Responsible Gambling: How to Set Limits, Block Gambling Apps and Get Help

Warning Signs Worth Taking Seriously

Gambling problems rarely start with one big loss. These are common early signs — if several sound familiar, it's worth acting now rather than later:

• Chasing: depositing again to win back what you just lost.
• Spending more than planned, or money meant for bills, family or savings.
• Borrowing, selling things or using someone else's wallet to play.
• Hiding how much or how often you play from people close to you.
• Feeling restless or irritable when you try to cut down.
• Seeing an app as a way to earn, or to fix money problems.

Set Your Limits Before You Play

Limits only work if you set them while you are calm, not in the middle of a session. Decide in advance:

• A loss limit: the most you are prepared to lose this week or month — an amount you'd be fine never seeing again. When it's gone, stop.
• A time limit: fast games make an hour disappear. Android's Digital Wellbeing (Settings › Digital Wellbeing) can set a daily timer on an app.
• No chasing: never deposit again in the same session after a loss.
• Bonuses: decline them. Wagering requirements keep you playing longer than you planned — see wagering requirements explained.
• Separate money: keep gambling money away from the wallet you use for bills, so a session can't reach it.

Make It Harder to Deposit

Friction helps. Remove saved wallet numbers and payment details from gaming apps, turn off any "remember my PIN" options, and check whether your mobile wallet or bank app lets you set daily transaction limits. Don't share your wallet PIN with anyone — including someone offering to deposit or withdraw for you.

Block the Apps and Sites on Your Phone

Many of these platforms run in a browser as well as an app, so blocking takes a few layers:

• Uninstall the apps, and switch off "Install unknown apps" for your browser and file manager (Settings › Apps › Special app access) so they're harder to reinstall.
• Use a gambling-blocking tool: BetBlocker is free and blocks thousands of gambling sites and apps; Gamban is a paid alternative. Both can be set so they can't be switched off quickly.
• Google Family Link can require approval before any app is installed — useful if someone you trust agrees to hold the approval.
• Leave or mute WhatsApp and Telegram groups that share invite links, bonuses or "signals".

Talk to Someone

Saying it out loud to someone you trust — a family member, a friend, a religious leader or a doctor — is one of the most effective steps there is, and it makes the blocking steps easier to keep. If gambling is affecting your mood or you feel hopeless, speak to a doctor or a mental health professional. Gamblers Anonymous runs meetings, including online meetings, that anyone can join for free. If debts have built up, deal with them directly rather than trying to win the money back.

If You're Worried About Someone Else

Approach it calmly and without blame, and talk about specific things you've noticed rather than labels. Don't lend money to cover gambling losses, and agree on practical steps together — limits, blocking tools, someone else holding app-install approval. Look after yourself too; family members of people with gambling problems are often under serious strain.