Gambling can become a problem. If it has stopped being enjoyable, if it is affecting your finances, relationships, work or health, or if you have found yourself hiding activity from people close to you, free confidential support is available. This page lists the UK services worth knowing about.
Immediate support
GamCare — 0808 8020 133. Freephone, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Also live chat at gamcare.org.uk. GamCare is the primary UK gambling-support service, funded independently and staffed by trained advisers. Calls are confidential and do not put you on any register.
National Gambling Treatment Service. Free NHS-funded treatment referrals through BeGambleAware at begambleaware.org. Includes individual therapy, group support and residential options depending on need.
Self-exclusion
GamStop — the UK national self-exclusion scheme at gamstop.co.uk. Blocks access to every UK-licensed online gambling operator for six months, one year or five years. See our GamStop page for how it works and where its remit ends.
BetStop — Australia's equivalent scheme, referenced here because UK residents temporarily in Australia may find it useful. Not applicable to UK play.
Bank and device blocks
Most UK banks — Barclays, HSBC, Lloyds, NatWest, Santander, Monzo, Starling, Revolut and others — offer opt-in gambling blocks with a 24- to 48-hour cooling-off period. Combining a bank block with GamStop and a device-level tool such as GAMBAN or BetBlocker creates a multi-layer barrier that is materially harder to circumvent than any single measure.
Peer support and treatment
Gordon Moody — residential and online treatment programmes at gordonmoody.org.uk. Focused on severe gambling harm. Longstanding UK charity.
Gamblers Anonymous UK — community-based peer support meetings across the UK, listed at gamblersanonymous.org.uk. Twelve-step approach.
GamAnon — support for the family and friends of problem gamblers. Meetings often run in parallel with Gamblers Anonymous sessions.
International support
Gambling Therapy — international multilingual support at gamblingtherapy.org, including for people outside the UK and for family members.
A note on where the harm sits
Problem gambling is a recognised behavioural addiction. It is not a moral failing and it responds to evidence-based treatment. The stigma around asking for help is one of the most consistent barriers to people seeking support, and it is one of the reasons that free, confidential helplines exist. If you are reading this page and hesitating to call, calling is the right choice. The conversation is free, it stays confidential, and it does not commit you to anything further.
If you are in immediate crisis, contact the Samaritans on 116 123 (freephone, 24/7) or attend your nearest A&E department.