Responsible Gambling

Casino games are paid entertainment, not a way to make money. The odds are built so that, over time, the house wins. If you keep that in mind, set your budget before you start and stop when it's gone, gambling can stay what it's meant to be.

This matters a little more on the sites we review. They're licensed offshore, so the UK's national self-exclusion scheme, GamStop, doesn't cover them, and neither do most other countries' registers. The safety net you'd get automatically at a locally licensed casino is something you have to put in place yourself.

Setting Your Own Limits

Start with the casino. Most offshore operators let you set daily, weekly or monthly deposit limits, and many offer loss limits, session reminders and a cool-off period from a day up to several months. Where there's no self-service option in the account menu, live chat or email can apply the same limits or close the account for you. Lowering a limit should take effect straight away; raising one usually comes with a waiting period, and that delay is the point.

Your payment method can help too. Loading a Skrill wallet with a fixed amount for the week, and nothing more, turns the balance itself into a spending cap. Many UK banks and card apps also offer a gambling block that stops payments to gambling merchants for a set period. And because GamStop can't reach offshore sites, blocking software such as Gamban or BetBlocker is worth installing on your phone and computer if you want a break that holds.

Signs It's Stopped Being Fun

Problem gambling rarely looks dramatic at first. It might be depositing again to win back what you've lost, or using money that was meant for bills. Maybe you're hiding how much you play from people close to you, or feeling restless and irritable on days you don't gamble. Sessions that run far longer than planned, or bets creeping up to keep the same buzz, are warning signs as well. If any of that sounds familiar, take it seriously. Talking to someone early makes a real difference, and it's free and confidential.

Under-18s

Gambling is for adults only: 18 in the UK and most of the countries this site covers, 21 in Belgium and Greece. If children use your devices, parental control or filtering software such as Net Nanny can keep gambling sites out of reach.

Help by Country

SkrillCasinoSites.org covers players in 22 countries, so here is where to get free, confidential help in each one. Note the online gambling age of 21 in Belgium and Greece; everywhere else on this list it's 18.

In the UK, GamCare also runs a live chat at gamcare.org.uk, and BeGambleAware has self-assessment tools. Gordon Moody offers residential and online treatment for people whose gambling has become severe. GamStop still helps if you also play at UK-licensed sites: registering there blocks every one of them at once, even though it won't touch the offshore casinos on this site.