Responsible Gambling in Sports Betting: Stay in Control, Find Help

Every set of odds includes the bookmaker’s margin. Sports betting is therefore entertainment that costs money, not a way to earn it. This page shows how to tell when betting is getting out of hand, which limits and blocks exist, and where you can get free help.

Six rules before you bet

1. Set a budget before the first betPick an amount whose loss will not change your month, and set it as a deposit limit in your betting account.
2. Lost money is goneIf you raise your stake to win back a loss, you are no longer betting to a plan. Stop for the day.
3. A bonus is no reason to depositWagering requirements tie up your money and demand many bets in a short time. Only take a bonus if you were going to stake that amount anyway.
4. Don’t bet in the heat of the momentLeave it when you have been drinking, are angry or have just lost. In-play betting is especially tempting at such moments.
5. Write the numbers downNote your deposits and withdrawals, or check your account history once a month. The figure there is more honest than your gut feeling.
6. No borrowed moneyLoans, overdrafts and credit cards are off limits for betting. The same goes for money set aside for fixed expenses.

Spotting a gambling problem: warning signs and self-check

A problem with betting rarely appears overnight. Stakes grow, betting takes up more room, and for a long time it still looks like a hobby. These questions are not a diagnosis. They help you take an honest look at the past few months.

• After a losing bet, do you place the next one straight away so the loss comes back?
• Are your stakes higher today than six months ago, without you ever deciding that?
• Have you bet money that was set aside for fixed expenses?
• Do you tell people at home smaller amounts than you actually staked or lost?
• Do you find it hard to watch a matchday without a bet of your own?
• Have you set yourself a break or a limit and given it up again after a short time?
• Do you reach for the betting app when the day has gone badly?
• Have you gone into debt for betting, for example through an overdraft, a credit card or friends?

Protection tools in your betting account

Many betting accounts come with settings that limit your betting. You usually find them under “Responsible Gaming” or “Responsible Gambling” in the account menu; some are set up by support on request.

Deposit limit

Caps your deposits per day, week or month. It takes effect before money reaches the betting account.

Stake and loss limits

Cap how much you can stake or lose within a period.

Time-out

Locks the account for days or weeks. With some bookmakers it cannot be ended early.

Self-exclusion

Closes the account for months or permanently. The block applies only to that one bookmaker.

Reality check

Shows at intervals how long you have been playing.

A limit only helps if it cannot be raised again with two clicks. So check whether an increase only takes effect after a waiting period. Many of our reviews describe which tools a bookmaker offers.

GAMSTOP: one block for all British-licensed sites, and where it does not apply

GAMSTOP is the online self-exclusion scheme for Great Britain. It is free and blocks you from the online gambling companies licensed there. Other countries run their own registers, for example OASIS in Germany. They, too, only cover operators licensed in that country.

Signing up

You register online at gamstop.co.uk. It takes a few minutes, and the block can take up to 24 hours to take effect.

Duration

You choose 6 months, 1 year or 5 years.

Scope

The block covers online gambling companies licensed in Great Britain. Anyone living in the UK, including Northern Ireland, can register.

Your balance

Registering does not pay out your funds automatically. You need to contact the companies where you hold accounts.

What we check on player protection in our tests

The check starts before the first euro. We do not test a bookmaker without a valid licence. The same applies to operators and groups known for ignoring players’ requests to close their accounts. At most they appear under Bookmaker Clones, with a poor rating and the reasons. More on this under How We Test.

In the table “Licence and Player Protection” we name the operator and the licence. We look the licence up in the regulator’s public register and state the date of the check. So far this table appears in some of our reviews. In many reviews we also describe which limits, time-outs and blocks the customer account offers. The tests are carried out for the German edition; the English edition takes over their results.

Protecting minors: betting only from 18

In Great Britain, as in Germany, sports betting is only allowed from the age of 18. Wett-Bonus.net is aimed exclusively at adults. Bookmakers ask for proof of age, usually when the account is verified with an identity document.

Help for family and friends

When money goes missing, bills pile up and someone’s mood depends on match results, betting is sometimes behind it. Relatives cannot solve the problem for the other person. They can protect themselves and get help started. The German counselling service Check dein Spiel advises, among other things:

Where to get help

United Kingdom

International

We are not a counselling service. This page lists places to turn to and does not replace a conversation with professionals. We checked the phone numbers, hours and the GAMSTOP rules on 14 November 2026.