Talk to us now

Calls to the National Gambling Helpline are free from landlines and mobile phones in the UK and do not show on itemised bills. Calls from BT phone boxes are also free. Some other public phone operators may charge you to call.

You will be talking to a GamCare Adviser who is trained to listen and help people affected by gambling problems. They will listen to you carefully and encourage you to talk about what is worrying you.  Not only is telling someone often a relief it is also an important first step in dealing with the problem. The Adviser can also connect you with GamCare treatment services across the UK, either face-to-face, online or over the phone.

If you are looking for help for a friend or family member affected by a gambling problem, the Adviser can also help. They will suggest ways you can support and encourage them to seek help. We can also help you deal with the effects of their gambling on your own life.

We offer 24 hour support. If all our Advisers are busy, you can leave a message including your name and a number you are happy for us to call you on. We will then call you back when an Adviser is available, or at the time you have specified if possible.

Yes. Whatever you say will be just between you and the GamCare team. 

We only share information about you with others if: 

• you ask us to;
• we believe your life, or someone else’s life, is in danger;
• you’re being hurt by someone in a position of trust, like a partner, carer or friend;
• you tell us that you’re seriously harming another person / people.

Our advisers do sometimes need to discuss their work with their supervisors or other team members to make sure the people we support get the right help, however we will keep everything anonymised wherever possible.

Remember you don’t need to give any details that identify you during the call at any time, if you do not wish to.

We will not be able to see where you are and we won’t ask you to tell us if you don’t want to. You don’t need to tell us your name or who you are either. For a web chat, you can choose any screen name, it doesn’t have to be your real name.

If you decide you want us to refer you for free GamCare treatment, we will need to take some personal details from you. This will be explained during the call or chat.

When you get in touch with us, you can take as much (or as little) time as you want. Some people contact us just once, some people get in touch several times. We may sometimes suggest a call back from one of our team. 

If you feel you need to speak with someone more often and more long-term we will help you find the right person or organisation for you. We can also refer to our treatment services across Great Britain if that’s the right option for you.

You can also join our Forum for ongoing peer support – find out more here.

Calls will be recorded to ensure we can monitor the quality of the service we are giving and to keep you safe, and a copy of each chat is stored in our secure database. Call recordings are deleted after 28 days.

Freephone numbers do not usually appear on itemised telephone bills. But if someone else uses the last number redial function on your telephone after you have spoken to us, this will dial us again. It is a good idea to find somewhere quiet and private to call from if you want to talk about something difficult or personal. 

For more information on confidentiality and data protection please see our privacy notices.