Other places that help, all free:
- GamblingCare.ie, who run the helpline above.
- Extern Problem Gambling, free counselling for people affected by gambling and for their families.
- Gamblers Anonymous Ireland, meetings around the country.
- The Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland's help page, which lists other services.
- Your GP, who can refer you to HSE addiction services.
Honest warning signs
These are the ones worth taking seriously:
- You're playing to win back what you lost.
- You deposit again straight after a losing session.
- You're spending money that was meant for something else.
- You're not telling the people close to you how much you play.
- A win doesn't feel like a win, just more to play with.
Any one of those is a reason to stop for a while.
Tools every casino should give you
You can set a deposit limit per day, week or month. Lowering it should work straight away; raising it should take time. Most sites also offer loss and session limits, reality checks (a pop-up showing how long you've been playing), a time-out from a day to a few weeks, and self-exclusion for months or years.
The Gambling Regulation Act 2024 also provides for a national exclusion register, so that one request can block you from every licensed operator, and it bans gambling with credit cards.
If a casino hides these tools or drags its feet applying them, we note it in the review.
Blocking it outright
Most banks, including the app banks, let you block gambling payments on your card from inside the app. Blocking software can stop gambling sites loading on your phone and laptop. Doing both puts a real wall between you and the next deposit.