Acknowledging a problem is always the first step to managing it.

The next step is reaching out to us so we can support you in taking positive and empowering action.

You are certainly not alone. Sometimes things happen within our lives that impact the way we feel, think and act.

Did you know:

• 1 in 4 people will experience difficulties with their mental health each year
• 1 in 2 people will develop some form of Cancer in their lifetimes
• The UK unemployment rate was estimated at 4.8% in July 2021, with many more of us still on furlough.

In fact, according to the financial lives survey (October 2020), 53% of UK adults had one or more characteristic that could make us more vulnerable. Everyone of us could feel vulnerable at some point in our lives, most of us will. It can be reassuring to know there is no need to compare ourselves with others and how they might seem to cope better in a similar situation. We are all different and something that could have a positive impact or no impact on one of us can impact another of us in a negative way.

We encourage you to reach out to us so we can support you in the next step towards positive action.

At Sky Betting and Gaming we want to listen, to talk with you and support you. If you are worried about something in your life that could impact the way you feel, think or act with your gambling, we invite you to get in touch and talk to us. You can contact us in many ways from the bottom of this page at any time.

If you are feeling worried about what may happen when you reach out to us then that's only natural. It can feel uncomfortable talking when we are used to bottling things up. We also might worry about what will happen after we have shared personal information. However, there is no need to worry - our priority is your safety and wellbeing.

Sometimes it can be reassuring to know what is likely to happen and so here is an outline below:

• We will welcome you and thank you for reaching out to us
• Depending upon the subject of discussion we may ask you if you are ok for us to discuss this in more detail with you. We will record notes of our discussion which will be kept confidentially. Please see our notes on this below.
• We will listen, aim to identify your needs and do our best to support you in an appropriate way. We will do our very best not to make any assumptions or judgments.
• Following our chat we will discuss or recommend some tools you can choose to apply to your account. We aim to explain how things work in a way which is easily understandable.
• We may recommend you reach out to an organisation that specialises in the type of support that we think will be helpful to you and your situation.
• You may decide that you want to apply a tool for only a short amount of time and our customer services teams are always on hand to have another chat should your situation change.

If you want to continue gambling we will aim to help you do so in a safe way. On occasion we may need to discuss with you whether you are making the healthiest and safest choice for yourself by continuing gambling. If you decide you should stop we have some really useful tools we can share to support you, such as GAMSTOP, GAMBAN and support organisations.

Sky Betting & Gaming offer a year's free Gamban licence which you can sign up for by Clicking Here.

Tools available online

So, we would really encourage you to get in touch with us. When we talk with you we have an opportunity to get to know you and your individual situation. That way, we can offer more support and options. We do understand that sometimes this may feel too hard. If that is how you are feeling today, then you can still take a step in the right direction.

Here are some tools available online which you can use:

• You could apply a 30 day cool off. Perhaps you feel you need a short break from gambling after a shock such as a bereavement or relationship breakup.  
• You could try applying a deposit limit. This could help to limit your gambling spend. It can also be a valuable tool to set a reality check to remind you when you have been playing for too long! Perhaps you have recently started a new job, you are finding it more stressful than usual and have realised you are gambling more in the evenings. Or if you wanted something more long term or permanent, if you contact us we could discuss unchangeable limits or close your account.
• You could look at self-exclusion. Perhaps you are saving for a wedding or you have recently been diagnosed with a condition you expect could get worse with time.

You can find out more by reading our Safer Gambling article.

Your privacy

We understand that sharing information with us, particularly when its sensitive can be daunting.

We take your privacy very seriously and comply with data protection regulations. Information you share with us with regards to your health (or other special category data) will be handled with care, and you should know that:
 

• It will never be used for any other purpose than to support you
• It will not be shared with third parties, unless required by our regulators
• No automated decisions will be made using this data
• It's held securely and in line with existing retention polices
• You can change your mind at any time and request that sensitive data is deleted

And above all, anything we discuss is with the aim to help you and with your wellbeing as our priority. We want to assess your needs so that we can provide the best help or tools that may be needed to keep gambling safe and enjoyable at Sky Betting and Gaming.

You can read more in our privacy policy here.

Marketing

You are able to opt out of direct marketing through 'My Account'. You may also wish to change your preferences within your online/Social Media accounts to limit the amount of gambling related advertising you see online. For more information read our Marketing Preferences article.

Other available support

Below are a list of charitable and health organisations designed to offer further professional support if required, this list is not an exhaustive list and other charitable options exist.

GamCare operate the National Gambling Helpline and offer confidential information, advice and support for anyone harmed by gambling in Great Britain. The Gamcare Helpline is open 24 hours every day on Freephone 0808 8020 133 or via Live Chat. Advisers will listen to you, they won't judge and your conversation is confidential. Visit here: www.gamcare.org.uk/talk-to-us-now/.

BeGambleAware provide information, advice and directs people to support to help keep people safe from gambling harms. Visit here: www.begambleaware.org.

Samaritans offer support for anyone experiencing difficulties. 'Whatever you're going through, a Samaritan will face it with you'. They operate a 24/7 helpline at 116 123 offering confidential support on any subject matter without judgement. Further information is available here: https://www.samaritans.org/

Step Change offer financial support for anyone with difficulties managing their financial situation. They offer financial support and advice via the phone at 0800 138 1111 or via Live Chat, found at Free Debt Helpline & Online Advice. Contact Step Change as well as more specific telephone lines for certain situations.

Mind offer non-urgent mental health advice, working with the likes of the EFL and Heads Together to break the stigma surrounding conversations surrounding mental health. For non-urgent advice, their 24/7 info-line can be found at 0300 123 3393 as well as via email at info@mind.org.uk.

NHS offer continuous 24/7 support for all mental and physical health concerns, the info-line 111 replaced NHS Direct to provide support for any conditions that are not an emergency, for emergencies contact 999.

Refuge provides specialist services to survivors of domestic abuse. They run a 24 hour National Domestic Abuse Helpline at 0808 2000 247 and a live chat service between 3pm-10pm at www.nationaldahelpline.org.uk  
 

Carry out a Self Assessment

Concerned about your habits? You can find out how safe your gambling is via GamCare. In an online assessment, you'll be asked a series of statements about your gambling behaviour on a scale of 1 - 10. At the end, you'll be provided with a breakdown of how gambling is affecting your life, alongside personal recommendations for your next steps.

Take a self assessment