Fear of the Temptation of Black Friday Deals? GamCare Can Help

Online gambling can be fun and social, and it might be something you enjoy now and again. However, there's a big difference between the odd bet with low stakes and regular online gambling, where the losses add up, you're betting outside of your budget, obsessing about the next game, and the need to win becomes a problem.

For all its fantastic offers, Black Friday may give you too many tempting online gambling deals. So, here's some advice from GamCare to help to encourage responsible online gambling.

The impact of gambling harms

If you're not sure whether you are a responsible gambler or perhaps veer into problem gambler territory, Gamcare.org.uk can help. A variety of information, advice, and support is available for individuals impacted by gambling. Practical tools and resources are also accessible for assistance.

GamCare reported that last year, 43% of their callers mentioned the impact of gambling on their mental well-being. This included depression, anxiety, stress and suicidal thoughts.

GamCare say on their website: 'We hear from people who have become isolated and lonely as a result of their gambling, and who haven’t spoken to anyone else about what they are going through. Negative impacts on mental health are very common – people experience anxiety, depression and stress, and the effects on their loved ones can be just as bad.

'Experiencing gambling harm can cause trust to break down in relationships. People can lose their jobs, their homes, their families. Some people also commit crimes to continue to gamble.'

GamCare has support options

Gamcare has a dedicated section to support with their self-help Recovery Toolkit, which includes:

EmpowerMe: The programme is divided into eight distinct sections, each delving into various aspects of the recovery journey and crafted in collaboration with individuals who have personally experienced gambling-related harms.

Self-guided resources: To help manage problem gambling, there are resources available, including a gambling and mood diary and a boundaries map.

A chatroom and forum: They say: 'We run regular chatrooms, where users can use live text chat to talk about issues related to gambling harms with other people in similar situations, supported by one of our Advisers.'

Blocking software: This software or app can stop you looking at certain websites and this section explains how the software works and some examples you can try.

Self-exclusion: Find out more about self-exclusion, where you can request that a business exclude you from gambling with them for a set time.

Peer support: Use this tool to connect with others through shared gambling experiences.

Money and debt management help: In this section, various factsheets offer support for managing gambling spend and keeping finances safe.

If at any time you would like additional support from the GamCare team, you can contact them on freephone 0808 8020 133 or via live chat.

Always engage in gambling responsibly, and keep in mind that you should stop when it's no longer enjoyable. Safe gambling is about having fun and maintaining control over your play. If gambling leads to financial strain, anxiety, depression, or negatively impacts your life, it could become problematic.

You can check out our guides about responsible gambling, which also have information about support organisations related to gambling.