Keeping it a pastime

Simple habits that help

• Decide on a stopping time before you start. A kitchen timer works just as well as an app.
• Get up between sessions. A cup of tea, a walk, a chat with someone. Breaks help the "just one more" feeling fade.
• Treat the coins as a score, nothing more. They have no value, so there is nothing to chase and nothing to win back.
• Don't play when you're low, stressed or have had a drink. That's when games pull hardest.
• Remember the maths. Most of our games give back a little less than they take, over time. Real gambling works the same way, only with your money.

Signs it might be more than a game

These are worth taking seriously, whether you notice them in yourself or in someone you care about:

• Spending more time or money on gambling than you meant to, again and again.
• Feeling restless or irritable when you try to cut down.
• Betting more to get the same buzz, or to recover losses.
• Hiding how much you gamble, or borrowing to keep going.
• Gambling getting in the way of sleep, work, studies or relationships.

None of these make you a bad person. They are common, and help works.

Free support in the UK

GamCare

Runs the National Gambling Helpline on 0808 8020 133, around the clock, plus online chat, forums and free counselling across Great Britain.

BeGambleAware

Plain information about gambling harm, a short self-assessment, and links to treatment services near you.

GAMSTOP

A free self-exclusion scheme. Sign up once and you are blocked from gambling websites and apps licensed in Great Britain for the period you choose.

Gamblers Anonymous UK

Local and online meetings where people help each other stop gambling.

The NHS also runs specialist gambling clinics in England. Your GP can point you towards them, and several accept referrals directly from you.

Taking a break from Norske Spill

Nothing here will nag you to come back. If you would like to step away, open your purse from the sign at the top of the page and choose Sign out; that wipes your nickname and coins from this browser. Clearing this site's data in your browser settings does the same.

Children and young people

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