GamCare Casinos: Guide & Favourite Picks
Gambling can be a great way to kick back and have a bit of fun, but for some people, the activity can spiral out of control and become a deadly form of addiction that affects not only themselves but those around them too. Some estimates indicate there could be over 400,000 problem gamblers in the UK.
Various organisations have been created over the years to tackle the growing gambling addiction problem, with one of the most long-standing and reputable of those being GamCare.
Established in 1997 and serving those in England, Scotland and Wales, GamCare provides a wealth of information, advice, tools and treatment options for free on a 24/7 basis to those suffering from a gambling addiction and those affected by someone else's problematic gambling behaviour.
GamCare operates the UK's National Gambling Helpline, which anyone can call freephone 24/7 for a safe space to find support and advice. At the same time, the organisation's website offers live chat, WhatsApp and Facebook messaging, and various information and treatment options.
The organisation also trains those working in the gambling industry to recognise problematic behaviour and offer support to prevent its escalation. Read on to learn about the UK's longest-established gambling therapy organisation and some of the adhering casinos.
Top 10 GamCare Casino Sites
Are you looking for the most trusted GamCare casinos on the net? You're in the right place! It's our job to scour through the thousands of online casinos currently operating and rank them on various factors, including licence status, reputation, player feedback, responsible gaming, security and a host of other indicators.
Since we're talking specifically about GamCare casinos here, you'll find the following list of the top 10 GamCare casinos extremely useful. Only those UK online casinos which have passed our meticulous review process and ranked highly on multiple levels are worthy enough to make this list, so you can rest assured they are safe, secure and fun. Here is the quick list:
William Hill Casino
Casino.com
Bet365 Casino
Mansion Casino
Platin Casino
Betfair Casino
Duelz Casino
Barz Casino
NetBet Casino
NYSpins Casino
1. William Hill Casino
Although better known for its competitive sports betting markets as both an online and offline bookmaker, William Hill is a major player in the gambling industry and one of the best GamCare casinos on the net, offering a wide range of games, including slots, poker, RNG and live table games as well as the option to take part in online bingo gambling.
Launched in 1998, William Hill Casino holds a solid reputation with players even to this day, perhaps in part because they are the proud licensees of multiple regulatory authorities, including the Gibraltar Gambling Commission, the Malta Gaming Authority and, of course, the UK Gambling Commission. As a result, the brand is subject to a lot of oversight, which many players find comforting.
Like most online casinos, William Hill Casino features its supported and affiliated companies and organisations in the footer, where you'll find links to Gamble Aware, Gambling Therapy, Gamblers Anonymous, GamStop, the TalkBanStop campaign (a joint effort by GamCare, GamStop and GamBan) and GamCare, which links directly to the live support page.
William Hill Casino is also required to provide its range of protective measures, and the brand does very well. Within the site's help pages, you'll find various safer gambling tools, including session time reminders, timeouts, product blocking, deposit limits, self-exclusion from 6 months and account closure.
Additional support is available for UK players, including guides for using the various tools and tips on maintaining control of your gambling activity. The William Hill website also features an anonymous self-assessment tool, which many find helpful for determining if they might have or be at risk of developing a gambling problem.
2. Casino.com
Well-known operator Mansion Europe Holdings Ltd. is behind this valuable site address, so you'd expect them to be reputable and trustworthy, which is indeed the case, as demonstrated by their Most Responsible Online Gambling Operator award from 2018.
Casino.com came online in 2007, and sports licences from the Gibraltar Gambling Commission and the UK Gambling Commission are well-established and well-regulated. Available at the site are over 1,000 slots, RNG and live table games, jackpots and video poker games. The brand was awarded Best Customer Service Company 2020 for its excellent 24/7 support service.
Player protection is also a big focus at Casino.com, with links to Gambling Therapy, GamStop and GamCare halfway down the homepage just the tip of the iceberg. At the top of the website's front page are a Safer Gambling link, which leads to lots of info, tools and resources, including ten rules for safer gambling, how to protect underage, a short self-assessment, how to track deposits and withdrawals, timeouts, limits, reality checks and self-exclusion for up to 5 years.
Casino.com is a very informative site for finding support for maintaining healthy gambling habits, pointing out that numerous banks and financial institutions have tools for preventing problem gambling. Players can implement their bank's blocking facility, which prevents them from making transactions with gambling sites.
3. Bet365 Casino
Bet365 Casino is another well-established brand, operating in the industry since 2000. However, you may be more familiar with Bet365 as a sports betting site, which is how the company started. At this popular GamCare, casinos are many games and betting opportunities, including slots, live dealer games, bingo, poker, sports betting and fantasy sports.
Under the watchful eye of both the Malta Gaming Authority and the UK Gambling Commission, Bet365 Casino features GamCare's National Gambling Helpline at the bottom of the page, linking directly to the site's support page. Also on display are Gamble Aware, GamStop, Gambling Therapy and TalkBanStop, all of which are linked.
Bet365 Casino's player protection resources aren't limited to paying lip service to industry organisations. The site's Safer Gambling link grants players access to various tools and resources via a separate website. On offer are a budget calculator, reality checks, timeouts, deposit limits and self-exclusion.
The site is also filled with useful information, such as a detailed look at how gambling works, tips for identifying potential problematic behaviour and discussing common myths. Understanding the nature of gambling addiction is key to overcoming it, and Bet365 Casino does a good job of covering this avenue.
Protecting under-18s from gambling is also on Bet365's agenda, with a page dedicated to the subject within their safer gambling site. Support is also available for those affected by the gambling behaviour of others.
4. Mansion Casino
Owned and operated by Mansion Europe Holdings Ltd., Mansion Casino is a well-established online casino that came online in 2004, so it's certainly been around the block a few times. Licensed by both the Gibraltar Gambling Commission and the UK Gambling Commission, the brand has some of the most stringent regulations to follow, especially regarding player protection.
Offering a wide range of slots, jackpots, table games and live dealer games by 12 different providers, predominantly Playtech, Mansion Casino enjoys a solid reputation for its high-quality games collection and variety of rewarding player promotions.
When it comes to the serious matter of responsible gambling, Mansion Casino scores very well, and not just because of the footer links to the likes of Gambling Therapy, Gamble Aware and GamCare (although a few more industry organisation links wouldn't go amiss).
The site's Safer Gambling page introduces visitors to Mansion's ten rules of safer gambling to maintain healthy habits. This section is immediately followed up by a short questionnaire designed to encourage players to consider their gambling activity to see if they may be at risk of developing problematic behaviour. The brand also encourages users to protect those under 18 with a section on underage gambling that provides tips for keeping minors away from such activities.
In addition to the 24/7 support service at Mansion Casino, players can also take advantage of various useful tools, including account history, deposit limits, reality checks, timeouts of 24 hours to 6 weeks and self-exclusion from 6 months to 5 years.
5. Platin Casino
Launched in the UK in 2017 by Viral Interactive Ltd., Platin Casino is another popular GamCare casino with a UK Gambling Commission licence. The brand's reputation as a safe and responsible site spans 2013.
Immediately apparent at Platin Casino is the attention to detail in the site's design, with a lot of thought that has gone into the player experience, as evidenced by the eye-friendly dark theme and focus on visual appeal with the large game images. The brand sports an attractive mix of games from some of the world's leading developers, which can be located using numerous categories.
Links to the most popular gambling support organisations, including Gamble Aware, Gambling Therapy, GamStop and GamCare, feature in the site's footer (about halfway down the page), with the GamCare logo displaying the National Gambling Helpline and linking straight to the organisation's support page. The Take Time To Think UK campaign is also featured here, the whose linked website contains an array of useful information and support.
Platin Casino's tools and resources can be found on its Responsible Gambling page, where you'll find plenty of helpful details on managing your gambling activity and preventing problematic behaviour. Tools on offer include various deposit, loss, wagering and session limits, timeouts of up to 6 weeks and self-exclusion of up to 5 years. Since Platin Casino's operator also runs various other online gambling sites, players will be pleased to know that the brand's self-exclusion will automatically be applied across the entire network.
6. Betfair Casino
The Betfair brand is perhaps best known for being one of the first online sportsbooks to introduce the more attractive and competitive markets derived from a peer-to-peer exchange setup, but Betfair Casino has garnered its solid following too. Coming online in 2000, Betfair Casino is licensed by the Malta Gaming Authority and the UK Gambling Commission, so the brand's commitment to player protection is high expectations.
The Betfair brand certainly lives up to its name in that respect, starting with a variety of links to supportive industry organisations such as Gambling Therapy, Gamble Aware, GamStop and GamCare, with a link to the Take Time To Think campaign also featured. Like most of the best GamCare casinos, Betfair Casino displays a link to GamCare's National Gambling Helpline and links directly to its support page.
Betfair Casino has also been branded an Advanced Level 2 (2nd highest level) assured business by Safer Gambling Standard, an independent organisation that assesses player protection levels of industry operators. Betfair Casino's own safer gambling resources can be found on their respective website, which features deposit and loss limits, timeouts, reality checks, session timers, a budget calculator, a self-assessment and self-exclusion.
Betfair's focus stems back to one of its earliest taglines, "smart betting", which was originally a reference to their exchange betting mechanism but has since been repurposed to highlight the importance of maintaining control of gambling activity.
7. Duelz Casino
Duelz Casino presents players with a very different setup from what you might expect from an online casino. While they still offer a wide range of slots, table games, jackpots and live dealer games like other sites, Duelz adds extra spice by creating player competitions.
Members compete with each other by playing their favourite slots, using spells to give them an edge, for the chance to scoop chests filled with stars and trophies and move up into more advanced and rewarding leagues. It's a setup that has proved very popular with players, making the site one of the best GamCare casinos.
Launched in 2018 and licensed by several authorities, including the Malta Gaming Authority and the UK Gambling Commission, Duelz Casino is under intense scrutiny, contrary to what the brand's social gaming vibe may suggest, which should put players at ease.
Regarding responsible gaming and player protection, Duelz Casino does its due diligence by featuring links to GamStop, Gamble Aware, Gamblers Anonymous, Gambling Therapy and GamCare in the footer. Still, there is, of course, more than that available for vulnerable players.
On the site's Responsible Gaming page, you'll find information about the brand's various tools, including loss, deposit, wagering and session limits, reality checks, timers, timeouts, self-assessment, self-exclusion and account closure. Also featured are sections on underage gambling and parental controls, with the bottom of the page listing the top gambling support organisations and an overview of each.
8. Barz Casino
Though the name does admittedly look and sound a bit cheap, Barz Casino is far from a shady operator, holding both Malta Gaming Authority and UK Gambling Commission licences.
The brand is a relative newcomer on the scene, having just come online in 2021. Still, it's already attracted a healthy following of loyal players thanks to a wide range of online casino slots and live dealer games from many top-level developers, plus numerous valuable giveaways of gadgets, holidays and cash prizes. Attention to the player experience at Barz Casino isn't just limited to the site's appealing design; a lot of effort is also put into ensuring players are safe and protected during their time with the brand.
This is obvious by the plethora of links featured at the bottom of the site, which include Bet Blocker, GamStop, Gamble Aware and GamCare, with the latter given a larger than usual logo that features the National Gambling Helpline and takes you straight to the organisation's support page.
The Responsible Gambling Policy page presents players with plenty of information on how to maintain control of gambling activities, plus numerous tools such as game time reminders, timeouts, deposit limits, transaction tracking, self-exclusion for up to 5 years and account closure.
A checklist gives players an idea of what healthy gambling looks like, while a short questionnaire allows you to take a brief look at your gambling habits to see if there might be the potential for harmful behaviour to develop.
9. NetBet Casino
The NetBet brand has a long history as an online gambling site, having launched way back in 2001. Offering a variety of activities to amuse their members, including pre-match and live sports betting, virtual sports and lottery, NetBet also hosts a wide range of over 1,000 casino games such as slots, table games and live dealer games under the name NetBet Casino. Also available to players is a separate Vegas section featuring jackpot games and player v player poker.
NetBet Casino's operating company, NetBet Enterprises Ltd., holds three authority-issued licences, including those from the Malta Gaming Authority and the UK Gambling Commission, which means the brand is under stringent supervision, especially when it comes to ensuring players are safe, and games are fair.
About halfway down the homepage, you'll see NetBet Casino's support for industry organisations such as Gamble Aware, GamStop and GamCare, with each logo linking to the respective website. However, that's not the limit of this brand's player support.
Plenty of helpful information and useful tools can be found on NetBet Casino's Responsible Gambling page, which is headed up by an overview of NetBet's philosophy. The site's numerous tools include deposit, loss and bet limits, reality checks, session timers, timeouts, a questionnaire, an affordability calculator and self-exclusion.
A section with contact details for the various supportive organisations is followed by a pretty unique one discussing the frame of mind and how it plays a role in your gambling activity. Tools for helping users prevent minors from gambling feature at the bottom of the page.
10. NYSpins Casino
Set against a New York backdrop, of course, NYSpins Casino presents players with a wide variety of slots, table games, arcade games, jackpots and live dealer games to explore, plus a unique loyalty programme in which a popular New York destination represents each unlockable bonus.
Licensed by the Malta Gaming Authority and the UK Gambling Commission and coming online under operation by SuprPlay Ltd. in 2018, NYspins Casino is a top GamCare casino whose operations are carefully supervised, particularly when it comes to player protection.
The brand's dedication to responsible gaming begins in the site footer, which features the 18+ logo highlighting the need to protect minors, Gamble Aware, Gambling Therapy, Gamblers Anonymous, GamStop and GamCare, all of which include their respective site links.
Aware that problem gamblers are more vulnerable than most to industry ads, NYspins Casino features a page on how to limit gambling adverts across various social media platforms and Google's suite of products.
As required by the UKGC, NYspins Casino also provides various tools and resources for maintaining healthy gambling behaviour, the details of which can be found on the site's Responsible Gambling page. Such tools include time and money limits, a self-assessment, timers, reality checks, timeouts, self-exclusion and account closure.
The page also highlights resources that may help implement parental controls, details on how to block gaming sites and links to the various gambling support charities.
A Look At How GamCare Works
GamCare is a UK-facing independent charity that provides useful information and resources to anyone experiencing gambling problems, whether through their gambling activities or those of someone else.
The organisation runs the National Gambling Helpline and provides support via the website's live chat service, WhatsApp Chat and Facebook Messenger, all on a 24/7 basis. Also available on the site in terms of support is the GamCare Forum, which allows users to browse through posts to learn from the experiences of others and share their own experiences, and the live chat text room called Group Chat, where people can chat with others about their experiences and provide mutual support in real-time.
Also featured on the GamCare website is their Recovery Toolkit, which offers a range of resources, many of which users can implement on their own to regain control of problematic gambling behaviour. These resources include a self-assessment, a self-guided workbook, information about blocking software, details about self-exclusion, advice on money and debt management and a cognitive behavioural therapy informed online course called GameChange.
In addition to the web-based and phone support offered, GamCare also enables free face-to-face treatment across the UK.
Registering At GamCare
While many of the resources available on the GamCare website, and the support services, such as the National Gambling Helpline and the live chat options, can be accessed freely by anyone, there are some additional services you need to register a free account to access.
Registering at GamCare means you'll have your own My GamCare account that you can log into to access the full suite of tools and resources on offer by the organisation, specifically including the GamCare Forum and Group Chat features, which have proven to be extremely helpful for recovering gambling addicts as well as family and friends that have been affected by problematic gambling behaviour.
Many people are understandably reluctant when it comes to revealing personal details online, especially when it comes to the sensitive subject of problem gambling. Gamcare understands that, so they allow you to sign up at the site quickly and easily using your email address and first name, which will only be visible to the staff.
Registering at GamCare involves choosing a username and password, entering your email address and first name, and ticking the box to confirm that you agree to the forum rules. You'll also receive GamCare's newsletter, which contains updates about their work.
What Happens When You've Registered
Once you've created your own My GamCare account, you'll be able to log in and take advantage of two of the most useful tools that GamCare has to offer, the GamCare Forum and Group Chat.
Your username will act as your screen name when accessing and using the GamCare Forum and the organisation's Group Chat, so choosing something appropriate and unoffensive is wise.
The GamCare Forum is where you'll find a range of posts on gambling recovery, from personal accounts and stories to calls for support, questions about the journey and pointers from those in recovery. Once registered at GamCare, you can comment on other people's posts and publish posts yourself, with the forum serving as the perfect opportunity to give and receive support.
The Group Chat service at GamCare takes this idea of mutual support even further, offering a real-time online space where members can chat about their own experiences, reach out for moral support and provide helpful tips and advice.
Registering at GamCare also means that the results of your self-assessment and progress through resources like the self-guided workbook and cognitive behavioural therapy informed online course would be saved.
Organisation Management
GamCare is a registered charity founded in 1997 by Paul Bellringer to provide information, advice and support to anyone experiencing harm from gambling, whether directly or indirectly. The organisation also provides training to operators within the gambling industry to help them identify their customers' problematic behaviours and offer good support.
After consultation with both staff and users, GamCare identified four ambitions that form its mission:
Gambling harms are widely recognised and prevented.
Universal access to effective tools and support.
Universal access to caring, evidence-led and integrated treatment.
GamCare's work is trusted, valued and effective.
GamCare is headed up by a board of trustees who agree on the organisation's strategy. Details of this strategy are fed down to GamCare's CEO, who is responsible for its execution, which is then carried out by the senior management team.
Holding the board and the organisation to the account are two sub-committees. The Audit and Risk sub-committee oversees the organisation's corporate governance systems. In contrast, the Clinical and Governance Quality sub-committee is chaired by a senior clinician and is in place to ensure GamCare's clinical work is effective and efficient.
GamCare is funded by grant agreements and donations, with the organisation's main funder being Gamble Aware for the operation of the National Gambling Helpline. Part of the UK Gambling Commission's regulations stipulates that licensees must contribute a proportion of their revenue towards research, education and treatment to minimise gambling harms. GamCare is one recipient of those contributions.
The Pros and Cons of GamCare
There are pros and cons to everything, and GamCare is no different. Here to help you decide if the organisation will be useful to you, is our handy list of the pros and cons of GamCare and its services:
Things We Like
Everything is free: All of GamCare's services are provided to anyone in the UK for free, including face-to-face treatment services.
Wide range of resources: Many tools are at your disposal through GamCare, from a helpful self-assessment to a cognitive behavioural therapy informed online course.
Mutual support: Members can also take advantage of support from their peers via the organisation's forum and group chat services.
Multilingual site support: The GamCare website is available in many languages, including English, Welsh, German, Italian, French, Romanian and Polish.
Well-established organisation: GamCare has been running since 1997, making it one of the world's oldest and most respected gambling therapy organisations.
Indirect services available outside the UK: GamCare's Trained Associate designation means other organisations can train to become providers of gambling support for those located outside of the UK.
Things to Consider
Staff are overworked: Reviews by employees suggest that some staff workloads are excessive and expectations are too high.
Funded in part by the gambling industry: GamCare is one of the numerous organisations funded by contributions from gambling industry operators.
The Worst GamCare Casinos
Online casinos and other online gambling sites licensed by the UK Gambling Commission are required to contribute a proportion of their revenues towards the research, education and treatment of gambling problems. One such organisation that receives support is Gamble Aware, which is GamCare's main funder. Many best online casinos display the GamCare logo on their website.
However, just because an online gambling site overtly supports GamCare doesn't mean they have the players' best intentions. Unfortunately, some of the worst GamCare casinos have been exposed to shady practices, such as knowingly accepting bets from problem gamblers and failing to protect players who show signs of problematic gambling behaviour.
We like to think these are just a small minority of unscrupulous operators. Still, it pays to be vigilant when deciding where to play, so you can avoid the least popular GamCare casinos and ensure that you will be safe and protected as a player.
Here on this site, you will find a wide range of casino reviews that take an in-depth look at each operator, ranking them on such important factors as their licence status, security and safety measures, including their commitment to providing responsible gaming tools and resources, history and reputation, player feedback, quantity, quality and fairness of the games, plus many other indicators.
That's a lot of leg work, which many people don't have the time and energy to do. That's why we're here, so you can indicate whether an online casino will be fun, safe and secure for you, regardless of their relationship and commitment to GamCare.
Why Avoid Non-GamCare Casinos?
While on the one hand, simply displaying the GamCare logo isn't necessarily an indication of a good online casino, on the other hand, NOT demonstrating your support for GamCare can often be a warning of a less than trustworthy site.
Except for many sites that operate outside of the UK for which advertising GamCare would be irrelevant to their members, UK-licensed non-GamCare casinos, that is, sites that don't show their support for GamCare, might be best avoided for the following reasons:
- Player protection, not a priority: Choosing not to support GamCare could indicate that the online casino doesn't take player protection very seriously.
- Could indicate other failings: Non-GamCare casinos may also fail to protect players in other ways, e.g. through vague T&Cs and bonus terms.
- No promises: While casinos that don't support GamCare may have their resources and tools to protect players, they are not subject to the same level of accountability.
Player protection is a crucial aspect of the gambling industry that UK-licensed online casinos are strongly encouraged to support by their issuing authority. Though UK Gambling Commission-regulated online casinos don't need to display the GamCare logo and link to the organisation's website, the best ones do, so it's wise to stick with them if you can.
Final Thoughts on GamCare
Numerous organisations serving the UK offer helpful information and resources for coping with gambling problems, but none have the reputation, longevity and far-reaching scope of GamCare.
Although the organisation is funded partly by the gambling industry, GamCare's structure is transparent, with a board of trustees overseeing operations and an experienced senior management team in charge of strategy execution. GamCare also works with other organisations on national campaigns to reduce gambling harm and provide support.
GamCare's website is chock full of useful information, not just for those struggling with a gambling addiction but everyone affected by it. Visitors can talk to someone at any time of the day or night via the 24/7 support service, which includes the freephone National Gambling Helpline, and access the website's many resources such as self-assessments, workbooks and CBT courses.
Opening an account at GamCare also grants members access to the organisation's forum and group chat services for peer support, which is crucial on the road to recovery.
There's a reason GamCare has been running for so long, and that is because it works, with 94% of callers saying they would recommend the service to others. Many recovering addicts choose to support others on their journey via the site.
FAQs on GamCare Casinos
Want to know more about GamCare casinos? Check our FAQs below.
GamCare is an independent charitable organisation that provides free support, advice, resources and treatment to anyone in the UK dealing with problematic gambling behaviour, whether directly or indirectly.
GamCare's purpose is to provide a safe space for people to talk about their or a loved one's gambling problems, seek helpful information on identifying problematic gambling and get help for their addiction.
The GamCare website features a wide range of tools and resources for identifying and treating gambling addiction, which users can access for free. These include the freephone National Gambling Helpline, live chat, WhatsApp and Facebook messaging, a self-assessment, a CBT-informed online course and more. Signing up for an account at GamCare also entitles members to use the GamCare Forum and Group Chat services for mutual support.
One of the main benefits of GamCare is that it provides numerous tools and resources to anyone in the UK who needs them, absolutely free, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. It has been one of the world's longest-established gambling therapy organisations since 1997.
Some may see that the gambling industry partly funds GamCare as a drawback. Still, the UK Gambling Commission requires all its licence holders to contribute to research, education and treatment of gambling problems, with GamCare being a popular recipient of such contributions. Some features of the site can only be accessed by creating an account.
Signing up for GamCare's free member-only services is very easy. Click the login link and choose Create Account. You'll then be asked to enter your first name and email address and choose a username and password.
You can close your GamCare membership anytime by contacting the GamCare support team.
If you forget your GamCare password, click the Forgot password? Link at the bottom of the login page and follow the instructions to reset your password.
GamCare settings can be changed by signing into the site.
If you have a problem with GamCare, contact them directly by calling 020 7801 7000 or emailing [email protected] or [email protected]. Feedback can be sent to [email protected], and the organisation has its own complaints procedure.
GamCare was founded in 1997 by Paul Bellringer.
GamCare's operations are overseen by a board of trustees and two sub-committees, with strategy execution carried out by an experienced senior management team.
GamCare's services are freely available to anyone in England, Scotland or Wales. Those outside the UK can get support from GamCare-endorsed organisations designated as Trained Associates.
Fact-checked by Julia Attard
Senior Author & Online Casino Expert