Responsible Gambling: Help, Support and Tools for Irish Players

If gambling is causing you stress call the National Gambling Helpline for free at 1800 936 725. It's private. You don't have to share your name. You don't have to be in a crisis to call. Thinking about whether you have a problem is reason to reach out.

If you have come to this page you might be concerned about your gambling or the gambling of someone else. That shows strength. You are not alone. Many people in Ireland have recovered from gambling harm and free help exists in every county.

This page is a guide to where to seek help. You will find support services, the tools that can create a barrier, between you and gambling and actions you can do today. We study casinos for a living so we understand how these sites are built to keep you playing. We would prefer you to be safe.

Where To Get Help: Free Support in Ireland

All of these services are free of charge and confidential. No referral is needed, so you can contact them at any time.

Living in Northern Ireland? Call the 24-hour gambling helpline on 08000 886 725.

We know it can be hard to ask for help. The Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland who oversees gambling laws in Ireland keeps an up-to-date list of support services. Public outpatient addiction services, through the HSE are free of charge. There are many support services available.

Should I gamble?

It is a question and the honest answer is that you never have to gamble. Choosing not to gamble all is always a good decision and plenty of people choose not to gamble.

If you do decide to gamble think of gambling the way you would think of a night out or a concert ticket money you spend on entertainment not money you expect to get. Every casino game has a house edge built in. Over time the casino wins. A good night is one where you enjoyed yourself and stopped at the budget you set whether or not you won.

Is My Gambling Becoming a Problem?

Gambling problems don’t usually start with an event. They often build up quietly so it’s easy to miss them when they’re happening. Take a moment to ask yourself if any of these things have been true for you in the year:

• Do you spend more money or time on gambling than you planned?

• Do you need to bet amounts to feel the same excitement?

• Have you tried to win back money you lost by gambling?

• Have you borrowed money, sold items or used money meant for bills to gamble?

• Do you hide your gambling habits? Downplay how much you spend?

• Do you feel uneasy, angry or sad when you try to stop or cut back?

• Do you use gambling to escape from stress, loneliness or anxiety?

• Has gambling led to fights or hurt your job, school or sleep?

• Have you tried to stop or reduce your gambling? Found you couldn’t?

If one or more of these rings true it might be time to look closer, at how gambling's affecting your life. That does not mean you have an addiction. It just means gambling is starting to cost you something and support may be needed.

You can call the National Gambling Helpline on 1800 936 725 to talk it through or explore the tools on GamblingCare.ie.

List of Helpful Tools to Use

Willpower on its own is work. The tools below do some of the lifting by making it harder to gamble on impulse. Many people find that using two or three work best.

Block gambling payments through your bank

This is one of the effective steps you can take. Once a block is on your card is declined at gambling sites, including casinos, bookies and lottery sites. AIB, Bank of Ireland, EBS, PTSB and Revolut all offer a gambling block usually in a few taps, in your banking app.

Most blocks are designed to be hard to undo in a moment. PTSB and Revolut for example make you wait 48 hours before a block is lifted. If your bank isn't listed call them. Gambling with a credit card is also banned under Irish law. Read more in our payment methods page.

Install blocking software

Blocking apps stop gambling sites and apps from loading on your phone, tablet or laptop. To avoid having access to gambling apps, download and install them on every device you use.

Use the Tools at Every Casino and Betting Site

Every trustworthy gambling site has gambling tools in your account settings. Set them up before you play not when you're already chasing losses:

• Deposit limits cap how much you can put in each day, week, or month. Lowering a limit is instant; raising one usually takes at least 24 hours.

• Loss and wager limits stop you once you've lost or staked a set amount.

• Session limits and reality checks pop up to remind you how long you've been playing or log you out.

• Time-outs lock your account for a break from 24 hours to several weeks.

• Self-exclusion closes your account for six months to five years or more. A casino that lets you back in, during self-exclusion is breaking the rules. You can report them.

Self Exclusion

Self-exclude from all Irish-licensed sites at once. Excluding yourself one site at a time can leave gaps. Under the Gambling Regulation Act 2024 the GRAI is creating a National Gambling Exclusion Register. This register will allow you to exclude yourself from all Irish-licensed operators at the time for a set time or permanently in one single step. As of this update the register is still being developed so keep an eye on grai.ie for news about the launch. Until it is live you must self-exclude from each Irish-licensed site you use this can be done by customer care or from within your account.

If you also have accounts with UK-licensed sites GAMSTOP can help you exclude yourself from all of them, at once. Please note that GAMSTOP does not cover sites licensed in Ireland or any other country.

How to Stop Gambling Adverts

Adverts are a trigger. On Facebook and Instagram go to Settings then Ad preferences. Choose to see fewer ads about gambling. On YouTube and Google open My Ad Center. Turn off gambling ads. Unsubscribe from casino emails and switch off push notifications, from betting apps or still delete them. I hope you find these steps useful.

Steps You Can Take Today

You don’t have to fix everything all at once. Each of these takes less than an hour. Each one makes the next step easier.

1. Tell one person. Choose someone you trust like a partner, friend, family member or your GP. Gambling problems grow in secret. Saying it out loud takes away some of their power.

2. Call the helpline. The National Gambling Helpline on 1800 936 725 can talk through what's happening. Point you to counseling or a support group near you.

3. Turn on your bank's gambling block. Do it now while you're thinking clearly. Then install a blocker like BetBlocker or Gamban on your phone.

4. Self-exclude from every site you use. Log in one time and choose self-exclusion, not a short time-out. Then delete the apps.

5. Get help with debt. If gambling has left you with bills or loans you cannot manage, MABS can help you make a plan for free at 0818 07 2000. Don't try to win your way out of debt.

6. Plan for the peak urge time. Think about when you gamble, like payday late at night during matches or after a drink. Plan something for those moments and someone you can text.

If you slip-up that's not failure. Most people who stop gambling have setbacks along the way. Be kind to yourself, work out what triggered it and get back in touch with your support.

Worried About Someone Else?

Gambling harm doesn't only affect the person gambling. Partners, parents and children often carry the stress of the money worries and the broken trust. Your wellbeing matters too. The services above including the National Gambling Helpline and Extern Problem Gambling support family members as well.

Signs that someone close to you may be struggling include money problems or missing money and borrowing often, being secretive about their phone or where they've been and mood swings linked to sports or payday.

If you want to raise it with them:

• Pick a calm moment not straight after a big loss or an argument.

• Talk about what you've noticed and how it affects you than labeling them. "I'm worried because…" lands better than "You're an addict."

• Expect denial at first. Leave the door open. Let them know where help is.

• Protect your finances. Keep accounts if you need to don't take on their debts and get advice from MABS on 0818 07 2000.

• Get support for yourself whether or not they're ready. Gam-Anon Ireland meetings are for family and friends.

You can't make someone stop but you can stop carrying it alone.

Keeping Children and Teenagers Safe

Gambling is for adults. In Ireland a person must be eighteen years old or older to gamble. Licensed gambling sites must confirm your age and identity before you can start playing. Research by the GRAI shows that children exposed to gambling such as when parents gamble face a risk of later problems.

• Never let a child use your account, cards or devices to play gambling games.

• Keep passwords and log out after every gambling session.

• Turn on controls on shared devices. Your phone's built-in Screen Time for iPhone or Family Link for Android can block gambling sites and apps.

Talk to teenagers about how gambling works, including loot boxes and skin betting in video games, which use the hooks.

Our guide on underage gambling has more advice for parents.

How Irish Law Protects You

The Gambling Regulation Act 2024 created the Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland (GRAI) which licenses and supervises gambling in Ireland. Its protections include the National Gambling Exclusion Register, a ban on gambling with credit cards advertising rules to protect children and vulnerable people and stopping operators from pushing you to gamble more.

Licensing is being rolled out in stages. Online betting licenses began on 1 July 2026. Online casino licenses are expected to follow so not every site has an Irish license yet. Whichever site you use check it’s licensed by a recognised regulator and that its safer gambling tools are easy to find.

If a site ignores your self-exclusion, keeps sending you offers after you've set limits or won't pay out, our guide on how to report an online casino explains where to complain and what evidence to keep.

The Irishluck Responsible Gambling Pledge

Irishluck earns money when readers sign up at the casinos we review and Irishluck takes the responsibility that comes with that seriously. Irishluck only recommends sites that pass Irishluck's security and responsible gambling checks as set out in our Rating Guidelines. Irishluck never targets under-18s and Irishluck always points you to support before a bonus.

These are the promises Irishluck holds to ourselves. You can hold Irishluck to them too:

1. Irishluck will never recommend a casino. Every site we list must offer deposit limits, time‑outs, self‑exclusion and clear links to support. Sites that do not offer these are rejected, no matter how much they offer to pay.

2. Irishluck will always put help before a bonus. The National Gambling Helpline number appears on every page where we feature a casino or an offer.

3. Irishluck will be honest about the odds. Irishluck will never call gambling a way to make money. Irishluck will never use words like "guaranteed win" or "risk-free”. Every casino game has a house edge. Irishluck says so.

4. Irishluck will show the print up front. Wagering requirements, expiry dates, max bets and win caps sit next to every bonus we list not hidden behind a link.

5. Irishluck will never market to under-18s. Our content is written for adults. Irishluck does not promote gambling where children are the main audience.

6. Irishluck will act when a casino lets you down. If a site ignores self-exclusion keeps sending offers after you have set limits or treats players unfairly Irishluck will investigate. Casinos that fail can lose their rating. Be moved to our blacklist.

7. Irishluck will keep this page accurate. Irishluck re-checks every number and support service on this page at least every three months and Irishluck updates it whenever Irish rules change.

8. Irishluck will keep our support pages ad-free. You will not find casino offers or affiliate links, on our gambling pages.

If you think Irishluck has fallen short of any of these tell us at editorial@irishluck.ie. Contact us and our team will put it right. If you are struggling and do not know where to start you can also contact our team and Irishluck will point you towards the help.

More From Our Responsible Gambling Centre:

• How to block casino sites

• The risks of gambling

• Underage gambling

• Blacklisted casinos

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18+ only. If gambling is affecting you or someone you love I understand how tough that can be so call the National Gambling Helpline for free at 1800 936 725 24 hours a day. All details checked and correct on October 2026