Responsible gambling at Boom
We want your time at Boom to stay enjoyable. Gambling works as entertainment when it fits comfortably inside your budget and your schedule — the moment it stops feeling that way, the tools and resources on this page can help you take back control.
Why this matters
Online gambling moves quickly. A few spins, a bet placed on your phone during a commute, deposits that clear in seconds — the friction that once slowed things down is gone, which makes it easier to lose track. Gambling is not a route to income, it is not a solution to financial pressure, and it should never feel like an obligation. If it does, that is the signal to step back.
Signs that gambling is getting out of hand
These behaviours show up before the money runs out. Catching them early makes the difference:
- Chasing losses — depositing more to win back what you just lost
- Playing to escape stress, boredom or low mood rather than for entertainment
- Lying to family or friends about how much you are spending or how often you play
- Borrowing money, using credit, or delaying bills to fund your account
- Losing interest in activities you used to enjoy outside gambling
- Feeling restless or irritable when you are not playing
If more than one of these applies, it is worth pausing and asking whether gambling still serves the purpose it once did.
Questions worth asking yourself
A quick self-check, answered honestly:
- Do you gamble with money you need for rent, bills or food?
- Have you ever lied about how much you spend or how often you play?
- Does gambling interfere with work, relationships or responsibilities?
- Do you return the next day to win back losses?
- Have you tried to cut down and found you could not?
- Does the thought of stopping make you anxious?
This is not a diagnosis — it is a prompt to consider whether the pattern you are in is the one you want. If several of these resonate, the help resources below are designed for exactly that moment.
Control tools we offer
You can set Deposit Limits, Wagering Limits and Loss Limits over a 24-hour, 1-week or 1-month timeframe. Each one caps what you can put at risk during that period, and they take effect immediately once applied. Reality Checks remind you how long you have been playing — a visible nudge when the session stretches past what you intended.
For a longer break, you can take a time out for one day, one week or one month directly from your account section. A six-week time out requires contacting our support team. During a time out your account is locked — no deposits, no play — and it lifts automatically at the end of the chosen period.
Self-exclusion is the firmest option: you can lock your account for six months or indefinitely. A time-limited exclusion can be reversed after a 24-hour cool-down period; an indefinite one requires a seven-day cool-down. Self-exclusion is not reversible on impulse, which is the point — it gives you the space to step away when a shorter break is not enough.
Practical limits that work
Setting a tool in your account is useful; the limits that actually hold are the ones built into how you fund it:
- One payment method, one amount per session. Deposit what you are comfortable losing before you start, and leave the rest of your payment methods out of reach.
- A separate account for gambling. Transfer a fixed weekly or monthly amount into it, and do not top it up mid-session if it runs dry.
- Time your sessions. Set an alarm for 30 or 60 minutes. When it goes off, finish the round and log out — regardless of whether you are up or down.
- Never gamble on credit. If the money is borrowed, it is not yours to risk. Cards, loans and overdrafts turn a loss into debt.
- A day between deposits. Let 24 hours pass before adding funds again. That pause often changes the decision.
Where to get help in the UK
GamCare runs the National Gambling Helpline — free, confidential support available 24 hours a day at 0808 8020 133. You can also reach them online at gamcare.org.uk, where live chat, email support and a directory of local services are all available. GamCare does not judge and does not report — the call is about what would help you, not what you have done.
BeGambleAware provides information, tools and direct links to treatment at begambleaware.org. Their site includes budget calculators, self-assessment questionnaires and guidance on how to start a conversation with family or friends when gambling has become a problem.
GamStop is a free national self-exclusion scheme covering all UK-licensed gambling sites. Register at gamstop.co.uk and your access is blocked across participating operators for 6 months, 1 year or 5 years — whichever you choose. The exclusion is legally binding and cannot be reversed early, which makes it the right tool when stopping on your own has not worked.
Gordon Moody offers residential treatment and online programmes for people whose gambling has escalated beyond what outpatient support can handle. Their services are free and designed for those who need intensive, structured help. Visit gordonmoody.org.uk for referral details.
Blocking software
Gamban (gamban.com) blocks access to gambling sites and apps across all your devices — phone, tablet, laptop — for a subscription fee. Once installed it cannot be uninstalled until the chosen period ends, and it works even if you are not logged into an account.
BetBlocker (betblocker.org) is free, open-source and works on Android, iOS, Windows, macOS and Linux. It blocks tens of thousands of gambling domains and updates automatically when new sites appear. You set the block duration when you install it, and it cannot be bypassed without a removal code you will not have access to during that time.
Protecting minors
Access to Boom is restricted to those aged 18 and over (18+). If you share a device with someone under 18, parental control software such as Net Nanny or Qustodio can block gambling sites at the operating-system level, preventing access even if the minor knows your login details.
Talking to someone
Gambling problems are isolating by design — shame, secrecy and the belief that you can fix it yourself all keep people from asking for help until the situation is severe. The organisations above exist because that pattern is common, not because it is rare. Reaching out early — to a helpline, a counsellor or someone you trust — shortens the time between recognising a problem and doing something about it.
If you need help with your Boom account or have questions about the limits and exclusions we offer, contact us at [email protected]. For concerns about your gambling itself, the resources above are better placed to help than we are.
This site is for players aged 18 and over (18+). When gambling stops feeling like entertainment, free and confidential support is available at BeGambleAware.org.
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