Resource library
Everything free, in the order we would do it
You do not need to be our client to use any of this. If you only have half an hour today, spend it on the first group — barriers work whether or not you feel ready.
Put a barrier up today
Three layers, in this order. Each one takes under half an hour and none of them cost anything.
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10 minutes
Register with GamStop
Blocks your access to every gambling operator licensed in Great Britain for six months, one year or five years. Choose five — it costs the same and removes the recurring decision.
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5 minutes
Switch on your bank’s gambling block
Most UK banks and building societies now offer a gambling transaction block in the app, several with a cooling-off delay before it can be lifted. Ask for the longest delay available.
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20 minutes
Install device-level blocking software
Blocking software covers what GamStop cannot reach, including offshore websites. Install it on every device in the household, then hand the admin password to somebody else.
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30 minutes
Close dormant accounts
Search your email for confirmation messages and close every account you find, not only the ones you use. Forgotten accounts are the most common route back in.
Talk to somebody now
None of these require a referral, an appointment or a diagnosis.
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24/7
National Gambling Helpline — 0808 8020 133
Free and confidential, 24 hours a day, every day. Open to people who gamble and to anyone affected by someone else’s gambling.
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Daily
Gamblers Anonymous meetings
Free peer fellowship meetings across Great Britain, in person and online, with daily online options. No booking and no assessment.
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Weekly
Gam-Anon
The parallel fellowship for family and friends. Meetings frequently run alongside GA meetings at the same venue and time.
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24/7
Samaritans — 116 123
For anyone in distress, at any hour, free from any phone. You do not have to be suicidal to call.
Money and debt
We are not debt advisers. These are free, FCA-regulated or charity-run services — never pay a fee for debt advice.
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Free
StepChange Debt Charity
Free debt advice and managed repayment plans, with a specific understanding of gambling-related debt.
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Free
National Debtline
Free, independent advice by phone and webchat, run by the Money Advice Trust.
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Free
Citizens Advice
Local, face-to-face help with debt, benefits, housing and creditor correspondence.
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Free
Money and Pensions Service
Government-backed guidance on budgeting and creditor negotiation, free of charge.
If you are supporting someone else
Advice written for the person standing next to the problem rather than inside it.
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Read
Do not clear the debt in secret
Quietly absorbing a shortfall removes the consequence without removing the behaviour. Where a debt is repaid, make it visible, conditional and one-off.
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Read
Separate your finances before the conversation
Protect joint accounts, standing orders and any credit held in your name first. This is not disloyalty; it is the precondition for an honest conversation.
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Free
Get your own support
Affected family members are entitled to free treatment in their own right through the National Gambling Support Network, whether or not the person gambling engages.
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Free
Children in the household
Young people living with gambling harm are at raised risk themselves. GamCare’s Big Deal programme works specifically with under-18s.
Where most people begin
A free 20-minute call with a clinician. No form, no obligation, no sales pitch.
We will ask what has been happening and tell you honestly whether we are the right service for you. If we are not, we will tell you exactly where to go instead — We reply to every enquiry within one working day.
Prefer to stay anonymous? The National Gambling Helpline is free on 0808 8020 133, 24 hours a day.