National Gambling Helpline – Free, Confidential Support Available Every Day

The National Gambling Helpline is a free, confidential phone service for anyone in the UK affected by gambling harm, including young people, parents and professionals. Run by GamCare, the helpline is available every day of the year on 0808 8020 133, and you can call as many times as you need. This article explains what the helpline offers, who it is for, and how it supports families dealing with gambling harm involving children and teenagers.

Who the Helpline Is For

The service is open to anyone affected by gambling, not just the person placing bets. Parents worried about a child's gambling can call, as can teachers, youth workers and young people themselves. Calls are free from landlines and mobiles, and no name or personal details are required.

The advisers are trained to support people at different stages: someone who has just realised there is a problem, someone trying to stop, or someone supporting a young person through recovery. You do not need to have a clear plan or know what help you want before you call.

What Happens When You Ring

When you call 0808 8020 133, you speak to a trained adviser who listens without judgement. The conversation is confidential, which means the adviser will not share what you say with anyone unless you or someone else is at immediate risk of harm. The call lasts as long as you need it to, and there is no pressure to make decisions on the spot.

The adviser can help you think through the situation, explain what options exist, and suggest practical steps you can take that day. If you are a parent, they can talk through how to start a conversation with your child. If you are a young person, they can explain what self-exclusion and blocking tools do, and how to set them up.

Support Beyond the First Call

You can ring the helpline as many times as you need. Some people call once for information; others call regularly over weeks or months as they work through a problem. Each call is treated as a new conversation, and you will not be asked to repeat everything you said before unless you want to.

Support for Families and Young People

Many parents call because they have discovered their child has been gambling online, often through betting sites, gaming platforms that include loot boxes, or informal betting with friends. The helpline can explain how young people access these sites, what the risks are, and what a parent can do to block access or set financial controls.

The advisers understand that gambling harm in young people often looks different from adult gambling. A teenager may show changes in mood, withdraw from social activities, or become secretive about their phone and computer use. The helpline can help a parent recognise these signs and decide on the next steps, whether that is having a conversation at home, contacting the school, or seeking face-to-face counselling.

Practical Steps the Helpline Can Walk You Through

1. Setting up parental controls on devices and home internet to block gambling sites.
2. Using Transformation Trust to understand the tools schools and families can use together.
3. Installing free blocking software such as BetBlocker across all devices a young person uses.
4. Registering the young person with GAMSTOP, the national self-exclusion scheme that blocks access to licensed gambling sites in Great Britain.
5. Finding local face-to-face counselling or group support for young people and their families.

Anonymity and Privacy

Calls to the helpline are not recorded, and you do not have to give your name, address or any other identifying information. The adviser will not ask for details that are not relevant to the help you need. If you are worried about a call appearing on a phone bill, the number will show as 0808 8020 133 with no description.

Young people calling on their own can be reassured that the conversation stays private unless the adviser believes there is an immediate risk of serious harm. In that situation, the adviser will talk to the young person first about what needs to happen next.

Other Ways to Get Support from GamCare

If calling feels too difficult, GamCare also offers a live chat service through its website and a moderated online forum where people share experiences and advice. The forum includes sections for family members and friends, so parents and carers can connect with others in similar situations.

For face-to-face support, GamCare runs counselling services in several UK cities and can refer people to local partner organisations. The helpline adviser can explain what is available in your area and how to access it.

Comparison of National Gambling Helpline and Other Support Options

When to Call

You do not need to wait until a problem becomes severe. Early contact often makes it easier to put controls in place and prevents harm from deepening. Call if you have noticed a young person spending more time on gambling sites, borrowing money, becoming defensive about their phone use, or showing signs of anxiety or low mood that started around the same time as new online activity.

Parents often say they wish they had called sooner. The helpline is there for questions as much as for crises, and advisers are used to speaking with people who are not sure whether what they are seeing counts as a problem.

Getting Help

The National Gambling Helpline is run by GamCare and is available every day on 0808 8020 133. BeGambleAware also provides information and resources for families, and Gordon Moody offers residential and online treatment for people whose gambling has caused serious harm. Free blocking software is available from Gamban (paid subscription) and BetBlocker (free, multi-platform).

Gambling is for people aged 18 and over. If you are concerned about a young person's gambling, or if you are a young person who needs support, the helpline is a safe first step.

This article is for general information only. Transformation Trust is an independent information site; we do not provide gambling services and are not a casino operator or bookmaker. Support is available through the organisations named above, and all calls to the National Gambling Helpline are free and confidential. Gambling is restricted to those aged 18 and over (18+). For free, confidential advice, visit BeGambleAware.org.

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