the distribution system has come under fire.
The Gambling Commission managed to secure millions from the levy by the deadline of the 1st of October, but the public health services responsible for distributing it haven’t yet paid out a penny. Compliance expert Mark Potter said they were “miles away from being ready” and expressed concern for the services that stand on the brink of insolvency.⁷ We’ve already seen smaller support systems, such as the Alerts Group, shut down their operations as a result of the shortfall, and unless the funding stream is unblocked soon, others will likely follow.
What are Institutions Doing to Support Struggling Players?
Charities, providers, and the Government work together to support players struggling with problem gambling. Support begins through education with resources to help players recognise the signs of problem gambling and where the divide between healthy and harmful is drawn. These work in combination with preventative tools like limits, breaks, and self-exclusion to help players control their activity and stop problem behaviour like overspending and chasing losses.
There’s also plenty of support on offer for players experiencing issues, such as support groups and helplines. The move to the statutory limit should help to provide clearer funding for these services and improve them by bringing them under the control of public health. However, funding hasn’t yet come through, meaning it’s important to keep an eye out for the upcoming changes to support services. The most important thing to remember is that there’s always support available if you need it, through charities and providers alike.
² The Signs of Gambling Harms, Written by GambleAware, Published by GambleAware.
⁴ Self-Exclusion, Written by the UK Gambling Commission, Published by the UK Gambling Commission.
⁵ What Happens When I Call the National Gambling Helpline?, Written by GamCare, Published by GamCare.
