Responsible Gambling

Gambling should remain a form of entertainment and should never be treated as a reliable way to earn money. Every casino game and sports bet involves financial risk, and losses are always possible.

This page explains practical ways to control gambling, recognise potentially harmful behaviour and use responsible gambling tools when additional restrictions are needed.

CasinOK is intended for adults aged 18 and over.

Basic Principles of Safer Gambling

Responsible gambling starts with setting clear limits before playing.

A few basic rules can significantly reduce financial risk:

• decide how much you can afford to lose before depositing;
• use money allocated for entertainment rather than essential expenses;
• set a time limit for gambling sessions;
• do not increase bets in an attempt to recover losses;
• avoid gambling when stressed, angry or under the influence of alcohol or drugs;
• regularly review how much time and money you spend gambling;
• take breaks from gambling;
• stop when gambling is no longer enjoyable.

A gambling budget should be considered money that can be lost completely without affecting rent, bills, food, debt repayments or other essential expenses.

CasinOK Responsible Gambling Tools

CasinOK provides responsible gambling controls intended to help players manage their activity.

Depending on account status and current platform functionality, available measures can include:

The exact controls and available periods should be checked in the current account settings or with customer support.

Deposit Limits

A deposit limit controls how much money can be added to a gambling account during a particular period.

For example, a player may decide in advance that no more than £50 per week should be available for gambling.

The appropriate limit depends on the individual’s disposable income and financial circumstances. A higher income does not remove the financial risks associated with gambling.

A useful principle is to establish the limit before gambling begins, rather than changing it in response to wins or losses.

Loss Limits

A loss limit can provide an additional layer of control by restricting the amount a player is prepared to lose during a specified period.

This is different from a deposit limit.

Depositing £100 does not necessarily mean that £100 should be considered an acceptable loss. A player can establish a lower loss threshold and stop once it has been reached.

Loss limits should never be increased simply because previous gambling resulted in losses.

Time and Session Limits

Financial limits are only one part of responsible gambling.

Long gambling sessions can make it more difficult to maintain perspective on spending and decision-making.

A session limit can be used to establish a maximum amount of time for continuous play.

Players can also use external measures such as smartphone timers or alarms.

Taking regular breaks is particularly relevant when gambling on mobile devices because casino and sportsbook access can remain available throughout the day.

Cooling-Off Period

A cooling-off period provides a temporary break from gambling.

It can be appropriate when a player notices that gambling is becoming more frequent, emotionally driven or difficult to control but wants a temporary restriction rather than a longer self-exclusion.

During an active cooling-off period, access to gambling services may be restricted according to the applicable account conditions.

The available duration should be confirmed through the account or customer support.

CasinOK Self-Exclusion

Self-exclusion is intended for situations where a player needs a stronger restriction on gambling access.

A player can request that their account be excluded from gambling for a specified period or, where available, indefinitely.

Before activating self-exclusion, check:

• available exclusion periods;
• whether the restriction can be reversed;
• how existing balances are handled;
• whether promotional communications are stopped;
• whether additional accounts are covered.

Self-exclusion should not be viewed as an ordinary account preference. It is a protective measure intended to restrict access when gambling has become difficult to control.

CasinOK and GAMSTOP

British players should understand the difference between operator-level self-exclusion and GAMSTOP.

GAMSTOP is the national online self-exclusion scheme used by gambling businesses licensed by the UK Gambling Commission that participate as required under the British regulatory framework.

CasinOK states that it operates under Curaçao Gaming Authority licence OGL/2024/1800/1049, rather than a UK Gambling Commission licence.

Users should therefore not assume that CasinOK account restrictions operate through GAMSTOP.

If you use GAMSTOP specifically to prevent yourself from accessing online gambling, attempting to use offshore gambling websites to bypass that restriction undermines the purpose of self-exclusion.

Warning Signs of Problem Gambling

Gambling-related harm does not always begin with very large financial losses.

Warning signs can include:

• gambling for longer than originally intended;
• regularly exceeding a gambling budget;
• increasing stakes to create the same level of excitement;
• attempting to recover previous losses;
• borrowing money to gamble;
• using money intended for bills or essential expenses;
• hiding gambling activity from family or friends;
• feeling anxious or irritable when unable to gamble;
• repeatedly thinking about gambling outside gambling sessions;
• neglecting work, education or personal responsibilities;
• continuing to gamble despite financial problems;
• opening new accounts after deliberately restricting existing ones.

Several of these behaviours occurring repeatedly should be treated seriously.

Do Not Chase Losses

Chasing losses occurs when a player continues gambling or increases their stakes in an attempt to recover money already lost.

For example, losing £100 does not make the next £100 bet more likely to win.

Each independent casino outcome remains subject to its own probabilities. Previous losses do not create a debt that the game is statistically required to repay.

If a predetermined loss limit has been reached, the appropriate action is to stop rather than increase stakes.

Understanding RTP and House Edge

Casino games are designed with a mathematical advantage for the operator.

For slot games, Return to Player (RTP) represents a theoretical percentage returned to players across a very large number of wagers.

A slot with a theoretical RTP of 96%, for example, does not mean that an individual player who deposits £100 should expect to receive £96 back.

Short-term results can differ dramatically from theoretical RTP.

Similarly, table games have a house edge that varies according to the game and rules.

Neither RTP nor previous results can guarantee an individual outcome.

Gambling and Borrowed Money

Money borrowed through loans, credit arrangements, overdrafts or from friends and family should not be used to fund gambling.

Borrowing to recover previous losses is an especially significant warning sign.

If gambling is creating debt, the priority should be reducing gambling activity and addressing the financial situation rather than attempting to win enough money to repay the debt.

Gambling While Emotional

Decision-making can deteriorate when gambling is used as a response to:

• stress;
• boredom;
• anger;
• loneliness;
• financial pressure;
• previous gambling losses.

The same applies when alcohol or other substances impair judgement.

If emotional state is influencing gambling decisions, ending the session is generally safer than attempting to impose limits while continuing to play.

Protecting Minors

Online gambling is intended only for adults aged 18+.

Adults sharing devices with children should take reasonable precautions, including:

• protecting gambling accounts with strong passwords;
• not saving login credentials on shared devices;
• logging out after gambling sessions;
• protecting payment methods;
• using device-level parental controls where appropriate;
• never allowing another person to use a verified gambling account.

Account credentials should not be shared with minors or other individuals.

Practical Self-Check

Ask yourself the following questions:

1. Do I regularly spend more on gambling than I planned?
2. Have I used money intended for essential expenses?
3. Do I chase losses?
4. Have I borrowed money to gamble?
5. Do I hide the amount I gamble from other people?
6. Does gambling affect my work or relationships?
7. Do I become anxious or irritated when I cannot gamble?
8. Have I tried unsuccessfully to reduce my gambling?
9. Do I gamble to escape stress or other problems?
10. Have my stakes increased substantially over time?

Answering yes to several questions can indicate that additional controls or professional support should be considered.

Support for UK Players

UK residents who are concerned about their gambling can use established responsible gambling and support services.

GamCare

GamCare provides information, advice and support for people affected by gambling-related harm in Great Britain.

GAMSTOP

GAMSTOP allows eligible UK residents to self-exclude from online gambling businesses participating in the UK national scheme.

Gamblers Anonymous

Gamblers Anonymous provides peer-support meetings for people who want to stop gambling.

Gambling Therapy

Gambling Therapy provides online information and support for people affected by gambling problems, including international users.

NHS Support

The NHS provides specialist gambling-related treatment services in England for people experiencing gambling-related harm.

These services can also be relevant when another person’s gambling is affecting family members or partners.

When to Stop Gambling

Consider stopping gambling immediately if:

• you can no longer remain within your budget;
• you are using essential household money;
• you are borrowing to gamble;
• you are repeatedly chasing losses;
• gambling is causing debt;
• gambling is affecting relationships or employment;
• you feel unable to control when you start or stop.

At that point, stronger measures such as self-exclusion and specialist support may be more appropriate than simply setting another spending limit.

18+ | Gambling involves financial risk. Set limits, never chase losses and seek support if gambling becomes difficult to control.