Responsible gambling and real-money games

A stake is the money you put into a round, paid before the result is known. Whatever a game calls itself, a stake can be lost.

GambleAware says gambling harms can impact anyone. The help pages we read do not mention any particular game, so this page says nothing about what a game's own terms promise.

What a game charges and keeps is set out on Real-money slither game fees compared. The legal side is covered on Are real-money slither games legit and legal?.

Keeping gambling in proportion means the money and time you spend stay small enough that a loss does not reach your everyday life. The help services offer tools for checking this rather than fixed limits, so this page gives no figures.

• Check yourself honestly. The National Council on Problem Gambling has short Yes or No self-assessments, one for adults and one for youth and young adults, to show whether it is time to consider changes or seek support.
• Look at your money. GambleAware has a gambling harms assessment and help with budgeting and finances.
• Block what you can. A block or self-exclusion is a way of asking to be kept away from gambling services. GambleAware has "Gambling blocking and self-exclusion" and "Limiting gambling ads online", and Gambling Therapy has a page on how to block gambling sites. We have no detail on how these tools work. A block exists to stop you staking, so looking for another place to stake works against it.
• Talk it through. Gambling Therapy has pages on the urge to gamble and on managing relapse, a section for gamers, and forums where people share experiences.

Each service below covers the area it names. For someone outside that area, GambleAware's page points to information on international support.

• National Gambling Helpline (England and Scotland), run by GamCare. Free and confidential, by phone on 0808 8020 133 or by online chat, 24 hours a day, every day of the year. It is for your own gambling or someone else's, and the live chat is only open to people in England and Scotland.
• NHS Wales Helpline (Wales). Free, on 0808 2819 265, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Anyone over 18 seeking structured or clinical support can self-refer to the All Wales Gambling Treatment Service on 0300 0859 464.
• Gambling Therapy (global). Run by Gordon Moody, it gives free practical advice and emotional support to anyone affected by gambling, including friends and family. Its email address is help@gordonmoody.org.uk.
• National Problem Gambling Helpline (United States). Operated by the National Council on Problem Gambling, on 1-800-MY-RESET by call, text or online chat. It connects people to local resources through contact centres covering all 50 states and U.S. territories, and the same site lists treatment options, counsellors and peer support.

If a help service changes a number or a rule, or a fact on this page is wrong, the team checks that service's page again and corrects this page, and its Last updated date changes. Send corrections to info@iostakes.co.uk.

• IO Stakes team tests of the games we cover
• gambleaware.org Used for safer gambling help. One page read.
• gamblingtherapy.org Used for safer gambling help. One page read.
• ncpgambling.org Used for support. One page read.