Gambling should not interfere with essential spending, relationships, work, study or wellbeing. If it has become difficult to stop, the priority is to reduce immediate access, protect available money and seek support. You do not need to wait for a crisis before taking action.
What responsible gambling means in practice
Responsible gambling starts with limits decided before play, not while emotions are running high. A clear plan should state how much money and time you can spend without affecting food, housing, utilities, transport, medicine, debt payments or savings.
Treat every gambling payment as money that may be lost. Gambling is not a reliable way to earn income, clear debt or recover an earlier loss. Do not increase a limit because a session is going badly, and do not interpret a win as proof that another win is due.
Keep gambling separate from alcohol or other situations that impair judgement. If sticking to a plan repeatedly feels difficult, a complete break or self-exclusion is more suitable than trying to set another limit.
Signs that it is time to stop
A single warning sign can justify taking a break. Common signs include spending more than intended, gambling for longer than planned, hiding activity, borrowing to gamble, missing obligations or feeling restless when unable to play.
Chasing losses is especially important to recognise. It means continuing or increasing play in an attempt to recover money already lost. The earlier loss remains real regardless of what happens next, and further gambling can deepen the financial impact.
Also pay attention to sleep problems, anxiety, conflict with family, reduced concentration and repeated attempts to stop that do not last. These effects matter even when the amount spent appears small.
Set limits before money is deposited
Write down each limit and keep it somewhere visible. Use the strictest limit available when an account offers gambling controls, but do not rely on account tools alone.
| Limit | Decide in advance | Action when reached |
|---|---|---|
| Money | An amount left only after essential costs and savings | Stop all deposits and play |
| Time | A fixed start and finish time | Sign out and leave the device |
| Loss | The maximum acceptable loss for the session or period | Do not attempt to win it back |
| Frequency | The permitted number of gambling days | Keep all other days gambling-free |
| Warning trigger | A behaviour such as borrowing, hiding play or cancelling plans | Begin a full break or request self-exclusion |
Do not use credit, rent money, household funds or money borrowed from another person. Keep payment notifications active where possible and check statements regularly. The payments guide can help you review how gambling transactions appear among other spending.
Take an immediate break
When the urge to gamble feels strong, add distance between the urge and any payment. Sign out, close gambling tabs, remove saved payment details and uninstall gambling applications. Turn off promotional messages and notifications that may prompt a return.
Move available money to an account not used for gambling or ask a trusted person to help you manage essential payments. This should be voluntary and arranged with clear boundaries. Do not share banking passwords or security codes.
Plan a replacement activity for the time usually spent gambling. A walk, meal, conversation, household task or other scheduled activity can help interrupt the routine. If a short break repeatedly ends early, move to self-exclusion rather than relying on willpower alone.
Request self-exclusion directly
Self-exclusion is a request that a gambling provider prevent access for a chosen period or, where offered, indefinitely. Contact every provider you use because a request to one business may not affect accounts held elsewhere.
Use the provider's responsible-gambling or support channel and make the request unambiguous. State that you want self-exclusion, identify the affected account and ask for written confirmation. Ask what period applies, whether marketing will stop, how any remaining balance will be handled and whether other accounts connected to you are covered.
Keep copies of the request, confirmation and later correspondence. Do not try to reopen an excluded account or create a replacement account. If a provider does not action or explain the request, preserve the records and follow the steps in the complaints guide.
Protect household money and accounts
List essential payments due during the next month and arrange them before dealing with gambling debts. Cancel unnecessary gambling-related payment arrangements and review bank or wallet activity for transactions you do not recognise.
Tell a trusted person what is happening if it is safe to do so. Specific help is easier to provide than a general request: ask someone to review a budget, accompany you when seeking support or check in at an agreed time.
Never give another person access to your gambling account, and do not use someone else's identity, payment method or account to bypass an exclusion. For unresolved account access, withdrawals or provider conduct, use the documented process in the complaints guide rather than opening another account.
Get support and urgent help
Problem gambling can affect mental health as well as finances. Consider speaking with a healthcare professional or another qualified support service, particularly when gambling is linked to anxiety, depression, sleep loss or thoughts of self-harm.
Guyana's Ministry of Health describes the 915 hotline as a toll-free crisis support service available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. If you are in crisis or worried that you may harm yourself, call 915. If there is immediate danger, seek emergency assistance without delay. More crisis-focused information is available through urgent help.
Support from family or friends can be valuable, but it does not replace urgent or professional care. If you are supporting another person, avoid lending money for gambling or paying gambling losses without a wider plan.
Guyana's casino framework
Guyana's 2007 gambling amendment created legal concepts for casino premises and casino operator licensing. The consolidated law also sets application and suitability rules for those licences. These records describe a licensing framework; they do not establish that any particular online gambling domain is licensed, suitable for an individual, or safe to use.
Casinos and betting shops are identified by Guyana's Financial Intelligence Unit as sectors supervised for anti-money laundering and countering the financing of terrorism purposes. That supervisory classification should not be treated as a guarantee of winnings, withdrawals or responsible-gambling support from a particular provider.
Authority records: Gambling Prevention (Amendment) Act 2007, consolidated gambling law, Financial Intelligence Unit supervision information and Ministry of Health information about the 915 hotline.
Frequently asked questions
When should I consider self-exclusion?
Consider it when limits repeatedly fail, gambling affects essential spending or wellbeing, you chase losses, or a short break does not last. You do not need to wait until the harm becomes severe.
How do I ask a gambling provider to exclude me?
Contact its responsible-gambling or support channel, clearly request self-exclusion, identify the account and ask for written confirmation. Confirm the duration, marketing restrictions, balance arrangements and whether connected accounts are included.
Should I borrow money to recover gambling losses?
No. Borrowing or using essential household money can increase the harm. Stop gambling, protect upcoming essential payments and seek budgeting or professional support instead of trying to recover losses through more play.
Where can I get urgent crisis support in Guyana?
The Ministry of Health describes 915 as a toll-free crisis support service operating 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Call 915 if you are in crisis or fear you may harm yourself. Seek emergency assistance immediately when there is immediate danger.