Responsible Gambling

Need help right now?

If gambling is causing you harm, free and confidential help is available in Ireland today. You do not need a diagnosis, a referral or a reason to call.

National Gambling Helpline: 1800 936 725. It is free, confidential and open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

If you would rather not phone, Extern Problem Gambling offers free one-to-one counselling, and GamblingCare.ie can point you toward counselling, support groups and residential programmes near you.

Our commitment

GambleGuru reviews and compares gambling sites. We are not a gambling operator, we do not hold your money and we cannot set limits on your accounts. What we can do is tell you the truth about the sites we cover.

That means publishing what an offer really costs, naming slow payouts and hidden fees, saying plainly when an operator is not licensed in Ireland, and never presenting gambling as a way to make money. If a casino scores badly, we publish the low score.

Gambling should be entertainment you can afford. It is not an income, an investment or a way out of financial trouble.

What responsible gambling actually means

It means deciding in advance what you are willing to lose, and treating that money the way you treat the cost of a night out. Spent for the enjoyment, not expected back.

Every game covered on this site is built with a mathematical edge in the operator's favour. Over time, that edge wins. Any single session can end in profit; the long run cannot. Understanding that is the difference between gambling as entertainment and gambling as a plan.

Practical rules that help

• Set your budget before you deposit, not while you are playing. Decide the amount when you are calm and the account is empty.
• Only gamble money you can afford to lose. Never rent, bills, food, or borrowed money.
• Never chase losses. Raising stakes to win back what you lost is the most common route from entertainment to harm.
• Set a time limit as well as a money limit. Long sessions blunt judgement.
• Do not gamble while upset, stressed, bored, or after drinking.
• Set your deposit limit on the first day. Setting a limit before a losing run is far easier than during one.
• Keep gambling money separate from everyday money. Do not leave a balance in an account you check daily.
• Take real breaks. If stopping for a week is uncomfortable, that is worth acting on.

Warning signs

Gambling harm builds gradually. These signs are worth taking seriously, in yourself or someone close to you:

• Spending more money or time than you intended, repeatedly
• Chasing losses, or gambling to win back what was lost
• Borrowing money, selling belongings, or gambling with money meant for something else
• Hiding how much you gamble, or lying about it to people who care about you
• Gambling to escape stress, loneliness, anxiety or low mood
• Missing work, study, family time or sleep because of gambling
• Feeling anxious, irritable or restless when you try to stop
• Money worries, unpaid bills, or debt that gambling caused or worsened

If several of these apply, contact one of the services listed below. They are free, confidential, and the people answering have heard it before.

Self-exclusion in Ireland: what exists today

This point matters, and it is worth understanding before you rely on it.

The Gambling Regulation Act 2024 provides for a National Gambling Exclusion Register, administered by the Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland (GRAI), which will let you exclude yourself from every gambling site licensed in Ireland with a single request. That register is not yet in operation. It is being introduced as the new licensing regime is phased in.

Until it launches, self-exclusion works operator by operator. Excluding yourself from one site does not exclude you from any other, and it does not reach sites operating from outside Ireland. If you need to stop now, apply all three of these together rather than relying on any one of them:

1. Request self-exclusion at every operator where you hold an account, and keep the written confirmation.
2. Install blocking software on your devices, which is the only measure that also covers sites no Irish licence reaches.
3. Switch on your bank's gambling block if your bank or app offers one.

We will update this page when the national register goes live.

Tools you can use today

Operator limits. Every legitimate gambling site offers deposit limits, loss limits, session reminders and time-outs in your account settings. Reductions usually apply immediately, while increases are delayed by design. Use that in your favour and set the lower limit now.

Self-exclusion at operator level. Every operator must let you close or suspend your account for a fixed period. Get the confirmation in writing and keep it.

Blocking software. Gamban and BetBlocker block gambling sites and apps across your devices. BetBlocker is free.

Bank blocks. Most Irish banks and app-based accounts let you switch off gambling transactions on your card, often with a cooling-off delay before the block can be lifted. Check the card controls in your banking app or ask your bank.

Credit is off the table by law. Under the Gambling Regulation Act 2024, licensed operators in Ireland cannot accept credit card payments, or payments funded from credit. If a site offers to take your credit card, treat that as a serious warning sign about the site.

Where to get help in Ireland

Support is also available for family members and friends. Gambling harm affects the people around the person gambling, and these services support them too. You do not have to wait for someone else to ask for help before you look for it yourself.

You must be 18 or over

Gambling in Ireland is strictly for adults aged 18 and over. It is illegal for anyone under 18 to gamble, and licensed operators are required to verify age and identity.

If children use your devices, protect them. Never leave a gambling account logged in, do not save gambling passwords in a shared browser, and use parental controls or blocking software on shared computers, tablets and phones.

What this means for our reviews

Responsible gambling is not a page written to satisfy a checklist. It shapes what we publish.

We state wagering requirements in money, not only as multiples, so the real cost of a bonus is visible. We publish payout delays, withdrawal fees, cancellation windows and ceilings. We say clearly which operators hold an Irish licence and which do not. We do not describe gambling as a way to make money, and we do not hide a poor rating behind a promotion.

If you find something on this site that overstates an offer or understates a risk, tell us and we will correct it.

Contact us

Questions about this page, or something you believe we have got wrong? Use our contact page.

If you need help with gambling itself, please contact one of the services above rather than us. They are trained, free and confidential. 1800 936 725, at any hour of any day.