Responsible Gambling

Gambling is paid entertainment. It is not a wage, not a plan for school fees, and not a way to repair a bad month. The games on a sports book and in a casino are priced so the house keeps a share over time. A good night does not cancel that. If you need the money, do not stake it.

Before you open an app

Set a money line in rupees that you can lose without touching rent, food, medicine or a debt payment. Set a time line as well. When either line is reached, stop. Do not lift the line because a match is close or because a table "owes" you. It does not owe you anything.

A few habits hold up better than speeches. Keep the staking app off the first screen of your phone. Turn off odds alerts. Do not leave a saved payment that can fire when you are half asleep. Tell one adult you trust what the monthly ceiling is, and write the number down. A number in your head moves. A number on paper argues back.

Signs the habit is turning

• You stake to win back yesterday's loss.
• You hide the app from a spouse, a parent or a friend.
• You borrow, or you use money that was marked for something else.
• You feel sick, angry or restless when you are not in a market.
• You raise the stake late at night to "get even before sleep".
• Work, study, sleep or a relationship is getting thinner.

If two of those are familiar, pause. A pause is a skill. You do not need a perfect reason. Uninstalling for a week is allowed. So is asking someone else to hold the payment app's password.

Young people

This site is for adults aged 18 and over. Do not share an account with a teenager. Do not let a child watch you chase a loss. If a minor in your house can open a payment app, lock it. If you find that a child has been staking, stop the access first and then talk. Shame is a poor teacher here. A clear rule works better.

Help in India

iCall, run with the Tata Institute of Social Sciences, offers psychosocial counselling. Phone 9152987821. Email [email protected]. Check their site for current hours before you rely on a clock time.

AASRA answers people in distress, day and night. Phone +91 9820466726.

Vandrevala Foundation runs a mental health helpline. Phone 9999666555. They also publish 1860 2662 345.

KIRAN is the Government of India mental health rehabilitation helpline. Phone 1800-599-0019. It is a public health line, not a betting desk.

Help beyond India

GamCare offers information and support for people affected by gambling. The phone line 0808 8020 133 is a UK number. The site also explains how to get in touch online.

Gambling Therapy, part of Gordon Moody, offers online support that people use from many countries, including readers in India who would rather write than call.

Tools inside an account

If you already have an account with an operator, look for deposit limits, a time-out and self-exclusion in that account. Those switches belong to the operator. Use them early, not after the worst month of the year. This desk cannot press them for you.

What we will not publish

We will not tell you a system, a pattern or a game that "pays". A sure cricket tip is a story someone is selling. We will not host a note that pressures a person who is trying to stop. If that is you, the helplines above are the right next step. This page is information. It is not medical care. If you are in immediate danger, call local emergency services first.