Gambling is supposed to be a choice you enjoy, not something that leaves you anxious or short of money. If you've opened this page because things feel different lately, you're in the right place. We'll walk through what Funbet offers to help you set boundaries, what the warning signs look like, and where to turn when you need someone to talk to.
Why staying in control matters
Entertainment has a ceiling. The moment it costs you sleep, damages a relationship, or empties an account you needed for something else, it's crossed a line. Responsible gambling isn't about stopping — it's about keeping play inside the space where it belongs, so the rest of your life stays intact.
Signs that gambling is getting out of hand
These behaviours show up long before a crisis does. If you recognise two or more, it's worth pausing:
- You're chasing losses — depositing again to win back what you lost today
- You've borrowed money to gamble, or you've delayed paying a bill to keep your balance topped up
- You're lying to family or friends about how much you spend or how often you play
- Gambling is the first thing you think about when you wake up, or the last thing you do before bed
- You've tried to stop or cut back, but you keep coming back within a day or two
- The amounts you're staking feel bigger than they used to, and they don't alarm you the way they should
Questions worth asking yourself
A short self-check, answered honestly, tells you more than a month of wondering. Six yes/no questions:
- Have you ever felt guilty about the amount you gamble?
- Do you gamble to escape worry, boredom, or problems at home?
- Have you missed work, skipped an event, or cancelled plans because you were gambling?
- After losing, do you feel you need to go back as soon as possible to win it back?
- Have you lied to someone close to you about how much you gamble?
- Have you gambled longer or with more money than you intended?
One "yes" is worth noticing. Three or more means it's time to act, not wait.
Control tools we offer
We provide one formal safeguard, and it applies permanently once requested:
| Tool | What it does | How to activate it |
|---|---|---|
| Self-exclusion | Closes your account and prevents you from opening a new one for a set period | Email [email protected] with your request — we'll confirm and action it within one working day |
Self-exclusion is irreversible during its term. Once you've asked for it, we will not lift it early, even if you change your mind. That permanence is the whole point — it removes the option to play on impulse.
Practical limits that work
Before a safeguard becomes necessary, small boundaries keep play proportional:
- Decide your spend before you log in, and leave your cards in another room once you've deposited that amount.
- Set a kitchen timer for 45 minutes. When it rings, close the site — whether you're up or down.
- Never gamble within two hours of a loss. The urge to recover it fades if you give it space.
- Keep one account that gambling never touches — wages go in there, rent comes out, and the balance is not available for deposits.
- Write down what you deposit each week. Seeing the total on paper changes how it feels.
- If you're gambling to fill time, replace it with something else first — a walk, a call to a friend, a different screen. Boredom is the prompt; gambling is just the easiest answer, not the only one.
Where to get help in the UK
Free, confidential support exists, and you don't need to be in crisis to use it. Speaking to someone who understands gambling problems is often the first step that makes the rest possible.
GamCare runs the National Gambling Helpline: 0808 8020 133, open 24 hours a day, every day of the year. You can also reach them at gamcare.org.uk, where live chat and email support are available if you'd rather not call.
BeGambleAware offers information, a self-assessment tool, and referrals to local treatment services. Visit begambleaware.org to access those resources.
GamStop is a free national self-exclusion scheme that blocks access to all UK-licensed gambling sites in one step. Register at gamstop.co.uk — the exclusion lasts for six months, one year, or five years, and applies automatically across every operator signed up to the scheme.
Gordon Moody provides residential treatment and online therapy programmes for people with serious gambling problems. Their services are free at the point of use. Find them at gordonmoody.org.uk.
Blocking software
If access itself is the problem, two apps remove gambling sites from your devices entirely:
- Gamban (gamban.com) blocks tens of thousands of gambling websites and apps across all your devices. It runs on phones, tablets, and computers, and once installed it cannot be uninstalled for the duration you set.
- BetBlocker (betblocker.org) is free, open-source, and works on Windows, Mac, Android, and iOS. It filters out gambling content at the device level, so no site loads even if you try.
Protecting anyone under 18
This site is restricted to adults aged 18 and over (18+). If you share a device with someone younger, gambling sites should not be accessible to them — not through saved passwords, not through your browser history.
Parental-control software such as Net Nanny or Qustodio blocks gambling domains by category and monitors what younger users are viewing. Both work across phones, tablets, and laptops, and both let you lock settings with a PIN that only you know.
Getting in touch
If you need to discuss self-exclusion or anything on this page, email us at [email protected]. We'll respond within 48 hours, and every message is handled confidentially.
Gambling should be entertainment, not a chore. If it has stopped feeling that way, the steps above will help you take back control — and the organisations listed here exist precisely to make that easier. You don't have to wait until it's unbearable; reaching out now is always the better choice.
This site is for players aged 18 and over (18+). Support with gambling is free and confidential at BeGambleAware.org.
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