Gambling Support

Early Warning Signs

There are several signs to look out for, these include:

• Gambling on higher risk products, such as online slots, casino games and bingo, in-play sports betting, and fixed odds betting terminal
• Feeling anxious, worried, guilty, depressed, or irritable
• Finding it hard to manage or stop your gambling
• Losing interest in usual activities or hobbies and neglecting work, family, and personal needs/responsibilities
• Chasing losses or gambling to get out of financial trouble
• Having arguments with family or friends about money and gambling
• Lying about your gambling or hiding it from other people
• Needing to gamble with more money or for a longer period to get the same feeling of excitement
• Borrowing money, selling possessions, or not paying bills to pay for gambling

The latest gambling statistics are:

• In the financial year 2022-2023 receipts spent on betting and gaming was 7% higher than that of the previous year. 2021-2022
• It was recorded that there are 24 Million adult gamblers in Britain (2020)
• 6% of adults who gamble are addicted
• Approximately 1.4 million gambling are addicts (2020)
• Few than 3% of gamblers earn a living from gambling.
• 86% of online betting profit is from customers.
• Every day someone takes their life in the UK because of gambling

Specialist Gambling Services

• Beacon Counselling Trust - Gambling-Related Harms - Beacon Counselling Trust
• Gambling Harms - LSC Integrated Care Board :: Gambling harms (icb.nhs.uk)
• Football Untold: Ex-players tell all about the effects of gambling

Beacon Counselling Workshops

1. They offer free educational workshops to any young person aged 10-19 to raise awareness of potential gambling and gaming harms and promote our YP treatment service.
2. They offer free CPD accredited training for professionals in a supportive role to explore gambling harms from a public health perspective, and the risks associated to mental health. They guide professionals how to ask screening questions, conduct a brief intervention and a guide to refer into our Free treatment service.
3. They provide a FREE, no waitlist counselling treatment service to anyone experiencing harms from their own gambling or the gambling of a loved one (affected other)

• National Problem Gambling Helpline
• Gordon Moody - Organisation who provide residential and hybrid support for men and women in the UK

Peer Lead Groups

• Gamblers Anonymous is a fellowship of men and women who share their experience, strength and hope with each other so that they may solve their common problem and help others do the same
• GamFAM - For affected others - Home - GamFam 

Dealing with the impacts of Gambling

• Gambling with Lives - Offers therapeutic mental health and bereavement support for anyone affected by a gambling related suicide, including peer support, counselling, and support with legal proceedings. Contact: support@gamblingwithlives.org 
• Money Helper - For information relating to debt and gambling, visit Money Helper for impartial advice on managing finance
• Gambling issues - Gambling problems - Citizens Advice

Gambling Blocks and Limits

In the same way that you use a seatbelt to protect yourself when driving, there are a number of tools available to protect you when gambling, these include setting deposit and time limits to make sure you don't spend more time or money than you planned to.

All licensed gambling operators must offer safer gambling tools such as deposit limits and time reminders, these vary by operator but can be activated by visiting the "safer gambling" section of operator websites. In addition, you can limit the number of marketing emails you receive by updating your mailing preferences and "opt out" from promotional messages and inducements to gamble.

Advice for how to block advertising on

Facebook:  Controlling_the_gambling_related_content_you_see_on_Facebook.pdf

Twitter:    Limiting gambling ads online | BeGambleAware

• You can block gambling payments with your bank (Gambling Commission)
• To self-exclude from online gambling visit GamStop and GamBan
• To self-exclude from arcade and adult gaming centres you need to speak to the staff in your local centre first before you can join the Bacta self-exclusion scheme
• To self-exclude from bingo venues complete an online form (Bingo Association) for each premise you wish to exclude from
• To self-exclude from casinos you can join the SENSE scheme by visiting a casino or emailing a self-exclusion form to SENSE

About Gambling Products

To find out more about gambling products and how they can be harmful, visit: Odds Are: They Win campaign.