Need help now? In the UK, call the National Gambling Helpline on 0808 8020 133 (free, 24 hours) or chat at GamCare.org.uk. In Ireland, call the Gambling Care helpline on 1800 936 725 (free, 24 hours) or visit GamblingCare.ie. If you are in crisis or danger, contact the emergency services or Samaritans (116 123 in the UK and Ireland).
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Responsible gambling means staying in control: deciding your limits before you bet, noticing the warning signs early, and knowing where to get help. This page is written for racing and football punters in the UK and Ireland. It is information, not advice, and nothing on Kickthebookies is a reason to bet. If betting is affecting your life, your money or the people around you, stop and get support.
Contents: What responsible gambling means · Limits that work · Warning signs · For racing and football punters · Tools: blocks, time-outs and self-exclusion · Support in the UK · Support in Ireland · Money and banking · Your own safety plan · Common questions
What responsible gambling means
Betting as entertainment, inside boundaries you set yourself. You decide the time and the money; they never decide for you.
- Bet for fun, never to pay a bill or to escape a problem.
- Set deposit, loss and time limits in each account before you place a bet.
- Take regular breaks and use time-outs.
- Keep track of what you spend and how you feel around betting.
If you are new to betting, read the basics first in our horse racing guides.
Limits that work
Limits reduce harm and take the decision out of the moment. Set them when you are calm, before you bet, and lock them in with the bookmaker’s own tools.
| Limit | What it does | Example |
|---|
| Deposit limit | Caps what you can add to an account | £50 a week |
| Loss limit | Stops you after a bad run | £30 net loss a week |
| Stake limit | Stops oversized bets | £5 a selection |
| Time limit | Controls how long you spend | 45 minutes a day |
| Reality check | An on-screen reminder of time and spend | Every 20 minutes |
| Time-out | A short enforced break | 48 hours after a losing day |
If you find yourself wanting to raise a limit, treat that as the signal to take a longer break, not to raise it.
Warning signs
If several of these sound familiar, pause and talk to someone:
- Chasing losses, or raising stakes to “win it back”.
- Hiding betting from family or friends; not being straight about time or money spent.
- Betting when stressed, angry, or after drinking.
- Missing work or study, or selling things, to fund bets.
- Using credit or borrowing to gamble; falling behind on bills.
- Feeling anxious or guilty, or unable to stop once you have started.
If you feel out of control, stop now and speak to a trained adviser: GamCare (UK) or Gambling Care (Ireland), both 24 hours.
Horse racing
- Keep stakes level and modest; multiples and long shots are small-stake fun, not a plan.
- Do not double up after a near miss. That is chasing, whatever it is called.
- Festival weeks mean long cards and quick turnarounds; tired decisions are expensive. Take breaks between races.
- Price movement is information, not a reason to hurry. A price that has gone will come round again somewhere else.
Football
- Prefer singles to large accumulators; an accumulator’s losses can run away quickly.
- Decide before kick-off and stick to it; in-play chasing is where plans fall apart.
- Sit out the matches you care about most if emotion is driving the decision.
- Account tools — deposit, stake, loss and time limits, reality checks, time-outs and self-exclusion, in each bookmaker account.
- Device blocks — Gamban (paid) or BetBlocker (free) block gambling sites and apps on your devices.
- Bank blocks — most UK and Irish banks can block gambling transactions from the card or app (see money and banking).
- Fewer nudges — unsubscribe from promotional emails and turn off betting-app notifications.
The strongest protection is layered: operator self-exclusion plus a device block plus a bank block.
Support in the UK
- National Gambling Helpline — 0808 8020 133, free, 24 hours, run by GamCare, with live chat and treatment information.
- GAMSTOP — free self-exclusion from every UK-licensed online gambling site in one registration: gamstop.co.uk.
- Gordon Moody — specialist and residential treatment for gambling harm, and online support: gordonmoody.org.uk.
- TalkBanStop — GamCare, Gamban and GAMSTOP together: talkbanstop.com.
- Betting shops and casinos — the MOSES scheme self-excludes you from high-street betting shops and SENSE from casinos; ask in any shop or casino, or search for the scheme by name.
- NHS — specialist gambling clinics and treatment: NHS gambling addiction support.
- Money and debt — StepChange and Citizens Advice, both free.
Support in Ireland
- Gambling Care helpline — 1800 936 725, free and confidential, 24 hours, 365 days, run by Dunlewey Addiction Services for GamblingCare.ie, which also offers free counselling. In Northern Ireland the same service is on 08000 886 725.
- Gamblers Anonymous Ireland — peer-support meetings across the country: gamblersanonymous.ie.
- Extern Problem Gambling — free counselling and support: problemgambling.ie, 089 241 5401.
- The regulator — the Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland keeps the full list of support services: grai.ie — get help.
- Self-exclusion — Ireland does not yet have a single online self-exclusion register like GAMSTOP; one is being established under the Gambling Regulation Act 2024. Until it is live, self-exclude with each bookmaker directly and ask Gambling Care about the current options. (Position as at October 2026.)
- Money and debt — MABS, the free Money Advice and Budgeting Service.
Money and banking
- Bank gambling blocks — many banks (Monzo, Starling, Lloyds, Bank of Ireland, AIB and others) let you block gambling payments in the app, usually with a cooling-off period before it can be lifted. Turn it on.
- No credit — never gamble on credit. Gambling with a credit card is banned at UK-licensed operators.
- A separate budget — ring-fence a small entertainment amount. Rent, bills and savings are never part of it.
- Look at the numbers — your bank’s spending breakdown or a simple spreadsheet, reviewed weekly. A written record of every bet, win or lose, shows what your betting has really returned.
Your own safety plan
- Write down a monthly entertainment budget.
- Set deposit, loss and time limits in every bookmaker account before you bet.
- Turn on your bank’s gambling block and install Gamban or BetBlocker.
- Tell two people you trust what you spend, and update them weekly.
- Review every week for fifteen minutes; if you are over a limit, take a seven-day time-out.
- Save the helplines in your phone: 0808 8020 133 (UK) and 1800 936 725 (Ireland).
Common questions
What is responsible gambling?
Betting as entertainment inside limits you set yourself, with tools and safeguards in place so it stays that way. If the limits start to slip, stop and get support.
How do I set betting limits that hold?
Decide the amounts when you are calm, set them in each betting account (deposit, loss and time), and add a bank gambling block so they are hard to change on impulse.
What are the signs of problem gambling?
Chasing losses, secrecy, using credit, missing commitments and feeling unable to stop. If several apply to you, pause and contact a helpline: 0808 8020 133 in the UK or 1800 936 725 in Ireland.
What is self-exclusion and how do I do it?
A formal block that stops you using gambling accounts for a period you choose. In the UK, register with GAMSTOP for every licensed online operator at once, and use MOSES or SENSE for betting shops and casinos. In Ireland, self-exclude with each bookmaker directly and ask Gambling Care about the current options.
How do I block gambling sites and apps?
Install Gamban or BetBlocker on your devices, and combine it with a bank gambling block and self-exclusion for layered protection.
What if I relapse?
Tell someone you trust, extend your self-exclusion, keep the blocks on and speak to a trained adviser through GamCare or Gambling Care. Relapse is common, and support helps you get back in control.
Is Kickthebookies a tipping site?
No. Kickthebookies shows the statistics, prices and records behind a race and leaves the decision to you. Nothing on the site is a reason to bet, and nothing on it should be used as one.
18+ only. If betting is affecting your life, your finances or your relationships, pause and get support straight away. Last reviewed 10 October 2026.