The maths, stated once
Every game covered on this site is built to return less than it takes. That is not a criticism of any operator, it is the product. Gambling can be entertainment you budget for. It cannot be income, a way to recover a loss, or a plan.
Warning signs worth taking seriously
- Depositing more than you decided to, more than once.
- Chasing a loss with a larger stake, or opening a second account after a limit stopped you.
- Gambling with money committed to something else: rent, a card balance, somebody else's money.
- Hiding how much or how often, or being irritated when asked.
- Playing to stop feeling something rather than to enjoy an hour.
- Borrowing, selling or moving money around to keep a balance topped up.
One of these is worth watching. Two or more, together, is the point to use the tools below rather than to wait and see.
Set the controls before you deposit
Every control is easier to set while the decision is abstract. The best moment is the day you open an account, before the first deposit.
- Deposit limits. Daily, weekly or monthly, set in the account itself. A limit inside the cashier is far harder to talk yourself past than a limit in your head.
- Loss limits and session limits. Where an operator offers them, both are stronger than a deposit limit because they bind during play rather than before it.
- Reality checks. A recurring on-screen prompt showing elapsed time and net position. Set the shortest interval available.
- Cool-off periods. A short lock, typically 24 hours to a few weeks, that you cannot reverse early. Use it at the first sign rather than the last.
- Self-exclusion. A long or permanent closure. Ask for it in writing and keep the reply.
- Bank and device blocks. Many US banks can block gambling merchant categories on a card, and blocking software can cover a device. Both work independently of any operator, which matters offshore.
Self-exclusion at an offshore operator: what is different
This is the honest part. In a state-licensed market, self-exclusion is statutory and applies across every licensed operator in that state at once. Offshore there is no equivalent central register that covers US players, so exclusion is per operator and depends on that operator honouring it. Two consequences worth planning around: exclude at every operator you hold an account with rather than one, and pair it with a bank-level or device-level block, because those do not rely on the operator at all.
Free, confidential help
The National Problem Gambling Helpline is free, confidential and available around the clock:
- 1-800-MY-RESET (1-800-697-3738)
- 1-800-522-4700
- Text 800GAM
Both numbers are currently active and both reach the same national network of contact centers. Neither replaced the other. Calls are answered by trained staff, not by anybody selling anything, and you do not have to have a diagnosis or a crisis to call.
Gamblers Anonymous runs free peer meetings across the United States, in person and online, and Gam-Anon runs the equivalent for family members, which is often the more useful call to make first.
Age
Every operator covered on this site requires you to be 21 or over. Attempting to open an account under that age means a closed account and a forfeited balance at the verification stage, and nothing on this site is written for anyone under 21.