Gambling works as entertainment when you're in control of the time and money you spend. We built Kings with tools that help you keep it that way, and this page explains what they do and where to turn if you need more than settings can offer.
Why responsible gambling matters
Online slots, live tables and sports betting are designed to be engaging. That's the point. The risk is that engagement tips into compulsion — playing longer than you planned, chasing losses, or funding sessions with money earmarked for something else.
Recognising when play stops being fun is harder than it sounds, especially in the moment. The tools below exist to make that recognition easier and to put friction between impulse and action.
Signs gambling is getting out of hand
These behaviours show up before a problem becomes obvious to others:
- Depositing more than you budgeted, or returning to deposit again after losses
- Playing to win back what you've lost rather than for entertainment
- Spending time you meant to use elsewhere — work, family, sleep
- Hiding your play from people who would ask questions
- Borrowing money to fund sessions, or neglecting bills to keep playing
- Feeling anxious or irritable when you're not playing
If two or more of these apply, it's worth pausing and using the tools in the next section before you deposit again.
Questions worth asking yourself
A short self-check, answered honestly:
- Do you play with money you can't afford to lose?
- Have you lied to someone about how much you've spent or how often you play?
- Do you keep playing to recover losses from earlier sessions?
- Have you borrowed money or sold possessions to fund your play?
- Does gambling interfere with work, study or family time?
- Do you feel restless or irritable when you try to cut down?
- Have friends or family expressed concern about your gambling?
- Do you play to escape problems or to relieve stress?
One "yes" is worth noticing. Three or more means it's time to use our self-exclusion tool or contact one of the helplines below.
Our control tools
We offer eight tools that limit how much you can deposit, wager or lose, and how long you stay logged in. All of them are binding once set, and all are free.
| Tool | What it does |
|---|---|
| Deposit limits | Caps the total you can deposit in a chosen period — daily, weekly or monthly |
| Net deposit limits | Caps your net deposits after withdrawals are subtracted, giving you credit for money returned |
| Wager limits | Caps the total amount you can stake in a period, regardless of wins or losses |
| Loss limits | Stops play when your net losses hit a set figure — the most direct brake available |
| Session limits | Logs you out automatically after a set duration — useful for time that vanishes while you play |
| Reality checks | Interrupts play at intervals you choose to show how long you've been logged in |
| Time out | Locks your account for between 1 and 42 days — a cooling-off period you control |
| Self-exclusion | Closes your account for a minimum of six months, up to five years, across all ProgressPlay sites |
Any reduction to a limit takes effect immediately. An increase takes 24 hours, giving you a window to reconsider.
Self-exclusion is binding. Once active, it runs for the full term you choose — six months to five years — across every site ProgressPlay operates. Your account closes, any remaining balance is returned, and marketing stops. You cannot undo it during the term. Re-opening afterwards requires you to confirm in writing, followed by a mandatory one-day cooling-off period before you can deposit again.
Practical limits that work
Settings only help if they're calibrated to real budgets. These approaches reduce the chance of overspending:
- Set a monthly deposit limit equal to what you'd spend on other entertainment — cinema, meals out, hobbies. Treat it as gone the moment you deposit.
- Use net deposit limits if you withdraw regularly. They credit you for money returned and stop you topping up beyond your real spend.
- Pair a loss limit with a session timer. The loss limit stops a bad run; the timer stops time disappearing.
- Enable reality checks at 30-minute intervals. Each one breaks the momentum long enough to ask whether you're still enjoying the session.
- Never deposit with a credit card or e-wallet funded by one. We block credit cards, but the ban doesn't extend to services that draw on them indirectly.
- Take a time-out after a heavy loss. A week or two away from the lobby makes it easier to see whether you're chasing.
Where to get help in the UK
If you're struggling to control your play, or if someone you know is, these organisations offer free, confidential support:
GamCare runs the National Gambling Helpline — 0808 8020 133, available 24 hours a day, every day of the year. The line is free from UK mobiles and landlines, and your call won't appear on itemised bills. The same team offers web chat and email support at gamcare.org.uk.
BeGambleAware provides advice, self-assessment tools and referrals to treatment services across England, Scotland and Wales. Visit begambleaware.org for resources you can use immediately, including a short questionnaire that helps clarify whether you need further support.
GamStop is a free self-exclusion scheme that blocks access to every UK-licensed gambling site for a period you choose — six months, one year or five years. Register at gamstop.co.uk. The exclusion is immediate and covers sports betting, bingo, poker and all casino products.
Gordon Moody offers residential treatment programmes and online therapy for people with serious gambling problems. Their services are free at the point of use and include family support. Details at gordonmoody.org.uk.
Blocking software
Gamban (gamban.com) blocks access to gambling sites and apps across all your devices — phones, tablets, desktops. It runs in the background and can't be bypassed or uninstalled without contacting support. The service carries a small monthly fee and works on Windows, macOS, iOS and Android.
BetBlocker (betblocker.org) is a free alternative that blocks tens of thousands of gambling domains. It's open-source, works on multiple platforms, and can be set to lock for periods from 24 hours to five years. Installation takes a few minutes and needs no account.
Protecting minors
Access to our site is restricted to players aged 18 and over. We verify your age before you can deposit or play.
If you share a device with someone under 18, consider installing parental-control software such as Net Nanny or Qustodio. Both can block access to gambling sites, limit screen time and send alerts when restricted content is accessed. They work across phones, tablets and computers and remain active even when you're not around.
Questions about control tools
If you need help setting a limit or activating self-exclusion, our support team can walk you through it. Email [email protected] or use the contact form on the site. Response times are usually within a few hours.
For anything related to problem gambling — whether it's your own play or someone else's — the helplines above are faster and better equipped than we are. GamCare's phone line is answered by trained advisors who've heard it all before, and the call is genuinely confidential.
You must be 18 or over (18+) to use this site. If gambling ever stops feeling like entertainment, free and confidential support is available at BeGambleAware.org.