Help with gambling harm

Gambling harms are common and can have negative effects on money, work, relationships, mental health and physical health. In some cases, gambling worries can lead to thoughts of suicide.  Anyone can be affected negatively by gambling. If gambling is causing problems for you or your loved ones, support is available. The earlier you can get help for gambling harms, the better.

A number of sources of support are available to people in Bradford:

NHS Northern Gambling Service

The NHS Northern Gambling Service is a service covering Yorkshire & Humber, including Bradford. The service provides a mixture of face to face and telephone or virtual appointments, and see people with gambling problems, as well as those experiencing other difficulties such as mental health problems and thoughts of suicide. It also runs a service for 'affected others':  loved ones who are experiencing distress as a result of someone else's gambling behaviour. The staff are a mixture of specialist addiction psychologists and therapists, as well as people with lived experience of gambling harms. The service accepts direct self-referrals, as well as referrals from health and other professionals.

Please see the NHS Northern Gambling Service website for contact and referral details.

NHS Gambling

The NHS has information on gambling, and on other places you can go for support.

Gambling Understood

Raises facts about how we are drawn in and encouraged to gamble, to help us make informed decisions about whether to take part and raises awareness of support available.

Visit gamblingunderstood.co.uk

NECA – North East Council on Addictions

NECA Yorkshire and Humber provides free, confidential and specialist support across Bradford and the surrounding areas for anyone adversely affected by gambling-related harms, either their own or a loved ones. Please contact us for information, advice or support.

Visit neca.co.uk/neca-gambling/neca-gambling-yorkshire-humber/
Email: gambling.yorkshire-humber@neca.co.uk
Call: 01423 740723

Royal College of Psychiatrists

The Royal College of Psychiatrists has a lot of information for people who are worried about their gambling, or the gambling of a friend or loved one.

Help with finances

Gambling can put people at risk of money worries. For an overview of services available in Bradford to help with the cost of living, see the Bradford costing of living website.

Mental Health Support in Bradford

Healthy Minds links you to mental health support across Bradford. See the Healthy Minds website to find the right support for you.

For urgent mental health crisis support at any time, please contact First Response on 0800 952 1181. This service offers support 24 hours a day, seven days a week to people of all ages living in Bradford, Airedale, Wharfedale and Craven. Anyone that is aged seven and over can contact Safe Spaces which is a crisis service in the community. This service is available 365 days a year from 12 noon to 2.30am. To access Safe Spaces, call First Response on 0800 952 1181 and ask for ‘Safe Spaces’.

Self-exclusion services

The following services are available to help gamblers 'self-exclude' in order to help curb their gambling habits.

Gamban gambling blocker app

Gamban is an application which you can download which will block gambling websites and apps on all devices. It can be used all over the world.

Gamstop self-exclusion service

GamStop is a service which will block gambling websites. It is currently available as a multi-operator self-exclusion scheme to UK and NI residents. The self-exclusion operates for either 5 months, 1 year or 5 years. 

Visit the Gamstop website to create an account.

Multi Operator Self Exclusion Scheme (MOSES)

Multi-operator self-exclusion scheme. You can self-exclude from more than one bookmaker in your area by phoning the self-exclusion helpline on 0800 294 2060. You can nominate the betting shops you wish to self-exclude from. You will be excluded for a fixed term period of 12 months.

BACTA

Bacta operates a self-exclusion service for its members who wish to exclude themselves from Adult Gaming Centres (AGC). To self-exclude as a Bacta member, visit an AGC of phone one of them.  Non-bacta members should contact bacta on selfexclusion@bacta.org.uk or 0207 730 6444. You can choose to self-exclude for a period of between 6 months and 12 months. Self-exclusion will prevent you from entering the operators premises staff are trained to enforce the exclusion.

SENSE

SENSE for self-exclusion for land-based casinos. Once a customer has asked to be excluded through the SENSE scheme the customer’s information is shared with all casinos across the country and their details will be removed from all land-based casino marketing databases. Enrolment can take place at any land-based casino. Self–exclusion will last for 6 months.

Visit the SENSE website for more information and to sign up.

The Bingo Association

To self-exclude from Bingo venues you can visit the Bingo centre in person and self exclude. Alternatively visit the Bingo Association website.

Banking options

Following a government review of gambling, account holders in the UK can no longer use credit cards or e-wallets to gamble. Some UK banks also allow account holders to activate a gambling block on their bank card, which prevents the use of debit cards for gambling related transactions. Some of these banks also offer a 'cooling-off period', which is a set amount of time an account holder must wait until they can use their card for gambling transactions again. This time allows customers to think about their decision, and whether they wish to reverse it.

The banks listed below offer gambling blocks and 'cooling off periods' which aim to protect customers from gambling related harm:

• Monzo Bank – offers gambling blocks and a 'cooling-off period' of 48 hours.
• Cashplus – offers gambling blocks and a 'cooling-off period' of 48 hours.
• HSBC Group – offers gambling blocks and a 'cooling-off period' of 24 hours.
• Lloyds Banking Group (includes Lloyds Bank, Halifax, Bank of Scotland and MBNA) - offers gambling blocks and a 'cooling-off period' of 48 hours.
• Starling Bank - offers gambling blocks and a 'cooling-off period' of 48 hours.