Manage your gambling
Manage your gambling by learning more about how you spend your time and money.
You can gamble responsibly if you know the facts about gambling and how you currently behave when you gamble. We have developed some tools to help you understand how much time you spend on gambling and also how much money you spend on gambling.
Click on the links on the left or right to try out these tools. Your information is for your own use and we do not see your entries.
Here are some other suggestions to consider:
- Don’t gamble with money you can’t afford to lose.
- Gamble with money that you have set aside for entertainment. Never use money that you need for important things like rent, bills or food.
- Keep track of how much money you are really spending – not only the amount you bet at first, but also the winnings that you may spend. For example, sometimes people believe they’ve won £20 overall when in fact they’ve spent £40 in the process. With gaming machines, this happens because people don’t pocket their winnings, they put them back in the machines.
- Leave your debit or credit card at home or avoid withdrawing money at gambling venues. Take only what you plan to spend and leave cash at home.
- If you use a credit card, understand the fees your credit card company may charge for gambling transactions. These are sometimes higher than you usually pay. Banks and other companies lend money to make a profit and charge interest on whatever you borrow, meaning you will actually repay more than the original amount.
- Some people find having a budget helps them plan and manage their day-to-day spending, including gambling. The following budget calculator will help you work out how much money you have available each month. It will only take five minutes to complete. Your answers are completely confidential, and we won’t see or keep any of your information.