Responsible gambling: limits, self-exclusion and help
Gambling can be addictive and you can lose money. This page lists the tools and the official help lines for the countries this site is written for, plus Great Britain. Each entry links to the page it was read on.
- 18+
- Checked 19 Oct 2026
Help and self-exclusion by country
Where a cell says "Not found at a primary source", we read the regulator's and the state's pages on 19 October 2026 and did not find it there, so we do not state it.
| Country | Regulator | Self-exclusion | Help line | Minimum age | Source | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spain | Dirección General de Ordenación del Juego (DGOJ) | RGIAJ, the general register of gambling access bans, kept by the DGOJ. A ban entered there affects online gambling. It lasts indefinitely, and you can ask to cancel it after 6 months | Not found at a primary source | Not found at a primary source | DGOJ regulator, RGIAJ page | 2026-10-19 |
| Greece | Hellenic Gaming Commission (HGC) | Ask an operator, or ask the HGC to pass your request to all licensed operators. The HGC says the unified register of excluded players is not yet operational. For online games, reinstatement can be requested only after one year. It applies only to operators on the HGC White List | Not found at a primary source | Not found at a primary source | HGC, self-exclusion guide | 2026-10-19 |
| Germany | Gemeinsame Glücksspielbehörde der Länder (GGL) | OASIS, the nationwide player-ban system covering all forms of gambling. Providers must connect to it. It is run under the responsibility of the Regierungspräsidium Darmstadt | 0800 1 37 27 00, free and anonymous. Mon to Thu 10:00 to 22:00, Fri to Sun 10:00 to 18:00, 363 days a year (not 24 and 31 December) | 18 | GGL, OASIS (Darmstadt), OASIS (GGL), help line, age | 2026-10-19 |
| Italy | ADM, the gaming section of the adm.gov.it portal | Remote-gaming self-exclusion through the ADM portal or through a licensed operator where you hold an account. The "all operators" option blocks every licensed operator and prevents opening new accounts. Fixed term up to 270 days, or indefinite with revocation possible only after at least 9 months | 800 558822 (Istituto Superiore di Sanità), national, free and anonymous. Mon to Fri 10:00 to 16:00 | 18 (ADM service charter for remote gaming) | ADM self-exclusion, help line, age | 2026-10-19 |
| Poland | Minister of Finance (keeps the register of domains offering gambling in breach of the law) | Not found at a primary source | 801 889 880, helpline for behavioural addictions including gambling, run by the Instytut Psychologii Zdrowia PTP and listed by the national addiction office (KBPN). Daily 17:00 to 22:00 except state holidays | Not found at a primary source | Ministry of Finance register, help line | 2026-10-19 |
| Great Britain | Gambling Commission | GAMSTOP, free and run for all online operators licensed in Great Britain. You choose 6 months up to 5 years. It blocks accounts with those operators | National Gambling Helpline 0808 802 0133, free. The Gambling Commission lists it as free and open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week | 18 in most cases | Gambling Commission, GAMSTOP, helpline, age | 2026-10-19 |
Source: the linked regulator, state and help-line pages, read on 2026-10-19.
Notes from the same sources
- Germany: the regulator tells players to check that a provider is on its official whitelist before playing.
- Greece: the HGC tells players to check that a provider appears on its White List before registering.
- Poland: the Ministry of Finance states that online gambling is under a state monopoly, with the exception of betting and promotional lotteries, that taking part in illegal online gambling is a fiscal offence, and that sites using foreign licences are also illegal. Source: gov.pl, Ministry of Finance and tax administration warning, read 2026-10-19.
- Great Britain: if you need help right now and cannot reach the helpline, GamCare lists Samaritans on 116 123, and 999 in an emergency. Source: GamCare, read 2026-10-19.
How to set limits and take a break
- Use the limit tools of the operator. The Hellenic Gaming Commission names deposit limits, loss limits and time limits on gambling as self-protection tools. Source: HGC support services, read 2026-10-19.
- Take a break by blocking yourself. GAMSTOP describes blocking yourself from gambling websites and apps as a way to take a break, even if you feel in control. Source: GAMSTOP, read 2026-10-19.
- Self-exclude through the national register or system in the table above, where one exists for your country.
- Add other blocks. GAMSTOP lists bank blocks on gambling card payments, blocking software on your devices and a free helpline as services to combine with self-exclusion. Source: GAMSTOP about page, read 2026-10-19.
Warning signs
GamCare lists these among the common signs that your own gambling has become harmful. Source: GamCare, signs of gambling harm, read 2026-10-19.
- Preoccupation: you spend much of the day thinking about betting, and it distracts you at work or with people close to you.
- Withdrawal: you step out of social or work situations so that you can gamble.
- Chasing losses: your aim shifts from winning to winning back what you already lost.
- Lying: you hide how much you spend or how long you play, or ask for money to cover bills.
Who maintains this page
Questions about safer play
Is self-exclusion free?
GAMSTOP, for Great Britain, says its service is free. For the other countries in the table, the pages we read do not state whether self-exclusion costs anything, so we do not claim that it is free. Check the cost on the regulator's page before you apply.
Source: GAMSTOP, read 2026-10-19; other rows of the table.
Does self-exclusion cover all casinos?
Only the operators the scheme covers. GAMSTOP blocks accounts with operators licensed in Great Britain. In Germany, providers must connect to OASIS. In Greece, exclusion applies only to operators on the HGC White List. In Italy, the "all operators" option blocks every licensed operator. A site without a licence is outside all of these.
Source: GAMSTOP, GGL, HGC and ADM pages in the table, read 2026-10-19.
Can I cancel self-exclusion?
It depends on the country. In Spain you can ask to cancel an indefinite entry after 6 months. In Italy an indefinite exclusion can be revoked only after at least 9 months. In Greece, for online games, reinstatement can be requested only after one year. In Great Britain you choose the period, from 6 months up to 5 years.
Source: DGOJ, ADM, HGC and GAMSTOP pages in the table, read 2026-10-19.
Who can I call?
Germany: 0800 1 37 27 00. Italy: 800 558822. Poland: 801 889 880. Great Britain: 0808 802 0133. The hours differ by country and are in the table. For Spain and Greece we did not find a national number on the regulators' pages, so we list none. Do not rely on a number you cannot confirm on an official page.
Source: help-line pages linked in the table, read 2026-10-19.