Last updated: May 2026 — James Whitfield, Drawards
At Drawards, we believe that betting should always be an enjoyable and entertaining activity. Our founder, James Whitfield, and the entire team behind drawards.org.uk are firmly committed to promoting responsible gambling across every review, recommendation, and piece of content we publish. Player safety is not an afterthought here — it is a core part of everything we do.
This page exists to give you honest, practical information about staying in control of your gambling, recognising when things may be going wrong, and accessing the support you need. If you ever feel that gambling is no longer fun, please take the guidance on this page seriously. Help is always available.
Responsible gambling means betting within your means, for entertainment purposes only, and never chasing losses or gambling to escape stress or financial pressure. The new betting sites we review on Drawards are licensed by the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC), meaning they are legally required to offer tools that help you stay in control. We strongly encourage every player to use those tools from day one.
Problem gambling can develop gradually and affect anyone, regardless of age, background, or experience. Being aware of the warning signs is the first step toward getting help. Common signs include:
If any of these signs resonate with you, please do not ignore them. Recognising the problem is a sign of strength, not weakness.
Ask yourself the following questions honestly. If you answer yes to two or more, we strongly encourage you to seek support or use the tools available through your betting site.
Every UKGC-licensed betting site is required to provide responsible gambling tools. Here is what you should look for and use:
Set a daily, weekly, or monthly deposit limit to cap the amount of money you can load into your account. Once a limit is in place, it cannot be increased immediately — sites must apply a cooling-off period before any increase takes effect.
Reality check notifications remind you how long you have been playing and how much you have spent during a session. Enabling these prompts keeps you aware and helps prevent losing track of time.
A cooling-off period temporarily pauses your account activity, giving you time to reflect without fully closing your account. Periods typically range from 24 hours to several weeks.
If you need a stronger measure, self-exclusion allows you to block yourself from a betting site for a set period, usually a minimum of six months. In the UK, GAMSTOP (gamstop.co.uk) is the national self-exclusion scheme that lets you exclude yourself from all UKGC-licensed operators in a single step. We strongly recommend this tool for anyone who feels their gambling is out of control.
You are never alone. The following organisations offer free, confidential support for anyone affected by problem gambling in Great Britain and beyond:
Drawards operates a strict 18+ only policy. Every betting site we feature on drawards.org.uk must hold a valid UKGC licence and implement robust age verification checks before allowing anyone to deposit or place a bet. Gambling by anyone under the age of 18 is illegal in Great Britain. If you are a parent or guardian, we recommend using parental control tools such as Gamban (gamban.com) to prevent minors from accessing gambling websites.
James Whitfield and the Drawards team review new betting sites with player welfare front of mind. We only feature operators that meet UKGC standards, provide transparent terms, and offer the responsible gambling tools described on this page. If you ever have concerns about a site we recommend, or if you simply need to talk, reach out to GamCare on 0808 8020 133 — available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, completely free of charge.
Remember: gambling is meant to be fun. If it stops being fun, it is time to stop.