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Online Gambling Help

How to stop gambling online — practical steps, blocks and support that help

Last reviewed: 28 April 2026

A person taking a calm, deliberate pause, representing stopping gambling

Stopping gambling online rarely comes down to willpower on its own. What works is stacking several barriers so that, in the moment a craving hits, gambling simply is not available. The steps below are the ones support services recommend most often. You do not have to do them in order or all at once — even one makes a difference, and you can build from there.

  1. Tell someone and ask for support

    Saying it out loud — to a trusted friend, a family member or a free helpline — breaks the isolation that keeps gambling going. A helpline adviser can also talk you through the practical steps below without judgement.

  2. Self-exclude from licensed operators

    Register with your national self-exclusion scheme so every licensed operator must refuse you at once. It is free and takes only a few minutes. See how the registers work and what they cover on our self-exclusion page.

  3. Block gambling on your devices

    Install a blocker so gambling sites and apps will not load on your phone, tablet and computer. Free tools such as BetBlocker work well; some paid tools are free in the UK through TalkBanStop.

  4. Turn on a gambling block with your bank

    Many banks let you switch on a block that declines gambling transactions, often with a cooling-off delay before it can be removed. It closes a gap that site blocks alone can miss.

  5. Hand over day-to-day money control

    Ask someone you trust to help manage money for a while, reduce card limits, and remove saved card details from devices. Putting distance between you and quick access to funds reduces impulsive bets.

  6. Replace the time and get ongoing help

    Cravings fade faster when the gap left by gambling is filled. Structured support, peer groups and counselling all help you stay stopped — not just stop once.

If you are chasing losses

Trying to win back what you have lost — chasing losses — is one of the clearest signs that gambling has stopped being entertainment. The urge to "get it back in one go" is powerful and normal, but it almost always deepens the hole. Putting the barriers above in place gives that urge nowhere to go. If the feeling is intense right now, talking to a helpline can help you get through the next hour.

Helping someone else stop

If you are worried about a partner, family member or friend, you can help without taking over. Listen without blame, learn how the tools work so you can offer practical help, and look after your own wellbeing too — services such as Gam-Anon exist specifically for people affected by someone else's gambling. The help by country page lists support for families as well as for the person gambling.

Staying stopped, not just stopping once

The hardest part is usually not the first day but the weeks that follow, when the barriers are in place and the urge resurfaces anyway. Expect setbacks rather than being thrown by them: a lapse is information about where a gap remains, not proof that stopping is impossible. Keep the blocks switched on even on good days, plan for the situations that used to trigger a bet, and stay connected to support — a peer group or counsellor helps far more with staying stopped than with the single decision to stop.

You can talk to someone for free, right now. In the UK call the UK National Gambling Helpline on 0808 8020 133; elsewhere, find your national helpline on the help by country page. To set up the blocks mentioned above, see self-exclusion and blocking software.

Common questions

Can I stop gambling online on my own, without telling anyone?
You can put the practical barriers in place yourself — self-exclusion, a device blocker and a bank block can all be set up privately in a few minutes. That said, telling one person you trust tends to make stopping easier and more durable, because it breaks the secrecy that gambling often relies on. If you would rather not tell someone you know, a free helpline gives you a confidential way to talk it through.
How long do gambling cravings last?
Individual cravings usually peak and then pass within a relatively short window — often minutes rather than hours — even though they can feel overwhelming in the moment. Having gambling blocked so you cannot act on the urge buys you time for it to fade. Cravings also tend to become less frequent and less intense over the weeks after you stop, especially once the time gambling used to fill is taken up by something else.
What should I do right now if the urge to gamble is intense?
Put distance between yourself and the means to bet: move away from the device, and if a block or self-exclusion is not yet in place, that is the single most useful thing to set up next. Then reach out — calling a free helpline can help you get through the next hour. In the UK that is the National Gambling Helpline on 0808 8020 133.
Is it better to cut back gradually or stop completely?
There is no one right answer, and support services help with both goals. Many people find a clean stop simpler to maintain than cutting back, because "just a little" can quickly slip back into old patterns. Whichever you choose, the same barriers help — and you can always tighten them later if cutting back proves harder to hold than you expected.