Frequently asked questions
Cost, confidentiality, waiting times, debt and how to help someone else. If your question is not here, ask us and we will answer it properly.
Is this service free?
Everything on this website is free: the guides, the self-check, the reviewed directory, and an initial 20-minute intake call. If, after that call, one-to-one therapy is the right next step and you would rather not wait for an NHS place, we will tell you clearly what a private session costs before you commit to anything. You will never be charged for information or for being pointed towards free NHS and charity support.
Do I have to give my name?
No. You can read every page, take the self-check and use the directory without telling us anything at all. The self-check runs inside your browser and its answers are never sent to us. If you contact us, we only ask for what we need in order to reply.
Will you tell my family or my employer?
No. Anything you tell a practitioner is confidential. The narrow exceptions are the ones every UK therapist works under: a serious and immediate risk to your life or someone else’s, a child or vulnerable adult at risk, or a court order. We explain these limits at the start of the first session rather than burying them.
How quickly can I speak to someone?
Intake calls are usually offered within two to three working days. If you need to talk to a person tonight, call the National Gambling Helpline on 0808 8020 133. It is free and staffed 24 hours a day, and it is often the better first call.
I have not lost that much money. Is it worth getting help?
Yes. Harm is not measured only in pounds. Sleep, concentration, secrecy, irritability and the constant background noise of the next bet all cost something, and they respond well to early help. People who come in early usually need fewer sessions, not more.
What is GAMSTOP and should I register?
GAMSTOP is the free national self-exclusion scheme. One registration blocks your access to every gambling website and app licensed in Great Britain for six months, one year or five years. If your gambling is online, it is the single most effective practical step available to you, and it takes about ten minutes. It does not cover unlicensed offshore sites, so pair it with a bank gambling block and blocking software.
Can you help with my debts?
We are not debt advisers and we do not lend money, consolidate debt or take a fee for referrals. What we do is help you take the shame out of the numbers and get you to a free, regulated adviser such as StepChange or your local Citizens Advice. Never pay a company that charges to arrange debt help.
My partner gambles. Can I get help even if they will not?
Yes, and please do. Family and partner support does not depend on the gambler being ready. We work on financial protection, boundaries that hold, and the exhaustion and anger that come with living alongside gambling harm. Many families start here and the gambler follows months later.
Do you take bookings from outside the UK?
This service is for adults aged 18 and over who live in the United Kingdom. If you are outside the UK, your national helpline will be better placed to help and can point you to local treatment.
Do you have any connection to gambling companies?
No. We take no money, advertising or commission from gambling operators, affiliates or comparison sites, and there are no gambling adverts or referral links anywhere on this website. If that ever changed, it would be stated on the About page before anything else.
Still unsure?
Ask us anything, in your own words. There is no wrong question, and you will get an answer from a person rather than an automated reply.