Safer play
Gambling should be a paid-for pastime, like a cinema ticket, never a way to make money or to win back losses. These are the habits and the help that keep it that way.
Ahead of the first spin
- Settle on a sum you could lose without it hurting, and on a time limit, before the lobby opens
- Keep gambling money apart from money for bills, rent and food
- Do not play when you are upset, tired or have been drinking
- Treat any win as a bonus, not as income, and never chase a loss
The tools Wildies gives you
Wildies offers deposit limits per day, week or month, which you can set through live chat or e-mail. A new daily limit starts the next day, a weekly limit the following Monday and a monthly limit on the first of the next month. Loss, wagering and session time limits are available as well, and a cooling-off switch sits at the bottom of the personal data and balance page in your account.
For a longer break, ask support for self-exclusion or to close the account. A closed account cannot be reopened while the exclusion period runs, which is exactly the point.
Warning signs
- You spend more money or time than you planned, again and again
- You borrow money, sell things or skip bills to keep playing
- You play to win back what you lost
- You hide your gambling from people close to you
- You feel restless or irritable when you try to stop
One of these signs is reason enough to pause and talk to someone. Help is free, confidential and available without an appointment.
Free help in the UK
GamCare operates the National Gambling Helpline: 0808 8020 133 is answered 24 hours a day, every day of the year, and the same advisers are reachable by live chat on the GamCare website. GamCare and BeGambleAware can point you to free counselling and treatment near you, and GamAnon supports family and friends of people who gamble.
Apps like Gamban or BetBlocker can shut gambling sites out of your phone and laptop altogether, and the gambling block found in most UK banking apps refuses card payments to gambling merchants. Both work together with the tools inside your Wildies account.
Support lines and websites
Updated · Wildies Review editorial team
