I’ve been writing about personal finance and lifestyle issues for over two decades now, and if there’s one topic that consistently generates the most heartfelt emails from readers, it’s gambling addiction. The question “how do I stop betting?” lands in my inbox weekly, often from people who’ve reached their breaking point. Sports betting, in particular, has exploded in the UK over the past fifteen years, and I’ve watched friends, family members, and countless readers struggle with it.
Today, I want to share ten practical methods for stopping betting, drawing on expert advice, clinical research, and real experiences from people who’ve successfully quit. Whether you’re wondering how do I stop sports betting specifically or how to address any form of gambling, these strategies offer different approaches that work for different people.
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1. Self-Exclusion Through GAMSTOP
The Process: GAMSTOP is the UK’s national self-exclusion scheme, and it’s become the first port of call for many people serious about stopping. You register online at gamstop.co.uk, providing basic personal details, and choose an exclusion period of six months, one year, or five years. Once registered, you’re blocked from all UK-licensed gambling websites and apps.
The registration takes about five minutes, and the block activates within 24 hours. GAMSTOP works with all licensed operators, meaning you can’t simply create a new account elsewhere to bypass it.
Pros:
- Immediate barrier to online gambling across all licensed sites
- Free to use
- Covers betting shops, online casinos, bingo sites, and sports betting platforms
- Cannot be reversed once chosen (which is actually a strength)
- Increasingly sophisticated at catching attempts to circumvent it
Cons:
- Only covers UK-licensed operators, not offshore sites
- The minimum period is six months, which might feel daunting initially
- Doesn’t address underlying psychological triggers
- There are many Non Gamstop Sites available
- Won’t stop you from gambling in physical bookmakers unless you self-exclude from those separately
- Requires you to take the first step, which can be the hardest part
My Take: I recommend GAMSTOP as a foundational step rather than a complete solution. It’s brilliant at removing temptation during vulnerable moments, but you’ll need additional support to address why you gamble in the first place.
2. Seeking Help from GamCare or BeGambleAware
The Process: Both GamCare and BeGambleAware offer free, confidential support services. GamCare operates a national helpline (0808 8020 133) and online chat service, whilst BeGambleAware provides information and signposting to treatment services.
You can ring anonymously, any time, and speak with trained advisers who understand gambling addiction. They can refer you to face-to-face counselling, online support groups, or residential treatment if needed. Many people start with a single exploratory call and build from there.
Pros:
- Completely free and confidential
- No judgment from trained professionals
- Available 24/7 for crisis support
- Can connect you with local services and therapists
- Provides both immediate support and long-term treatment options
Cons:
- Requires courage to make that first call
- Waiting lists for specialist therapy can be weeks or months
- Phone support isn’t for everyone
- You need to be honest about the extent of your problem
- Treatment effectiveness depends on your commitment to the process
My Take: I’ve spoken with several readers who credit GamCare with saving their lives, marriages, and finances. The initial call is terrifying, but these organisations have seen it all before and won’t shame you.
3. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
The Process: CBT is a structured psychological treatment that helps you identify and change thought patterns that lead to gambling. You’ll typically attend weekly sessions with a therapist specialised in addiction, working through exercises that challenge distorted thinking about betting, luck, and control.
Sessions last around 50 minutes, and most courses run for 12-16 weeks. The NHS offers CBT for gambling addiction, though private options exist if you can’t wait for NHS appointments.
Pros:
- Evidence-based approach with strong success rates
- Teaches practical skills you’ll use for life
- Addresses root causes, not just symptoms
- Available through NHS or privately
- Can be done face-to-face or online
Cons:
- Requires significant time commitment
- Can be emotionally challenging
- NHS waiting times can be lengthy
- Private CBT costs £40-100 per session
- Success depends heavily on completing homework between sessions
My Take: CBT changed my neighbour’s life after a fifteen-year sports betting habit nearly bankrupted him. It’s not a quick fix, but it’s perhaps the most effective long-term solution I’ve encountered.
4. Gamblers Anonymous Meetings
The Process: Gamblers Anonymous (GA) follows the twelve-step programme model made famous by Alcoholics Anonymous. Meetings happen throughout the UK, typically weekly, where people share experiences and support each other’s recovery. There’s no cost to attend, and anonymity is protected.
You simply turn up to a meeting (locations listed on gamblersanonymous.org.uk), introduce yourself only by first name, and listen. You’re never forced to share until you’re ready.
Pros:
- Completely free
- Available in most UK towns and cities
- Online meetings for those in remote areas
- Powerful peer support from people who truly understand
- No time limit on attendance
- The fellowship aspect provides accountability
Cons:
- The spiritual element doesn’t suit everyone
- Requires ongoing commitment to meetings
- Success varies greatly between individuals
- Some find the twelve-step approach outdated
- Can feel intimidating initially
My Take: I’ve attended open GA meetings whilst researching addiction stories, and the compassion in those rooms is extraordinary. It’s not for everyone, but for those it works for, it works profoundly.
5. Banking and Financial Controls
The Process: This involves creating practical barriers between you and your money. Request gambling blocks from your bank (most major UK banks now offer this), cancel your credit cards, hand financial control to a trusted partner or family member, set up “just-in-time” payroll where your salary immediately goes toward bills and savings before you access it.
Contact your bank’s customer service, explain you need gambling blocks on your accounts, and they’ll implement software that declines gambling-related transactions. Some people go further, asking a partner to control all bank cards whilst they carry only cash for daily expenses.
Pros:
- Creates immediate practical barriers
- Banks are increasingly supportive and non-judgmental
- Removes temptation during weak moments
- Protects your finances whilst you work on underlying issues
- Can be combined with any other method
Cons:
- Feels like losing independence
- Can be circumvented with cash withdrawals
- Requires absolute honesty with family members
- Some find it humiliating
- Doesn’t address the psychological urge to gamble
My Take: Think of this as installing a lock on a fridge when dieting. It won’t cure the hunger, but it stops you eating the entire cake at 2am. I recommend this as part of a broader strategy.
6. Residential Rehabilitation Programmes
The Process: For severe gambling addiction, residential rehab provides intensive, immersive treatment. You live at a specialist facility for typically 28 days, participating in daily therapy, group work, and structured activities designed to break patterns and build recovery skills.
NHS funding for gambling rehab is limited but exists for severe cases. Private rehab costs £5,000-15,000 for a month. You’d need to take time off work and commit completely to the programme.
Pros:
- Total removal from gambling environments and triggers
- Intensive professional support
- Addresses co-occurring issues like depression or substance abuse
- Structured environment eliminates decision fatigue
- Often includes family therapy components
Cons:
- Extremely expensive if self-funding
- Requires extended time away from work and family
- Can feel drastic or shameful
- Limited NHS availability
- No guarantee of long-term success without follow-up support
My Take: This is the nuclear option, but for some people, nothing less will do. A reader once told me residential rehab was “like pressing the reset button on my brain.” If you’ve tried everything else, don’t rule it out.
7. Medication-Assisted Treatment
The Process: Certain medications can reduce gambling urges. Naltrexone, typically used for alcohol addiction, has shown promise in reducing compulsive gambling behaviours. Antidepressants may help if depression fuels your betting. You’d need to consult your GP or a psychiatrist who specialises in addiction.
Treatment involves regular appointments, careful monitoring, and typically combining medication with therapy for best results.
Pros:
- Can reduce cravings and impulsive urges
- Addresses biological aspects of addiction
- May help if other mental health issues coexist
- NHS prescription means low cost
- Can provide breathing room to engage with therapy
Cons:
- Not everyone responds to medication
- Potential side effects
- Addresses symptoms, not causes
- Requires medical supervision
- Can take weeks to see benefits
- Not a standalone solution
My Take: I’m not a medical professional, but I’ve seen medication work wonders when combined with therapy. Don’t dismiss it out of pride; if your brain chemistry is working against you, there’s no shame in pharmaceutical support.
8. Identifying and Avoiding Triggers
The Process: This involves detective work on yourself. Keep a gambling diary for two weeks, noting every time you feel the urge to bet, what triggered it, and what you were feeling. Common triggers include boredom, stress, loneliness, seeing sports on television, or receiving marketing from betting companies.
Once identified, you systematically eliminate or manage these triggers. Unsubscribe from all gambling emails, avoid watching sports for a period, find alternative activities for high-risk times, and develop coping strategies for emotional triggers.
Pros:
- Empowers you with self-knowledge
- Highly personalised to your specific situation
- Costs nothing
- Builds awareness and mindfulness
- Can be done immediately
Cons:
- Requires brutal honesty with yourself
- Some triggers are unavoidable
- Takes time to see patterns
- Can feel overwhelming when you realise how many triggers exist
- Doesn’t work in isolation
My Take: This approach transformed how I understood my own addictive behaviours around other things. The moment you see the pattern written down, it loses some of its power over you.
9. Building Alternative Rewards and Activities
The Process: Gambling provides excitement, dopamine hits, and escape. Recovery requires replacing these with healthier sources. This might mean taking up a sport, volunteering, learning an instrument, joining social clubs, or pursuing creative hobbies.
The key is finding activities that provide genuine engagement and pleasure. Many people find endurance sports particularly helpful as they provide goals, achievement, and natural dopamine without the destructive elements.
Pros:
- Creates positive associations and new identity
- Fills time previously spent gambling
- Builds self-esteem through achievement
- Provides social connections outside gambling contexts
- Improves overall mental and physical health
Cons:
- Takes effort when you’re already struggling
- Nothing immediately matches the intensity of gambling highs
- Requires trial and error to find what works
- Can feel pointless initially
- Risk of replacing one addiction with another if not careful
My Take: A friend who quit sports betting took up marathon running. He says, “I replaced the betting apps with Strava, and the rush of a new personal best beats any accumulator win.” Find your equivalent.
10. Accountability Partnerships and Support Networks
The Process: Recruit someone you trust completely to be your accountability partner. This might be a friend, family member, therapist, or sponsor from GA. You check in regularly, report honestly about struggles and successes, and give them permission to ask difficult questions.
Some people formalise this with daily texts, weekly coffee meetings, or even giving their accountability partner access to banking apps to monitor for gambling transactions.
Pros:
- Provides external motivation when internal motivation wanes
- Reduces isolation and shame
- Someone notices if you’re slipping before it becomes catastrophic
- Free and infinitely flexible
- Strengthens important relationships through vulnerability
Cons:
- Requires complete honesty, which is difficult
- Burden on the other person
- Potential for damaged relationships if boundaries aren’t clear
- Some people feel judged
- Won’t work if you’re not genuinely committed
My Take: I’ve seen this work brilliantly and fail spectacularly. Success depends entirely on choosing the right person and being genuinely ready to be held accountable.
Bringing It All Together
The honest answer to “how do I stop betting?” or “how do I stop sports betting?” is that there’s rarely one solution. Most people who successfully quit combine multiple approaches. You might use GAMSTOP for immediate protection, attend GA meetings for peer support, work with a CBT therapist to address underlying issues, and enlist a partner for accountability.
What I’ve learned after years of writing about this topic is that stopping betting requires three things: acknowledging you have a problem, deciding you genuinely want to stop, and taking action immediately rather than waiting for the “right time.”
The betting industry in Britain has become extraordinarily sophisticated at keeping us hooked. Between smartphone apps, in-play betting, and relentless marketing, we’re more exposed to gambling than any previous generation. If you’re struggling to stop, you’re not weak or broken; you’re fighting against systems designed by teams of psychologists to be addictive.
But here’s the hopeful part: thousands of people quit gambling every year in the UK. I’ve received letters from readers who’ve rebuilt their finances, saved their marriages, and rediscovered who they are without betting defining their lives. It’s possible. It’s difficult, certainly, but it’s possible.
If you’re reading this wondering whether you have a problem, you probably do. If you’re asking yourself how do I stop betting, you’ve already taken the first step by acknowledging the question. The second step is choosing one of these methods and starting today, not tomorrow.
My advice? Start with GAMSTOP and a call to GamCare. Those two actions cost nothing, require minimal courage compared to what you’ve already endured, and create immediate momentum. Everything else can build from there.
You deserve a life not controlled by the next bet, the next match, or the next potential win. That life is waiting for you on the other side of this decision.