How to stop betting: honest help with sports betting addiction

For a lot of people, a bet on the football or the racing starts as part of the fun: a fiver on the weekend games with mates, a flutter on the Grand National. For some it slowly becomes something else. Every match needs a bet on it, the app is open during dinner, and a bad weekend means a bigger one next weekend to win it back. If that sounds familiar, you’re far from alone, and there is good, free help available.

This page is about betting on sport, including in-play bets, accumulators and the free bet offers that keep you coming back. My main gambling page covers gambling in general, and if slots and casino apps are the bigger problem, see my page on online gambling.

Signs sports betting has become a problem

• Betting more, or more often, than you meant to
• Chasing losses with bigger stakes or more bets to win it back
• Borrowing, using credit or selling things to bet
• Not being able to enjoy a match unless you have money on it
• Hiding your betting, or how much you’ve lost, from people close to you
• Feeling guilty, anxious or low about it, or people close to you being worried

The NHS has a short gambling self-check that asks about these same things.

Why sports betting is so hard to stop

Knowing a lot about football or horses makes betting feel like skill, so losses feel like bad luck rather than the cost of betting. In-play betting means there’s always another bet available, every minute of the match. Accumulators pay big for a small stake, and when one leg lets you down it feels like you nearly won, which pulls you straight back in.

Free bets and offers add to the pull. The Gambling Commission has tightened the rules: since 19 January 2026, wagering requirements on offers are capped at 10 times, and offers can no longer mix products, such as a sports bet that also asks you to play casino games (Gambling Commission, 2025). Offers are still there to keep you betting, though.

Where to get help with betting in the UK

• Your GP. A confidential place to start, especially if betting is affecting your sleep, mood or health. They can tell you about local services.
• The National Gambling Helpline. Run by GamCare, free and open 24 hours on 0808 8020 133, with live chat and WhatsApp too. It supports you, or a friend or family member.
• NHS gambling clinics. Specialist treatment in England, and you can refer yourself. They support family and friends too. Find out more on the NHS website
• Blocking tools. GAMSTOP is free and blocks you from online betting and gambling companies licensed in Great Britain for 6 months, 1 year or 5 years, and GAMSTOP Betting Shops lets you block yourself from betting shops too. Gamban is software that blocks gambling sites and apps on your devices, and your bank can block payments to gambling companies.
• Support groups. Gamblers Anonymous runs free meetings every day of the week, and you can just turn up.
• For family and friends. GamAnon runs meetings for anyone affected by a loved one’s gambling.
• Debt advice. StepChange, Citizens Advice and National Debtline (0808 808 4000) give free, confidential advice.

Where hypnotherapy fits

Hypnotherapy is not a treatment for gambling addiction, and I don’t offer it as one. The helpline, an NHS gambling clinic or your GP need to be part of your recovery.

Where I can help is alongside that care. Betting is often tied to stress, a need for excitement, or simply how the weekend has always gone. In sessions we can ease the stress, improve your sleep, build your confidence and rework your matchday routine, so watching sport can go back to being something you enjoy. It takes your own effort, but sessions can make it easier to stick to what you’ve decided.

Before we work together I’ll ask whether you’re getting support from the helpline, a clinic or your GP. If I think you need that first, I’ll tell you honestly.

Things that can help day to day

• Block it on a good day. Set up GAMSTOP, a blocker and your bank’s gambling block when you feel calm, not in the middle of a match.
• Turn off the noise. Delete the apps, unsubscribe from offers, switch off notifications and unfollow tipsters and betting accounts on social media.
• Watch without the phone. In-play betting needs the phone in your hand. Leave it in another room for the match, or watch with people who know you’re stopping.
• Change the matchday routine. If Saturday afternoon always meant the accumulator, plan something else for that slot for the first few weeks.
• Tell one person. Hiding it keeps it going. Telling a partner, a mate or a helpline adviser makes the next bet harder to place in secret.
• Put distance between you and the money. Remove saved cards from betting accounts and keep bill money in a separate account.

Common questions

How do I stop betting on football?

Start with blocks, because they buy you time when an urge hits: GAMSTOP, blocking software and a bank gambling block. Then change the routine around matches, and get support for the reasons you bet from the National Gambling Helpline, an NHS gambling clinic or your GP.

Am I addicted to betting if I only bet at weekends?

How often you bet matters less than what it costs you and how hard it is to stop. If you chase losses, bet more than you can afford or hide it, it’s worth getting help, even if it’s only at weekends. The check on this page can help you think it through.

Is it confidential?

Yes. What you tell me stays between us. As with any therapist, the only exception is if I believed you or someone else were at serious risk of harm.

I’m worried about someone else’s betting. What can I do?

The National Gambling Helpline takes calls from friends and family, not just from people who bet. NHS gambling clinics can support you too, and GamAnon holds meetings for anyone affected by someone else’s gambling. You can’t make the change for them, but help is there for you too, including if shared money is affected.

Talk it through

If you’re already getting support and want help alongside it, book a £49 consultation call. We’ll talk about what’s going on and whether sessions would help with the stress, sleep and habits around your betting.

Written by Adam Cox, clinical hypnotherapist. Sources: NHS gambling addiction guide, Gambling Commission rules on gambling offers, GamCare and GAMSTOP. Checked October 2026.