Responsible Gambling Guidance

Responsible Gambling Guidance

The British Dyslexia Association is committed to ensuring that its lottery is operated in a secure, fair, and socially responsible way. The funds raised from the BDA Lottery are used to provide a variety of services, such as information and advice, education and research, advocacy and campaigning.

Keeping your gambling under control

Responsible gambling means being able to exercise control and informed choice to ensure that gambling is kept within affordable limits of money and time, is enjoyable, in balance with other activities and responsibilities and avoids gambling-related harm. Ways of achieving this include:

• ensuring gambling is affordable by not gambling with money needed for necessities (such as bills or food)
• ensuring gambling doesn’t dominate your leisure time, and you are engaging in other social and leisure activities
• avoiding borrowing money or using a credit card to gamble
• avoiding gambling when under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol, or as a way to manage emotions when you are bored, depressed or anxious
• setting limits around how much and long you with gamble for, setting a limit on your maximum bet size, and avoiding increasing bets when winning or losing.

Identifying harmful gambling

Many people gamble responsibly and in moderation. However, gambling can also have negative impacts and cause harm. The following questions may help you identify whether gambling is becoming a problem for you:

• Are you gambling more than you can afford to lose?
• Do you gamble more to try to win back money you have lost?
• Are you feeling guilty or anxious about your gambling?
• Are you gambling in secret or lying about the amount you are gambling?
• Are you spending increasing amounts of time or money gambling?
• Are you always thinking about gambling or struggling to focus on other things?
• Are you neglecting your personal responsibilities, at work or at home?

How to get more information and help

If you feel you have a problem with gambling, visit www.begambleaware.org or call the National Gambling Helpline: 0808 8020 133.

You can also find information on the Gambling Commission website: Gambling Commission website

And information on support via the NHS: NHS gambling advice

Exclusion Policy

Players or carers of a vulnerable person can request self-exclusion from British Dyslexia Association’s gambling related marketing materials by calling the fundraising team on 0333 405 4555 or emailing: fundraising@bdadyslexia.org.uk