Tackling problem gambling and debt

If you think your gambling is harming your finances, relationships and other parts of your life, it’s important to be honest and talk about it and know that you are not alone. There is a wide range of help available to you.

If you’re gambling to make money rather than for fun, it may be time to get help. For example, if you see it as an alternative to saving or borrowing an amount you can afford to pay back from a bank, building society or other lender, this is a sign that you may have a problem.

You or someone you know might have a problem, some warning signs are if you or they’re:

• using an overdraft, other forms of credit or borrowing from family or friends to pay for gambling
• missing payments for debts or priority bills or being unable to afford essential items because the money’s been spent on gambling
• gambling to win back win money that's been lost
• lying to family and friends about gambling.

If any of these sound familiar, it’s time to get help.

If you’re affected by problem gambling, you can call the free National Gambling helpline on 0808 8020 133Opens in a new window Specialists are available 24/7 offering information and support.

Or, visit the GamCare websiteOpens in a new window

Gambling often leads to debt.

As well as addressing your gambling, it’s important to get financial help too.

Many people seeking help say they thought they had a money problem and got help with debt - but nothing changed until they acknowledged their gambling problem.

Dealing with debt can feel overwhelming and stressful. But it’s best to tackle your finances now. Getting them under control is an important first step.

You may not be borrowing money to gamble – but perhaps you’re using the money that you should be spending on food and rent, for example.

It’s important to pay priority bills first. These are the one that have the most serious consequences if you don’t pay them. They include:

• court fines
• Council Tax or Rates
• TV Licence
• Child Maintenance
• gas and electricity bills
• Income Tax, National Insurance and VAT
• mortgage, rent and any loans secured against your home
• hire purchase agreements - if what you're buying with them is essential
• missed payments owed to DWP (Department for Work and Pensions) or HMRC (His Majesty's Revenue and Customs).

If possible, pay these on the day you’re paid – before you may be tempted to use the money to gamble. 

If you’re struggling with debt it’s important to speak to a trained and experienced debt adviser as soon as possible.

Our Beginner’s guide to managing money also has some really useful information and tips.

Setting a budget could be useful It might help you better understand if you're gambling within your means and help you take control of, your finances.

Handing over your finances to someone you trust while you address your gambling is an option. While it’s not a long-term solution, it’s can  help in the short-term while you're getting your gambling under control.

It’s important to make sure you are both happy with this decision, and that neither partner feels any pressure or resentment over the arrangement. If you have any doubts about doing this, seek advice first. You can call the National Gambling Helpline on 0808 8020 133Opens in a new window.

One way of doing this by using a third-party mandate. This is a document that tells a person’s bank, building society or other account provider that they can accept instructions about that person’s money from another specific named person.

If you feel you need someone to take control of your finances until you feel able to manage them alone, see our guide Help managing everyday money. 

There are various ways you can help yourself to stop gambling. These include:

You can self-exclude yourself from gambling companies, either online or in an actual venue. This means you ask the business to stop you from gambling with them, usually for between six months to five years. You can ask staff directly to do this for you. Or you can arrange exclusion from specific venues or sites through ‘multi-operator self-exclusion schemes’.

GAMSTOP can exclude youOpens in a new window from all online gambling companies licensed to provide gambling activities in the UK. 

For details about physical venuesOpens in a new window visit BeGambleAware.

More banks and building societies now give you the option to block gambling transactions made through your bank accounts using a debit card.

You can’t use a credit card to pay for online or land-based gambling transactions.

It is still possible to use a credit card to pay for lottery tickets face to face in newsagents and supermarkets. The National Lottery won’t accept online payments and other lottery gambling operators won’t accept them either. If this is a problem, you can ask your credit card company to prevent transactions to these operators too.

This is a computer programme that limits access to websites or other online services. Some software is free, sometimes there’s a fee. It’s important to do your research and find out which is the best one for you.

Your internet service provider may be able to offer you to opt out of all adult sites. Or supply you with anti-virus software that allows you to block certain areas, such as gambling.

You can also ask your mobile phone or interactive TV provider to limit or block your access to gambling services.

You might feel nervous or embarrassed about contacting your bank but it’s important to contact them so they know about your situation. They are obliged to provide products and services that are right for customers and to treat you fairly. See our guide Letting creditors know about vulnerabilities or adjustments. 

Banks can help you in various ways. These include:

• temporarily freezing your card when you feel like your spending is getting out of control
• changing the amount of money you can take out of cash machines each day, or switch off cash withdrawals altogether
• offering gambling blocks
• gambling limits setting e.g. Lloyds
• stopping marketing communications for credit products.

If you’re not happy with how your bank is handling your situation you can complain through the Financial Ombudsman ServiceOpens in a new window

If you’re in debt and you’re struggling to make payments, it’s important to speak to your creditors. They might be able to help. But they can only do this if you tell them.

Create a payment plan with you that you can afford. This will help you avoid  missing payments and paying higher fees as a result.

If you can show them the step you’re taking to stop gambling, this might make them more willing to help you.

If you’re at risk of applying for credit to fund your gambling, you can let potential lenders know that you don’t want them to lend to you.

You can do this by adding a ‘note’ (also known as a Notice of Correction (NOC) to your credit file. Lenders will see this and should take into account what you’ve written in the note.

Problem gambling can seriously affect your mental health, as well as your finances.

If you gamble to escape mental health issues, such as stress, anxiety or depression, it will only make these feelings worse.

Not only that, it might cause other problems too, including placing strain on your personal relationships and putting your job at risk.

As well as tackling your gambling, it’s important to address any mental health issues too.

You can also contact Samaritans if you need someone to talk toOpens in a new window

Gambling, and its financial impact, can significantly affect yours and your family’s health and wellbeing.

But if you gamble and it’s causing problems financially, it’s important to get advice. Especially if:

• you have a joint credit card or loan with your partner
• you have a joint benefit claim and you get the money
• you own your home jointly with your partner.

If you’re affected by problem gambling, you can call the free National Gambling helpline on 0808 8020 133Opens in a new window Specialists are available 24/7 offering information and support.

Or, visit the GamCare websiteOpens in a new window

Having separate accounts for both current account and credit cards can help to protect a partner’s finances.

Talk to your bank or credit provider about any other measures they can put in place to support you.

It’s really important to not to lend money to someone who’s struggling with gambling, as this might only make the situation worse. 

If your partner, child or someone you know is gambling and has lost control of the situation, it can have a devastating impact on your finances and relationship.

Signs of harmful gambling include:

• being secretive about their finances
• being cagey or defensive about money
• hiding bank statements
• taking money out of accounts without explanation.

Of course, these could be signs of other problems so the first thing to do is get to the bottom of things.

It can be hard to know where to start if you need to talk to your partner about their gambling problem, or you suspect they might have one.

Even if they’re not ready to talk about it or get help, there’s plenty of help and support for you.

Call GamCare’s helpline on 0808 8020 133Opens in a new window. They’ll help you figure out what your next steps should be.

GamCare have an online service called NetlineOpens in a new window. This allows you to exchange instant messages with an adviser. There are also online forums where people who’ve been affected by problem gambling can talk and support each other.

Check your credit report to see if you’re linked to them financially. For example, if you have a joint mortgage or both your names are on a rental agreement, or you have joint bank accounts.

If you have a loan or sign a contract with someone, you’re jointly responsible for repayments. If they’re struggling with gambling, you put yourself at risk if those payments aren’t met.

Keeping your finances separate can help protect your credit score and protect you financially. So consider cancelling or removing your access to joint accounts.

To help protect your home you can set up a property alert in case there is any significant activity related to it if you live in:

• England or Wales: sign-up to HM Land Registry's free property alert serviceOpens in a new window
• Scotland: use the property alert serviceOpens in a new windo
  wOpens in a new window
• Northern Ireland: protect your land or property from fraudOpens in a new window
  

Use bank gambling blocks to ensure the gambler can’t gamble with your cards.   

You could be a victim of financial or economic abuse if:

• you're being forced into taking out joint loans or credit to fund your partner’s gambling
• your partner has taken out loans or credit in your name without your knowledge or consent to use for gambling – this is fraud and there are steps you can take with the lender to ensure you are not responsible for paying it back.

If Universal Credit (UC) is usually paid as single household payment.

If you’re worried about your partner using the money to gamble you can ask your work coach for an Alternative Payment Arrangement (APA).

This means your UC payment can be paid entirely to you or you can split the payment with your partner so you can keep control of the money you need.

For more information, read our guide Joint Universal Credit claims for couples.

Take a few minutes to check which benefits you can claim and how much you could get a month with our benefits calculator.

Ignoring your debts is likely to make the situation worse so it’s important to talk to someone and get help.

If you’re not able to make repayments on debts and are behind on your bills, now is the time to get free debt advice.

A debt adviser will help you to find ways to manage your debts. It’s a good idea to let them know that your debt is a result of gambling as they’ll be able to offer tailored advice and solutions for you and your situation.

Find out more about how debts are collected when you’re in arrearsOpens in a new window on the StepChange website.

There’s more information about how to make a plan to pay your debtsOpens in a new window on the Citizens Advice website.

To find out how to reduce your outgoingsOpens in a new window to help catch up with your repayments, check out the StepChange website.

Harmful gambling among 11 to 16-year-olds affects tens of thousands of young people.

Research by Cardiff University found that among 11 to 16-year-olds, the most popular forms of gambling are arcades and playing cards for money with friends.

While this can be seen as harmless, early exposure to gambling activities causes some young people to develop issues with gambling later in their lives.

Admitting your child is experiencing harm due to gambling can feel embarrassing or shameful. Don’t worry, there is dedicated help for families. 

The best place to start is by contacting and visiting the organisations:

• GamFam helps familiesOpens in a new window recognise the early warning signs and prevent addiction. Any young person aged between 11 and 18 can access support if they are worried about their gambling or the gambling of someone close to them. 
• BigDeal a place for young peopleOpens in a new window to find information and support related to gambling, for themselves or for someone they care about.

Part of the issue is the amount of gambling advertising young people are exposed to on television, online and on social media.

Gambling companies shouldn’t allow anyone under 18 to gamble.

In the UK, there is just one exception:

• There are no age restrictions on category-D games machines, which include arcade games, penny pushers and claw grab games.

You can complain to the Gambling Commission if you think a company hasn’t followed the rules.

As well as tackling your finances, it’s important to address your gambling at the same time.

GambleAware is working with social media platforms to ask them to help you avoid gambling advertising. See their progress and latest updates on the BeGambleAware websiteOpens in a new window