Help, limits and self-exclusion

Set limits before you open a game

A limit is a decision made before you play, not during. Deposits and session time are the two that matter most, because they are the two you can control. Decide what you can afford to lose in a week and what length of session is reasonable, then set those limits in the cashier or account tools of any site you use. If a site does not offer them, that tells you something about the site.

Once a limit is set, treat it as fixed. Raising it during a session defeats the purpose, and most tools make you wait before an increase takes effect for exactly that reason. A session is a single stretch of play; a return figure is a long-run average across many sessions. The two are not the same, and no limit changes what a game pays back over time.

Spotting the urge to chase losses

Chasing is the attempt to win back money already lost, usually by increasing stakes or playing longer than planned. It often looks like a decision made quickly: a larger deposit after a bad run, a session extended past the limit you set, or a bet placed to recover a specific amount. It feels like problem-solving, but it adds money to the loss rather than recovering it.

Warning signs include playing past the time you set, depositing more than you intended, hiding play from people close to you, and feeling anxious or irritable when not playing. If any of that sounds familiar, the useful step is to stop and talk to someone rather than to play on. Help is free, confidential and available to anyone, whether or not they have lost money.

Support services and setting limits

Gambling Help Online offers free, confidential support and information, including chat and email, for anyone affected by gambling. BetStop is the national self-exclusion register: once you register, participating operators must stop you from opening new accounts and from gambling with them. Both are independent of this site and of our partner, and using either does not affect your rights.

Self-exclusion is a firm commitment, and it is worth using if limits have not been enough. You can also ask our partner to close your account or apply a cooling-off period. If money is tight or you are worried about debt, a financial counsellor can help; these services are free. Nothing on this page promises winnings, and no strategy beats a game over time.

Will setting a deposit limit stop me from losing money?

No. A limit caps what you can put in, which limits the money at risk, but it does not change the game's long-run return. It is a control tool, not a way to win.

Is BetStop separate from the site I play on?

Yes. BetStop is the national self-exclusion register, independent of this site and our partner. Registering there covers participating operators, and you can also ask our partner directly to close your account.