Responsible gambling

Online gambling is only for adults: 18 in most of the markets we cover, 21 in Greece, and 19 in most Canadian provinces. Casinos must check your age and identity before you can withdraw.

Common warning signs are spending more money or time than you planned, chasing losses, borrowing money to gamble, hiding gambling from people close to you, and feeling restless or irritable when you try to cut down. If any of these sound familiar, take a break and talk to someone.

Set a deposit limit in your casino account before your first deposit. Lowering a limit applies straight away; raising one usually takes several days. Use session reminders and time limits, and know where the self-exclusion option is. Several countries also run national self-exclusion registers, such as OASIS in Germany.

Never treat gambling as a way to make money, and never copy the stakes you see on a stream: streamers often play with much bigger budgets, and sometimes with balances supplied by casinos.

Germany: Check dein Spiel, run by BIÖG (Federal Institute for Public Health), check-dein-spiel.de, free and anonymous phone line 0800 137 27 00.

Spain: FEJAR (Spanish Federation of Rehabilitated Gamblers), fejar.org, free, anonymous and confidential help line 900 200 225.

Poland: Telefon Zaufania uzależnienia behawioralne, listed by KCPU (National Centre for Counteracting Addictions), 801 889 880, every day 17:00–22:00 (charged at your operator's rate).

Finland: Peluuri, peluuri.fi, 0800 100 101, Monday to Friday 12:00–18:00.

Hungary: the Játék határokkal programme of Hungarian Interchurch Aid (Magyar Ökumenikus Segélyszervezet) lists local help centres with phone numbers at segelyszervezet.hu.

Greece: KETHEA gambling helpline 1114, kethea.gr.

Italy: Telefono Verde per la dipendenza da gioco d'azzardo, run by the Istituto Superiore di Sanità (ISS), 800 55 88 22.

Norway: Hjelpelinjen, hjelpelinjen.no, 800 800 40, weekdays 09:00–18:00.

Czechia: Národní linka pro odvykání (national quit line, including gambling), chciodvykat.cz, free on 800 350 000, weekdays 10:00–18:00.

Canada: in Ontario, ConnexOntario, 1-866-531-2600, free, 24/7. Other provinces run their own helplines.

Australia: Gambling Help Online, gamblinghelponline.org.au, 1800 858 858.

New Zealand: Gambling Helpline, gamblinghelpline.co.nz, free on 0800 654 655 or text 8006, 24/7.

Every page on spinchecks shows the helpline for its own market.