The organisations we point people to most often, with what each one actually does, what it costs and who it suits. We take no commission from any of them.
Free confidential helpline and live chat, plus referral into NHS-funded treatment across England, Scotland and Wales.
How to reach it: Call 0808 8020 133, 24/7, or use the live chat on gamcare.org.uk
Best for: The first call to make, at any hour, for you or for someone you love.
The national online self-exclusion scheme. One registration blocks you from every gambling site and app licensed in Great Britain.
How to reach it: Register at gamstop.co.uk. Choose 6 months, 1 year or 5 years.
Best for: The single highest-impact practical step for online gambling. Takes about ten minutes.
Specialist NHS clinics for gambling harm, including the National Problem Gambling Clinic and regional services.
How to reach it: Self-refer online or ask your GP. Waiting times vary by region.
Best for: People with severe harm, or gambling alongside another mental health condition.
Free peer-led fellowship meetings, in person and online, based on a twelve-step programme.
How to reach it: Meeting lists at gamblersanonymous.org.uk. Walk in, no referral needed.
Best for: People who want regular, ongoing contact with others in recovery.
Support written for the families, partners and children living with someone else’s gambling.
How to reach it: Resources and family support groups at gamfam.co.uk
Best for: Partners and parents who need their own support, not just advice about the gambler.
Free, impartial debt advice, including gambling-aware budgeting and formal debt solutions.
How to reach it: stepchange.org or 0800 138 1111
Best for: When gambling debt is the thing keeping you awake. Never pay for debt advice.
The statutory regulator for gambling in Great Britain. Check whether an operator is licensed and how to complain.
How to reach it: gamblingcommission.gov.uk
Best for: Checking a licence, or raising a complaint about an operator.
Round-the-clock listening service for anyone in distress, including suicidal thoughts.
How to reach it: Call 116 123, any time, from any phone.
Best for: Right now, if things feel unbearable. Please do not wait.
Most UK banks now offer a free gambling block that stops card payments to gambling merchants, usually with a cooling-off period of 24 to 72 hours before it can be switched off again. That delay is the point: it removes the impulsive deposit at 2am.
Blocks are available in the app or by phone at Barclays, HSBC, First Direct, Lloyds, Halifax, Bank of Scotland, NatWest, RBS, Santander, TSB, Nationwide, Monzo, Starling and Co-operative Bank, among others. If you cannot find it, ring your bank and ask for the gambling block by name — staff are trained on it and you do not have to explain yourself.
GAMSTOP covers licensed British sites. Blocking software covers the rest, including offshore sites and apps, and works across phones, tablets and computers. Gamban, BetBlocker and Gamblock are the ones used most often in the UK; BetBlocker is free. Install on every device you own, and ask someone you trust to hold the password.
We are not affiliated with any organisation listed on this page, and listing does not imply their endorsement of us. External links open on their own websites, where their terms and privacy policies apply.
We will listen, tell you plainly what your options are — including the free NHS and charity routes — and leave the decision entirely with you.