Most people open this page after a session that went longer, or cost more, than planned. That's a normal reason to be here, and it's worth acting on rather than shrugging off. 30bet puts a set of practical controls in your hands, and this page explains what each one does and where to get outside help if you need more than a tool can offer.
Why responsible gambling matters
Gambling is entertainment with a cost attached, not a way to cover a shortfall or turn a bad week around. When it starts covering something else – boredom, stress, a gap in the budget – it has stopped doing the job it's meant to do. The earlier that shift gets noticed, the easier it is to correct.
18+ only, no exceptions. If a device you use for gambling is ever shared with anyone under 18, that's worth fixing before it becomes a bigger problem than a settings menu can solve.
Signs gambling is getting out of hand
These are concrete behaviours, not vague warning signs:
- Chasing a loss with a bigger stake than you'd normally place
- Borrowing, or dipping into money set aside for bills, to keep playing
- Losing track of time or missing plans because a session ran long
- Feeling irritable or low when you can't play, rather than simply moving on
- Hiding the amount you've spent from people close to you
- Playing to win back a specific loss rather than for the entertainment itself
Questions worth asking yourself
Answer these honestly, on your own – nobody else sees the result:
- Have you spent more than you meant to in the last month?
- Have you gambled with money meant for something else?
- Have you lied about how much time or money you've spent playing?
- Do you feel restless or irritable when you try to cut back?
- Have you gambled to escape a problem or a low mood?
- Has anyone close to you raised a concern about your gambling?
- Have you tried to stop or cut down and found it harder than expected?
- Do you gamble longer than you planned on a regular basis?
A handful of "yes" answers doesn't need a diagnosis to act on – it's a reasonable point to try one of the tools below, or talk to one of the organisations further down this page.
Our control tools
30bet gives you several ways to set a hard boundary rather than relying on willpower alone. Each one works differently, so it's worth understanding what each actually restricts before you set it.
| Tool | What it does |
|---|---|
| Deposit limit | Caps how much you can add to your account daily, weekly or monthly |
| Net deposit limit | Caps deposits minus withdrawals over a chosen period, so cashing out doesn't reset your headroom |
| Reality check | Shows your running playtime during a session |
| Take a break | Blocks your account for 72 hours, 7 days or 30 days |
| Self-exclusion | Closes your account to gambling for a period you set |
Deposit limit and net deposit limit
The deposit limit is straightforward: pick a daily, weekly or monthly ceiling and we won't process a deposit past it, no matter how many separate payments you try. The net deposit limit does something most operators don't offer – it tracks deposits minus withdrawals rather than deposits alone. That distinction matters in practice: if you deposit £200, win back £150 and withdraw it, a plain deposit limit still sees £200 spent for the period; the net version sees £50, because the £150 came back out. If your aim is to cap what actually leaves your account over time rather than the raw amount you type into a deposit box, the net version is the one that measures what you're trying to control.
Take a break
This locks your account for a fixed window – 72 hours, 7 days or 30 days – and there's no way to shorten it or log back in early once it's set. Pick the longest one you think you'll need rather than the shortest one you can get away with; a 72-hour break that ends on a Friday night solves nothing if the urge to play comes back on Saturday.
Self-exclusion
Self-exclusion closes your account for a period you choose, and it's meant to be a firmer step than a short break – it isn't reversed early just because you ask. If you want to be excluded from every UK-licensed gambling site at once rather than one account at a time, GamStop (linked below) is the national scheme built for that.
Practical limits that work
Tools only help if they're set before a session starts, not during one:
- Set a deposit limit at a figure you'd be comfortable losing entirely, not a figure you hope to win back
- Turn on the reality check rather than relying on your own sense of how long you've been playing
- Decide your stopping point – a time or an amount – before you start, not while you're already in a session
- Treat a losing run as a signal to stop for the day, not a reason to chase it back
- Keep gambling money separate from money earmarked for bills or savings
- If you're playing to escape a bad mood rather than to be entertained, that's the moment to close the app
Where to get help in the UK
None of this replaces professional support, and none of it costs anything to use.
- GamCare – National Gambling Helpline: 0808 8020 133, free and open 24 hours a day
- BeGambleAware – information and free support for anyone worried about their own or someone else's gambling
- GamStop – free self-exclusion across all UK-licensed gambling sites at once
- Gordon Moody – residential and online treatment for more serious gambling problems
Blocking software
If you'd rather remove the option entirely than rely on willpower, Gamban and BetBlocker (free, works across most devices) block gambling sites at the device level. That's a more reliable barrier than a self-exclusion form on a bad night.
Protecting minors
Access to this site is restricted to people aged 18+. If a phone, tablet or laptop used for gambling is shared with a child or teenager, parental-control software such as Net Nanny or Qustodio can block gambling sites from that device specifically, rather than relying on account settings alone.
Questions about any of these tools can go to [email protected]. Gambling should be entertainment, not a chore.
This site is for players aged 18 and over (18+) only. If gambling ever stops feeling like entertainment, free and confidential help is available at BeGambleAware.org.