How can you keep track of time when you are gambling?

Whilst it’s well known that a gambling habit can affect you financially, gambling can also eat up your time without you realising it. One of the RGW19 talking points is considering how gambling affects your relationships or career, which can happen if you don’t balance your time appropriately or keep track of how much time you actually spend gambling. So gow can you keep track of time when you're gambling?

If you only gamble for a few hours across your free time or during sporting events then you shouldn’t really have cause for concern. However, if you are noticing the amount of time you spend gambling is increasing or that gambling is taking a priority over other activities, it’s time to consider setting yourself some limits. Read our guide on how to set limits on your gambling.

A good way to keep track of how you are spending your time is using a reality check when gambling. A reality check is a message that pops up after a self-determined period of time and informs you how long you have been playing, reminding you to take a break. This is just a nudge, and its your choice whether you keep playing or log out and take a break. 

Reality checks are a great way of gently reminding yourself to consider how much time you’ve spent gambling, but you could also use a timer on your phone or check the time regularly if that works for you. If you find yourself ignoring the reality checks and continuing to play for hours at a time, then it's worth asking yourself why that is. If you think a harsher method of self control is necessary, then consider self excluding from the site or signing up for GamStop to take back control.

Most gambling, bingo and casino sites will allow you to set up a reality check alongside a spending limit, so if you are concerned about how much time you are dedicating to gambling, please refer to each individual website’s policy for responsible gambling.

Catch up on all of our RGW19 content:

• Day 1: The 5 Ws of Responsible Gambling Week
• Day 3: The New Safer Gambling Initiative
• Day 4: How Does GamStop Work?
• Day 5: The Loot Box Debate
• Day 6: Are you aware that you're gambling?
• Day 7: The Four Degrees of Gambling Separation

If you’re at all worried about your gambling, then please visit and be sure to visit Gamcare for advice and support. Remember to check out the week of RGW2019 content @RGWeek19 and using the hashtag #RGWeek19.

We have a number of playing guides that can help you identify a gambling problem or assist you with gambling responsibly:

• What does responsible gambling mean?
• How to gamble responsibly
• How to set limits on your gambling
• A beginners guide to Gamstop
• How to help someone with a gambling problem