Where can you get free help with gambling in Great Britain, and which tools can limit the harm? The National Gambling Helpline, run by GamCare, offers free and confidential support on 0808 8020 133, by live chat or on WhatsApp. NHS gambling clinics in England accept self-referrals. Gamstop (open to anyone living in the UK), limits at licensed sites and bank blocks can all reduce the harm.

This guide to gambling help in the UK says who runs each service, where it applies and what it cannot do. The facts were checked on 9 October 2026. Services differ in reach, so each one is placed in Great Britain, the UK or England.

Get help now

  • National Gambling Helpline: 0808 8020 133, free and confidential, also by live chat or WhatsApp through GamCare
  • Samaritans: 116 123, free from any phone, if you are struggling to cope
  • 999 if someone is in immediate danger

Free support from the National Gambling Helpline

The National Gambling Helpline is run by GamCare and costs nothing to use. GamCare says it offers confidential support to anyone affected by gambling harms in Great Britain, whether the gambling is their own or a friend’s or family member’s. That covers England, Scotland and Wales.

You can phone, start a live chat with a helpline adviser or message on WhatsApp using the same number, 0808 8020 133. GamCare also runs an online community with a forum and chatrooms. A call or a chat can be for yourself or for someone else.

People who know the BeGambleAware name may wonder where that service went. GambleAware says its work has transitioned to the new treatment, prevention and research commissioners. The helpline is the place to start, and older pages that still list GambleAware as a service are out of date.

Who can get treatment through the NHS?

The NHS says you can self-refer to a gambling clinic near you, or ask a GP for information on services in your area. The clinics it names include the NHS National Centre for Behavioural Addictions and the National Problem Gambling Clinic, alongside regional gambling services across England. The clinics can also support family or friends who need help.

NHS England says that from 1 April 2026 it took commissioning responsibility for the treatment of gambling-related harms in England. Treatment is now paid for by a statutory levy on gambling operators. That changes who funds the clinics, not how you reach them.

In Scotland and Wales, the Scottish and Welsh governments are funded to commission treatment and support services, so ask the helpline about services nearer to you. Gordon Moody offers residential treatment and support for gambling-related harm, and applications go through an online form on its website.

Next step: use the NHS page on gambling addiction to self-refer, or ask a GP about services in your area.

What does gambling harm mean?

Gambling harm is the damage gambling can do to a person’s finances, relationships, work and health, and to the people around them. The phrase describes what happens to someone, not what kind of person they are. That is why this guide speaks of someone experiencing gambling harms. The signs of gambling harm and where to get help have their own guide.

The Gambling Survey for Great Britain 2025, official statistics published by the Gambling Commission on 16 July 2026, found that 2.4% of adults aged 18 and over gave answers pointing to the highest level of gambling harm on the survey’s scale. That group scored 8 or more on the Problem Gambling Severity Index (PGSI), with a 95% confidence interval of 1.9 to 2.8. The commission describes the figure as stable over three years.

The commission warns that direct comparisons with surveys using different methods are not appropriate, so the figure should not be set against older surveys. Full figures are in gambling harm in Great Britain in numbers.

The main tools at a glance

The table sets out five tools and where each one applies. Each covers a different gap, and the sections below say which.

ToolRun byWhere it appliesWhat it does not cover
GamstopThe Gamstop schemeAnyone living in the UKOperators outside the scheme
Venue schemesSeparate industry schemesVenues in each schemeOnline gambling
Limits and timeoutsEach licensed operatorThat operator’s site or appOther operators
Bank blockYour bankBanks that offer onePayments made another way
Blocking softwareSoftware providersDevices where it is installedOther devices

Gamstop and other self-exclusion schemes

Gamstop Online is a free tool run by The National Online Self Exclusion Scheme Limited. It is open to anyone living in the UK, including Northern Ireland. You choose an exclusion period of six months, one year or five years, or five years with auto-renewal. Gamstop says that once you have registered, you cannot remove the exclusion during the minimum period.

Licensed online gambling businesses in Great Britain have had to take part in the scheme since 31 March 2020. Data published by Gamstop on 16 July 2026 put the number of people on Gamstop Online at 614,738. The exclusion does not end on its own when the period runs out. It stays in place until the person asks Gamstop to remove it. The guide to how long Gamstop lasts and what happens when it ends explains the detail.

Gamstop covers online gambling only. For venues, the commission lists separate free schemes, as at 7 September 2026: Gamstop Betting Shops for betting shops (0800 294 2060, free of charge), SENSE for all licensed land-based casinos in Great Britain, the Bingo Association for bingo venues, BACTA for arcades, motorway services and family entertainment centres, and SmartEXCLUSION for adult gaming centres, motorway services and holiday parks. Each scheme covers its own venues, so a person may need to register with more than one.

Next step: choose the scheme that matches where the gambling happens, online, in venues or both, and register through Gamstop or the venue scheme.

Limits, timeouts and checks at licensed sites

Licensed operators in Great Britain must offer their own controls, and these sit alongside Gamstop. The commission says customers must be prompted to set a financial limit before their first deposit, and a request to lower a limit must be actioned immediately, under rules in force since 31 October 2025. A timeout pauses an account for a period the customer chooses, from 24 hours up to six weeks. Operators also have to offer reality checks and show the time spent on casino games.

Operators must give customers access to their historic account activity. On casino games a customer can block a specific game, but not on sports betting, according to the commission page last updated on 12 November 2024. A customer can also self-exclude from a single operator.

Financial vulnerability checks apply to customers with net deposits of more than £150 a month, a threshold in force since 28 February 2025. The commission is also introducing financial risk assessments (often called affordability checks) in stages. It announced the approach on 7 July 2026 and says the assessments will have no impact on a customer’s credit score. The start date for stage one was not confirmed as at 9 October 2026. The guide to deposit limits and financial risk checks at licensed sites follows the changes, and the rules the Gambling Commission sets for licensed sites are covered separately.

Next step: look in your account settings for deposit limits, timeouts and reality checks.

Which blocks can you set with your bank and on your devices?

The Gambling Commission says many banks now offer the ability to limit spending on gambling. Its page, last updated on 25 February 2025, lists 11 banks that offer a gambling block. Banks set their own rules for lifting a block. At HSBC, for example, a customer can lift a restriction but transactions are still declined until a set period has ended.

The commission also says you can download gambling blocking software onto your devices. A block lowers the risk. It does not stop gambling paid for in another way.

Next step: ask your bank whether it offers a gambling block, then read how to block gambling payments with your bank.

Where do these protections stop?

Gamstop blocks only gambling businesses that are licensed in Great Britain and take part in the scheme. Its terms say it cannot help prevent access to operators outside the scheme, and Gamstop describes the service as not foolproof. Tim Miller of the commission said in a speech at ICE Barcelona on 19 January 2026 that “a major part of the audience for illegal gambling websites and apps are people who are already self-excluded”.

Licensed operators must have a complaints process and let customers refer a dispute to an Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) entity. A site without a Gambling Commission licence is not bound by those rules, and Gamstop does not cover it. The commission advises checking, before you gamble, that the business holds a Gambling Commission licence. The guides to unlicensed casinos and how to stay on the licensed side and to online casinos licensed by the Gambling Commission explain how to check.

The helpline is open to anyone affected by gambling harms, and so are the NHS clinics in England, whichever site or venue is involved.

If someone close to you gambles

GamCare says its support is there for you, a friend or a family member. NHS gambling clinics can also support family or friends who need help. The NHS page lists GamAnon meetings and GamFam, a lived experience support network. Gambling with Lives supports people bereaved by gambling-related suicide, and calls to Samaritans on 116 123 are free from any phone.

Citizens Advice can advise on a range of issues, including finances and gambling. The guide to support when someone close to you gambles covers the next steps in more detail.

Frequently asked questions

Is gambling help in the UK free and confidential?

The National Gambling Helpline, run by GamCare, offers free and confidential support on 0808 8020 133, by live chat or on WhatsApp, and it covers Great Britain. Gamstop is a free tool too. NHS gambling clinics in England accept self-referrals, and the treatment is paid for by a statutory levy on gambling operators.

Can I refer myself to an NHS gambling clinic?

Yes. The NHS says you can self-refer to a gambling clinic near you, or ask a GP for information on services in your area. The clinics are in England, where NHS England has commissioned gambling treatment since 1 April 2026. For Scotland and Wales, ask the helpline about local services.

What happened to GambleAware, and where do I go for help now?

GambleAware says its work has transitioned to the new treatment, prevention and research commissioners. Some older pages may still list it as a service. Start with the National Gambling Helpline on 0808 8020 133 or, in England, an NHS gambling clinic.

Does Gamstop block every gambling site?

No. Gamstop covers online operators licensed in Great Britain that take part in the scheme, and it describes itself as not foolproof. Venues have separate schemes, and sites outside the scheme are not covered. It is one tool among several.

Will a financial risk assessment affect my credit score?

The commission says financial risk assessments will have no impact on a customer’s credit score. It announced them on 7 July 2026. The start date for stage one was not confirmed as at 9 October 2026, so check the commission’s page for updates.

Where to get gambling help in the UK

The National Gambling Helpline offers free and confidential support on 0808 8020 133, by phone, live chat or WhatsApp. NHS gambling clinics in England accept self-referrals, and Gamstop is open to anyone living in the UK. If you are struggling to cope, calls to Samaritans on 116 123 are free.

This guide gives general information and is not medical, financial or legal advice. More on staying within your limits is on BonusOut’s safer gambling page.

Sources