Safer Gambling

It is an offence for anyone under the age of 18 to register and play on any of our sites. We carry out age verification checks on every person that registers an account on our network and ask for documentary proof where checks are inconclusive to minimise the risk of underage customers.

If you are concerned that someone under the age of 18 is gambling on our network, please contact [email protected] to report this.

Website Blocking Software

If you wish to monitor or restrict the use of your computer’s access to the internet, you can use one of the following third party applications:

Net Nanny:

Net Nanny is a content-control software that allows parents to monitor and protect their child’s computer and phone activity. Further information can be found at https://www.netnanny.com/

CYBERsitter

CYBERsitter is a general blocking tool parents can use to block inappropriate web content from children’s devices. Further information can be found at https://cybersitter.27labs.com/

GamBlock

GamBlock is a blocking software that is used to block gambling websites and apps on your devices. Further information can be found at https://www.gamblock.com/

Youth Access

Youth Access is a registered charity that offers free and confidential information, counselling, and advice for young people. Further information can be found at https://www.youthaccess.org.uk/ or by calling 020 8772 9900.

Having a true understanding of your gambling behaviour is vital to gambling safely. For a small number of people gambling can have a harmful impact, which could result in personal, social, financial or health problems.

If you are not sure how much gambling has become a problem for you, GamCare have created an online assessment to help you assess how much of an impact gambling may be having in your life. The self-assessment will give you a series of statements and ask you to select how much the statement applies to your gambling behaviour on a scale of 1-10. Once completed, you will be presented with a breakdown of how gambling is affecting your life as well as personalised recommendations for your next steps.

To take the self-assessment, please click here.

It’s always good to monitor how long you spend playing on any of our sites. To help manage this, you can set up a Reality Check on your account. Setting up a Reality Check will create a pop-up display that will notify you how long you have been logged in to your account for, depending on what set period you have opted in for.

If you wish to set up a Reality Check pop up, you can request an alert to appear every 5, 15, 30, 45 minutes or 1 hour.

To set or amend, log in and open the Safer Gambling section in your account and select ‘Reality Checks’. Once enabled, your changes will be applied to your account straight away.

Gambling constantly can cause you to lose track of time and perspective, which is why we advise you to take regular breaks. To take a temporary short break, you can create a cooling-off period. A Cooling-off period can be created for a period of 24 hours, 72 hours, 7 days, 4 weeks and up to 6 weeks and will be applied immediately.

Once you have set this cooling-off period, you will be unable to access your account until the chosen period has elapsed and you will not be able to reactivate your account during the Cooling-Off period.

If you are concerned about your gambling, you can take a longer and more permanent break by setting a Self-Exclusion. Please see the Self-Exclusion link section for more information.

Our highly trained Customer Service team are available between the hours of 08:00-04:00 7 days a week to assist in dealing with any problem gambling issues, as well as wanting to support you in maintaining control. If you would like to speak to someone here about problem gambling please Contact us.

If you feel you are at risk of developing a gambling problem, or believe you currently have one, there are available a number of independent gambling support services who provide free and confidential advice.

Should you be concerned about your gambling click here to complete our problem gambling self-assessment and this will help you consider as to whether you have a gambling problem.

GambleAware:

GamebleAware provides free, confidential information about what safer gambling means and how to prevent, recognise and manage problem gambling. Further information can be found at https://www.begambleaware.org/

Gambling Therapy:

Gambling Therapy provides online therapy for those with a gambling addiction and to anyone affected by gambling. Further information can be found at https://www.gamblingtherapy.org/

Gamblers Anonymous:

Gamblers Anonymous offer various aids for anyone who is affected by gambling, including confidential face-to-face counselling. Further information can be found at https://www.gamblersanonymous.org.uk/

GamCare:

GamCare is a registered charity that provides confidential telephone support and counselling to anyone who is affected by problem gambling. GamCare can be contacted on 0808 8020 133 (freephone from UK) or by visiting their website at https://www.gamcare.org.uk/

If you are considering self-exclusion, you may wish to register with GAMSTOP. GAMSTOP is a free service that helps you self-exclude from all online gambling companies licensed in Great Britain. To find out more and to sign up with GAMSTOP please visit https://www.gamstop.co.uk/

We believe that gambling should be an enjoyable leisure activity, remembering these simple tips can help make sure your gambling doesn’t become a problem:

1. Play for fun. Gambling always should be enjoyable and not seen as a way to make money.
2. Ensure you only spend what you can afford to lose. Create Deposit Limits and track your history to manage the amount of money you spend
3. Bet with a clear head. Don’t gamble when you are tired, upset, or under the influence of alcohol.
4. Always bet sensibly and never chase your losses
5. Be conscious of the time spent gambling. Set up Reality Checks to remind you how long you have been playing.
6. Regularly take our Self-Assessment for guidance on how to gamble in a safe and responsible manner.
7. It’s good to take regular breaks from gambling. Consider taking a Cooling-Off period for up to 6 weeks.
8. If you feel you are developing or have a gambling problem, you should consider a Self-Exclusion
9. If you need to talk to someone about Safer Gambling, our Customer Service team are fully trained, or you can contact a gambling support service found in the Support and Advice section.
10. Balance gambling with other activities. If gambling is your only form of entertainment think about whether you are still having fun.

We recommend that you always consider how much time and money you spend on gambling. To keep track of your activity, visit the History section in your account to view your account, game, and rewards history.

We encourage you to set a deposit limit on your account before you play with us to ensure that you are only spending what you can afford to lose. The risk of problem gambling maybe reduced if you decide in advance how much money you want to commit to play.

You can set a daily, weekly and monthly deposit limit which will be applied immediately. Once your limit is reached, you won’t be able to make any more deposits until the period is over.

If you would like to decrease your deposit limits, this can be done at any time and will be applied immediately.

To increase deposit limit, make sure you have carefully considered whether you can afford to do so. Never decide to increase your limit because you have lost money and think that you will win it back by gambling more. If you decide to increase, you will need to wait 24 hours for this to be applied to your account.

To set a deposit limit, log in to your account and visit Deposit Limits under the Safer Gambling section of your account. Here you will be able to view your current limits and any pending limits.

If you are concerned that your gambling has become a problem, or if you feel you are at risk of developing a gambling problem, please consider self-exclusion.

If you want to have a break from playing for any other reason, please consider taking a cooling-off period. Self-Exclusions cannot be reversed, and you will not be able to access your account until your requested break has ended.

Should you choose to self-exclude on the Grace Media network, you can do so for 6 months, 1 year, 2 years or 5 years. Should you wish to have a break for a shorter period of time, we suggest you consider taking a cooling-off period instead.

If you are considering self-exclusion, we suggest that you also seek support from a gambling support service.

Once you have self-excluded, you will be unable to access your account until the chosen period has elapsed and you will not be able to reactivate your account during the Self-Exclusion period. We strongly suggest that you self-exclude from all other gambling operators that you have an account with.

During any period of self-exclusion, we will remove you from our marketing databases and you will be unable to create any new accounts on our network. Your self-exclusion will automatically apply to all your accounts on our network.

If you would like to re-activate your account once your Self-Exclusion period has ended, you will need to contact the Customer Support team via Live Chat, otherwise your account will remain closed.

We recognise that problem gambling not only affects the gambler but also their friends and family members. If you’re worried about a friend or family members gambling, here are some possible warning signs to look out for:

• Uncontrolled spending
• Spending significant amounts of time gambling
• Concealing or lying about gambling behaviour
• Borrowing money or stealing in order to gamble
• Gambling impacting on relationships or causing arguments
• Withdrawal from activities with family and friends
• Loss of interest in hobbies or leisure pursuits
• Neglecting work or studies

If you notice a few of these signs in a friend or family member, we recommend that you encourage the person to familiarise themselves with the available Safer Gambling tools and to contact our Customer Service Team or a gambling support service found in Support and Advice to seek help.

The following UK-based organisations provide specific services for friends and family members:

GamCare

GamCare is a registered charity providing information, advice, support and free counselling for the prevention and treatment of problem gambling, including specific advice for friends and family members: https://www.gamcare.org.uk/

Gam-Anon

Gam-Anon provides confidential online support and face-to-face counselling to friends and families affected by problem gambling. Further information can be found by visiting their website http://gamanon.org.uk/