Whether you play casino games online or at land-based casinos, we believe that gambling is something that people should enjoy as part of their wider leisure entertainment choices.
We also believe that every website that advertises or offers online gambling information should advise its visitors about responsible gambling.
This page has therefore been designed to help our visitors:
Keep it Responsible, Safe and Fun.
We believe that playing casino games responsibly is the best approach for everyone who wants to get some entertainment out of these games.
We play casino games online ourselves and we know that sometimes you can get carried away, lose control, start chasing losses and go past the stage of fun and entertainment. When this happens you can get into the stage of developing a gambling addiction.
This is when the fun ends and this is when all casino players (ourselves included) need to maintain control of our gambling habits.
The UK Gambling Commission is making sure all the casino games are fair and that casino operators are making sure that players know the risks involved. But it is the players’ responsibility to steer away from potential trouble if things get out of hand.
On this page, we provide information on:
- ways to ensure that you always keep gambling responsible and fun
- the types of behaviours to be aware of in yourself, that might help you identify whether you are at risk of developing a gambling problem
- the control measures that online casinos can provide to help you limit the amount of money or time that you spend gambling online.
- contact information for support agencies, such as begambleaware, GamCare and the National Problem Gambling Clinic who can offer counselling, help or treatment for those with an existing gambling problem.
How to Keep it Fun
Safe online gambling sites are places of great entertainment with plenty of casino games from table games to card games, slots and live dealer games. Any visit to an online or land-based casino should always be primarily for fun and entertainment. It should never be all about winning or reliance on winning because this is when the fun element goes away.
The video below from Rank Group (Grosvenor casinos and Mecca bingo halls) sums up the Keep it Fun message
Other online operators like bet365 have a dedicated responsible gambling page.
Gamble what you can afford
Gambling is like any other form of entertainment. You have a budget for your leisure activities and you know that on a night out for example or a weekend away you will spend an x amount of money.
Therefore, you should only ever spend what you can afford – and are prepared to lose – in exchange for the experience and enjoyment of playing.
If you win, then that’s even better and you are even more satisfied that you maintained yourself and at the same time not only you didn’t pay anything for it but made a bit of money as well!
Set your limits
Have a budget for your gambling activities, one you can afford as we have mentioned above and stick with it. Set limits to yourself not only on the amount you spend but also on the time you spend gambling and make sure that these fit your lifestyle.
How to identify the types of behaviours that could be a sign that you are at risk of developing a gambling problem
Sometimes it is not easy to identify that you or someone close to you has or is developing a gambling problem. However, there are certain types of behaviours and habits that could be warning signs and could help you identify a potential issue.
Common signs of addiction include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Feeling the need to be secretive about gambling
- Having trouble controlling gambling habits
- Gambling when you cannot afford to
- Your friends and family express concern about your gambling
Gambling assessment tool
GamCare has teamed up with Sustainable Interaction and created a self-assessment tool: GamTest. There are 16 statements with regards to your gambling activity that you can answer on a scale of 1 to 10.
At the end of the test, you will be presented with a breakdown of how gambling is affecting your life across 4 different areas: Time spent, Stakes, Finances and Relationships, and given some recommendations for where to get support
Control Measures from Online Casinos
Every online casino has the obligation to offer control measures to its players.
If you are struggling to set limits to yourself then you restrict/limit the amount of money and time you spend with the online casino. All online casinos have a section where you can set your deposit limits, weekly, monthly or even daily and most offer time reality checks ( i.e a message will pop up to ask you t set a reminder after you played for x amount of time).
Apart from the deposit limits which are the most common measure someone is taking when they want to control their gambling activities, some online casinos offer restrictions from specific parts of the site. For example, someone might want to restrict themselves from the casino but be able to still place bets on football. This is not a service that all online casinos offer but a lot do.
Finally, there are the options of closing your online account to take a break for a while or ask for a self-exclusion which means that you are admitting that you can’t control your gambling and want to exclude yourself for an x amount of time. There is a difference between asking to close your account for a while and asking for a self-exclusion, because when you want to reopen your account and have asked for a self-exclusion then there are strict procedures in place in order to reopen your account.
Getting Help and Support
If you have tried all the above and you are still struggling to keep your gambling responsible, safe and fun then we strongly advise you to contact one of the supporting organisations. There are a few ways they can help you with counselling and advice.
GamCare and Gamble Aware
Freephone helpline: 0808 8020 133
Website: www.gamcare.org.uk
Website: www.begambleaware.co.uk
Both provide information and advice to help people make informed decisions about their gambling.
About Be Gamble Aware
GambleAware’s main aim is the promotion of responsible gambling. They actively engage in the provision of information that enables gamblers to make informed decisions. If you really want to know responsible gambling, to recognize and understand problem gambling, to get help and support or generally want to know more about gambling, BeGambleAware is the best place to go and it is recommended by Best UK Live Casinos.
All online casinos that we are listing on our site like bet365 casino, William Hill casino etc are all committed to responsible gambling and are recommending to contact BeamglingAware if you are facing any problems.
RGT (Responsibility Gambling Trust) is the body responsible for the administration and funding of GambleAware. This is an independent national charity body that funds the education, research and treatment activities in the gambling industry.
These funds are raised from the gambling industry in a system that is donation based. Among all other charities in the UK that are committed to eliminating harm related to gambling, RGT leads them all. This is due to the fact that it has and continues to effectively sensitize the public about the dangers of excessive gambling.
The donations received from philanthropists in the gambling industry have gone a long way in funding the research in commissions, education and treatment services in the industry. A minimum of £5 million is raised annually in the gambling industry by the RGT through a donation-based system. These are the funds that are used in strategies deployed in tackling gambling-related harm including education, research and treatment services. The RGSB (Responsible Gambling Strategy Board) is the body that provides advice on the national strategy used in guiding the priorities in funding. The Gambling Commission endorses all this.
RGT collaborates with the Gambling Commission and the RGSB in the development of its commissioning plans. The arrangements made by the three parties are dependent on transparency, openness and partnership. Additionally, these arrangements are backed up by an assurance and governance framework to ensure that results are delivered.
In the development of commissioning plans by RGT, a number of ways are used to generate the needed trust and credibility in such a body, they include:
- Appointing of trustees that are fully independent.
- Invitation of the government, Gambling Commission and RGSB to observe committee and board meetings.
- It publishes the details on how the distribution of funds will be done each year.
- Ensures research is commissioned by a fully independent research committee. The research committee is chosen after making consultations with the RGSB.
- Collaborates with RGSB to seek advice from experts externally.
Objectives of the Responsibility Gambling Trust
- Provision of commissioned, effective and value for the money services ranging from the prevention of gambling-related harm to treatment. All this is achieved by an approach centred on working in partnerships and through proper evaluation that is equal to the grant therein.
- Organize annual fundraising that brings together all the organisations that derive their income from commercial gambling in Great Britain. Funds are raised using a system that is donation based and the contributions made are usually a percentage of the organisations’ profits i.e. 0.1% of the GGP (Gross Gambling Profit). The amount raised goes into funding research and harm prevention/treatment services.
- Rendering a commissioned research programme that is independent and which focuses on gambling behaviour and the effectiveness of the strategies deployed in the treatment of gambling behaviour and harm reduction.
About Gamcare
Founded in 1997, GamCare has been at the forefront in the prevention and treatment of Problem Gambling (ludomania/gambling addiction) through the provision of information, support and counselling.
It operates the National Gambling Helpline, creates awareness about responsible gambling and encourages an approach that is effective to gambling responsibly within the industry. Best UK Live Casinos is also committed to responsible gambling and that is why we offer you as much information we can for this kind of organisation (Gamcare, Gamble Aware etc).
Also, all the casinos we are listing on our site are recommending begambleware and Gamcare as the first point of contact for any gambling-related issues. bet365 casino like some other online casinos has a dedicated page about responsible gambling.
The services offered by GamCare to problem gamblers include:
- Working with Problem Gamblers
GamCare currently operates the toll-free National Gambling Helpline and its online equivalent NetLine. It also offers a face to face counselling which is free for anybody who is experiencing challenges through their gambling or through a family member’s gambling.
HelpLine and NetLine Services
If you are experiencing problems with your gambling, GamCare is the place to call first. For seven days a week specialist support is always at the other end of the line. The GamCare helpline is fully staffed with advisers who are highly trained and skilled.
GamCare has deployed the latest technology in the services it offers, the advisers can now take a chat through a very secure feature and through the telephone, all very confidential from 8 am daily to midnight, all days of the week.
Counselling Services
Face to face counselling has been made possible to meet sustained support which is needed by clients and the family members who need assistance. In regard to the development of best practices and service design which is innovative, the GamCare programme of treatment for problem gambling is top-notch.
Through the network of partners, efficient and high-quality service is offered by their counselling team that is spread all over Great Britain.
- Working with the Gambling Industry
In order to reinforce player protection and social responsibility, GamCare sees to the provision of training and the necessary materials needed to achieve this.
The remote and non-remote/land-based stand a chance of being awarded certification from GamCare in the event of successful implementation of the player protection policy and the practice.
The Interaction Training programme recently developed by GamCare has given professionals in customer service the ability to detect problem gambling behaviour and provide the necessary advice to gambling managers who are responsible so that they can initiate an interaction with the players which will see a positive outcome achieved.
To publicise the GamCare website and the helpline number, all gaming machines countrywide have GamCare posters and stickers.
- Education and Prevention
In order to create awareness and educate the public on the risks of gambling, GamCare continually endeavours to implement new strategies. Young people experiencing gambling problems are offered direct support via youth websites and community youth education Projects.
Youth Website
In 2012, GamCare launched the BigDeal website (www.bigdeal.org.uk) in an effort to provide support and advice to young people about the risks involved in gambling. The site is purposely for young people from ages 12-18.
This site is a resource necessary in helping them make the right decisions and to find out more about gambling.
Community Youth Education Pilot Project
GamCare has collaborated with ARA (Addiction Recovery Agency) to provide community education which was the first of its kind in Bristol.
The target areas are colleges and schools in the area. The project aims to provide awareness in gambling, information, advice and treatment through its workshops.
You can reach GamCare via their helpline – (0808 8020 133) or through NetLine which is its internet equivalent. This is possible for all days of the week starting at 8 am up to midnight.
Gamblers Anonymous (GA)
Website: www.gamblersanonymous.org.uk
A self-help fellowship of compulsive gamblers wanting to address their gambling problems.
Gambling Therapy
Website: www.gamblingtherapy.org
Gambling Therapy is a free online service that provides practical advice and emotional support to people affected by problem gambling who reside outside Great Britain. Gambling Therapy is part of the Gordon Moody Association
The National Problem Gambling Clinic
Telephone: 020 7381 7722
Website: National Problem Gambling Clinic
A clinical treatment provider based in London, treating problem gamblers from England and Wales.