Responsible gambling guide

Our commitment towards responsible gambling

NSPCC is committed to ensure that information about how to gamble responsibly and how to access information and help in respect of problem gambling is readily available to all.

Keeping your gambling under control

The majority of people do gamble responsibly and gambling in moderation is okay, but it may help you to keep your gambling under control by:

Remembering that you are taking part for fun and not as a means of investing your money
Setting strict limits on how much time and money you're going to spend, before playing
Quitting while you're ahead
Only gambling with money that you can afford to lose
Not spending more money on gambling in the hope that you will win back any money that you've already lost
Keeping up other interests and hobbies and not letting gambling take over your life
Not gambling in order to escape from stress or boredom.

How to identify that gambling is becoming a problem

For some people however, gambling can become a problem. If you're concerned about the amount you are gambling and feel it's taking over your life, then asking yourself the following questions may help you assess whether or not gambling is becoming a problem:

Have others ever criticised your gambling?
Have you lied to cover up the amount you have gambled or the time you have spent doing it?
Do arguments, frustrations or disappointments make you want to gamble?
Do you gamble alone for long periods?
Do you stay away from work or college to gamble?
Do you gamble to escape from a boring or unhappy life?
Are you reluctant to spend 'gambling money' on anything else?
Have you lost interest in your family, friends or pastimes due to gambling?
After losing, do you feel you must try to win back your losses as soon as possible?
When gambling and you run out of money, do you feel lost, in despair and need to gamble again as soon as possible?
Do you gamble until your last penny is gone?
Have you lied, stolen or borrowed just to get money to gamble or to pay gambling debts?
Do you feel depressed or even suicidal because of your gambling?
If 'yes' is the answer to some of these questions, then it is likely that a gambling problem exists.

You may also wish to consider whether a friend or relative might have a gambling problem.

How to get more information and help

If you're worried about how gambling makes you feel, GambleAware can help: gambleaware.org.

Got a question about our Weekly Lottery or Raffle?
We're here to help. Call us on 0800 954 7391 or email admin@nspccweeklylottery.org.uk.

Only £1 per entry, drawn every Friday. All proceeds to the NSPCC (the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children).

NSPCC is licensed and regulated in Great Britain by the Gambling Commission under account number 4781(opens in a new tab). Website: www.gamblingcommission.gov.uk(opens in a new tab) Promoter: NSPCC, Weston House, 42 Curtain Road, London, EC2A 3NH. Responsible person: Paul Taylor. Must be 18 or over to play. Underage gambling is an offence.

How your money is spent In 2025, £1,294,940 was raised from ticket sales in our Weekly Lotteries and Seasonal Raffles, with 8.31% spent on prizes, 71.48% spent on expenses and a fantastic 20.21% being used to fund the work of the NSPCC, based on the Lottery and Raffle Submissions made by the NSPCC to the Gambling Commission, during the 2025 calendar year. In 2025, the likelihood of winning a prize was, on average, 1 in 658 in our regular Weekly Lotteries and 1 in 285 in our Seasonal Raffles.

Players or carers of a vulnerable person can request self-exclusion from NSPCC gambling-related marketing materials by completing the online form or by calling the Supporter Care team on 0800 954 7391 to request a form. If you're worried about how gambling makes you feel, GambleAware can help: gambleaware.org(opens in a new tab).

This web page is hosted by StarVale Management & Technologies Limited(opens in a new tab) which is licensed and regulated in Great Britain by the Gambling Commission under account number 3273(opens in a new tab).