Gambling terms, explained straight

Responsible Gambling & Harm

GamCare (UK)

GamCare UK is the charity that runs the National Gambling Helpline and provides free advice, treatment and support for anyone affected by gambling harms.

Helpline
0808 8020 133, 24 hours a day, every day of the year 15
Coverage
Adults in England, Scotland and Wales; under-18s across the whole UK including Northern Ireland 4
Services
Phone, live chat, WhatsApp, online support and structured treatment 61

Key points

  • GamCare operates the National Gambling Helpline, a free 24/7 service for anyone in the UK affected by gambling harm 1.
  • It offers structured treatment for adults in England, Scotland and Wales, and dedicated support for under-18s across the whole UK 4.
  • GamCare also promotes safer-gambling practices such as setting time and money limits and using self-exclusion tools 23.

Where this term is used

Responsible play GamCare Explains the charity's role in providing helpline, treatment and safer-gambling guidance. Responsible play Gamcare self-exclusion Covers GamCare's self-exclusion tools and how they help people take a break from gambling. Responsible play Betting addiction Describes the signs and effects of compulsive betting and where to find help. Responsible play Addiction and gambling Explains how gambling addiction develops and the support options available. Responsible play Gambling addiction signs Lists common behavioural and financial warning signs of problem gambling. Responsible play Self-exclusion gambling Details how self-exclusion schemes work across UK gambling venues and online sites.

Sources

  1. GamCare - Founder of the National Gambling Helpline gamcare.org.uk Confirms GamCare founded the National Gambling Helpline and gives the helpline number.
  2. Safer gambling - GamCare gamcare.org.uk Supports the safer-gambling practices GamCare promotes.
  3. Self-exclusion gamcare.org.uk Provides details on GamCare's self-exclusion guidance.
  4. Our Model of Care - GamCare gamcare.org.uk Defines the geographic coverage and age groups for GamCare's treatment services.
  5. National Gambling Treatment Service gamcare.org.uk Confirms the helpline is available 24/7 every day of the year.
  6. What is 'Responsible Gambling'? gamcare.org.uk Establishes GamCare as a charity providing information and support for responsible gambling.

Sources are drawn from regulators, universities and published research, and each one is labelled with what it actually is — a preprint is not called a paper. Bookmaker and affiliate pages are never cited here, because a page that sells betting is not a neutral authority on it.

Written and maintained by Ellis Warrender, writer and maintainer.

Last updated 28 July 2026. Spotted an error? Tell me and it gets fixed and logged on the corrections page.