It is entertainment, not a way to earn
Gambling works best when you think of it as paid entertainment you can comfortably afford, in the same bracket as a night out. Over enough time the maths favours the house, so any money you stake is money you should be ready to lose. The moment you find yourself betting to unwind from stress, or to win back what you have already dropped, take that seriously. It is one of the clearest early signals that something is off.
Set limits before you play
- Deposit limits: cap how much you can add per day, week or month.
- Loss limits: set the most you are willing to lose in a single session.
- Session reminders: get a nudge telling you how long you have been playing.
- Self-exclusion: lock yourself out for a fixed period, or for good.
You will find all of these in your BC Game account settings. In practice they work best when you set them cold, before you sit down to play. Trying to rein yourself in halfway through a session almost never goes well.
Signs gambling may be a problem
- Spending more time or money than you planned.
- Chasing losses with bigger bets.
- Borrowing money or neglecting work, study or family to gamble.
- Feeling anxious, guilty or irritable about your gambling.
- Lying to others about how much you play.
Where to get help
If it has stopped being fun, there is free and confidential help out there. A few places worth knowing:
| Organisation | What it offers |
|---|---|
| GamCare | Free advice, counselling and a helpline. |
| BetBlocker | Free app that blocks access to gambling sites. |
| Gambling Therapy | Online support in multiple languages. |
Protecting minors
BC Game is for adults aged 18 and over, full stop. Keep your login to yourself, and if kids use the same phone or laptop, set up parental controls and blocking software like BetBlocker so they cannot reach gambling sites.
This page is for information only. If you or someone close to you needs help, reach out to one of the services above. You might also want our provably fair and app download pages.