For most people, gambling online is what it should be – a fun way to spend their leisure time. However, for a small minority, gambling online can be a problem.
The majority of players online will never experience a problem. However, playing responsibly is not confined to those who either have a gambling problem or are the most at risk of developing one. It is the best approach for everyone to enjoy playing online responsibly.
On all of our gambling sites, we are committed to helping our customers keep it fun by providing a safe and responsible online environment and offering support to those who demonstrate that they are unable to stay in control of their gambling.
Our websites offer the following tools. Log in and visit the safer gambling section if you wish to use or apply them to your account.
- Net deposit limits; this is a tool that sets limits on how much you are able to lose in a certain period of time
- Game session reminders or sometimes called reality checks; that remind you when you have been playing too long, chose from every 15 minutes to once every hour
- Take a break; from gambling, you can lock your account to take a break from 24 hours to 6 weeks
- Self-exclusion; to lock your account for a longer period of time, between 6 months to 5 years
- We also have a dedicated safer gambling team that can always be reached 24 hours a day
The websites also hold the terms and conditions of your registration, and these can be found in the footer of each site. Also, if you are not happy with our service and want to raise a complaint, the complaints process can be found in the footer of each brand website.
As always with all online accounts, remember to keep your personal data to yourself and never share your password with anyone.
Warning signs to look for
A good way to gauge whether your gambling is no longer fun, and may be getting out of control, is to ask yourself the following questions. If you answer ‘yes ‘ to any of them, you may be at risk and should relook at your gambling habits.
- Have you bet more than you could really afford to lose?
- Have you needed to gamble with larger amounts of money to get the same feeling of excitement?
- Have you gambled to win back money you’ve lost?
- Have you borrowed money or sold anything to gamble?
- Have you ever felt you might have a problem with gambling?
- Have people criticised your betting or told you that you had a gambling problem, whether or not you thought it was true?
- Have you ever felt guilty about the way you gamble or what happens when you gamble?
- Has your gambling caused you any health problems, including stress or anxiety?
- Has your gambling caused any financial problems for you or your household?
If you answer “yes” to any of these questions, we recommend you consider taking the independent anonymous self-assessment questionnaire offered by GamCare, click here for the assessment.
The online assessment will provide you with a breakdown of how gambling is affecting your life, alongside recommendations for your next steps. After you’ve reviewed your results and you feel you would benefit from further support please continue reading below and consider our safer gambling tools to limit your play:
What should I do if I think I have a problem?
The first step in taking back control is to be completely honest with yourself and accept that there is a problem, but that you have the will to confront it. Having done so, you have taken the biggest step to addressing the issue.
It may be that simply standing back and realising that you have been displaying some of the above behaviours is enough to make you adjust your approach and allow you to resume control. Alternatively, you may feel you need help, advice and support.
You can talk in confidence to one of our customer service team members. They all understand the issues involved and have been specially trained to provide you with information and guidance. You can call our 24/7 Safer gambling support line direct on 08003163488 or chat to us online.
Alternatively, speak to someone else from your own circle of family or friends who you know and trust.
If you need further detailed advice, or more specific help and counselling, please click here to find contact information for some of the excellent gambling support agencies available, such as GamCare.
If you need to stop gambling
If all else fails – stop gambling. Self-exclude yourself from all the websites on which you normally bet or play. Full details on how to self –exclude can be found here.
If you need further advice, help or counselling, please click here for contact details for some of the gambling support agencies available, such as GamCare.