Does Gambling-related Harms affect you?
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We can offer you FREE, confidential and professional support if you are experiencing, or have experienced, gambling-related harms
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Gambling-Related Harms
What is gambling-related harms?
Gambling-related harms is the urge to gamble continuously despite harmful consequences or desire to stop, causing harm to the gambler and those around them.
Who experiences gambling-related harms?
Gambling related harms can affect anyone. It can happen at any age, to males and females and to people from any social class, cultural or ethnic background.
What causes Gambling-Related Harms?
None knows what causes gambling-related harms. Although there are relationships found between family gambling behaviour, age of onset and experiencing a big win early in their gambling career, it is not possible to determine cause and effect.
This is further complicated by the fact that gambling-related harms is rarely found in isolation. Those experiencing gambling-related harms often also present with others problems, such as alcohol or drug addiction.
Is your gambling causing issues for you and those around you?
The signs below may indicate that professional support is required for your gambling. If you recognise any signs or symptoms from the list below, please contact us today
When to seek professional support
- Urge to gamble is out of control and you are unable to manage it
- Family members, friends or co-workers have expressed concerns about your gambling
- Always thinking about when you’re going to next gamble
- Chasing losses or gambling to win back the money you have lost
- Lying about how much you gamble or hiding it from other people
- Causing financial problems for yourself and your household
- Spending less time with people and more time gambling
- Causing your health problems such as anxiety and stress
- Gambling all your money including your wages, bills and savings
- Neglecting other aspects of your life such as your family, friends and work
- Taking out debts to finance your gambling
- Stolen or borrowed money to gamble
Self-Assessment Tool
Gambling-related harms can negatively impact your life and those around you. It is not always easy to recognise that you have a problem yourself.
Take our free self-assessment tool today and we will endeavour to be in touch with you by the next working day to offer you FREE and confidential support.
In Conversation with Lauren, BCT’s Treatment Manager
Nathan Quarless– knocking out the harm in harmful gambling
Gambling can hurt your family… Not just your pocket!
Self-exclusion
What is self-exclusion?
Self-exclusion is a process when an individual can ask a gambling operator to exclude them from gambling for a set length of time – usually between six months and five years. In practice, it means you will be refused service in the venues where you have self-excluded.
Why self-exclude?
You may have noticed that during the time you have been gambling, you have favourite venues or websites. You may find it difficult to stay aware from certain venues or websites, self-excluding can be an additional form of help whilst you are seeking professional support for your gambling.
How do I self-exclude?
To self-exclude from one venue, you will need to visit that particular venue, let a member of staff know you want to self-exclude. You will be asked to bring a passport sized photo of yourself for the form you are required to fill out.
To self-exclude from several venues in your area
To view and download a copy of the Terms and Conditions go to: www.self-exclusion.co.uk
Self-exclude from all UK casinos
To self-exclude from all land based UK Casinos, please visit: www.nationalcasinoforum.co.uk/voluntary-self-exclusion-sense/
Self-exclude from UK bingo venues
For more information on self-excluding from all land-based bingo venues in the UK, please visit the Bingo Association website.
Self-exclude online
A new service called GAMSTOP allows you to self-exclude from many gambling websites, but not all. Later this year, all websites licensed in Great Britain should be part of this scheme. You can sign up at www.gamstop.co.uk.
Until all the companies are participating, you should also self-exclude individually from the websites you currently use and others you might use in future if they are not listed here: www.gamstop.co.uk/participating-companies.
GAMSTOP have created a short video to explain more about their service:
Alternatively you can get in touch with BCT and arrange an appointment for free counselling, our counsellors can guide you through the self-exclusion process whilst also providing you with help and advice.
For the vast majority of gamblers, self-exclusion reflects an ability to control your gambling behaviour and possibly a gambling addiction.
Some individuals believe self-exclusion is enough to deal with their problem and see it as a ‘quick fix’. However, in reality this is rarely the case and most individuals with gambling issues require additional support. We can provide this extra support to anyone dealing with gambling-related harms including affected others, around the North West for FREE with no waiting list.
Service User Feedback
“Thank you all for everything you do. I don’t know where I’d be without this service and the people that work there. Thank you so much”
“The whole service has been really good, and everyone has been really friendly and put me at ease throughout the whole process, thank you for everything”
“Thank you so much for being here and being so friendly and welcoming each time I come in”
“Found the sessions really helpful and made me aware of my triggers and underlying issues. A great service, thank you”
“I found it very helpful right from the start. Has assisted me to why I gambled in the first place and how I can deal with my stress more effectively”
Client asked if he could say a “big thank you to admin staff always there with a smile and a drink as he often arrived early, and this really made a difference to him as he never felt nervous walking through the doors”