Safer Gambling Week 2026

This year’s Safer Gambling Week runs from 16th-22nd November, and it promises to be the biggest one yet!

The whole industry is once again mobilising, co-ordinated by the Betting & Gaming Council, to get out a crucial Safer Gambling message.

We believe as a respected and longstanding comparison site of licenced UK gambling sites, it is our duty to join in and spread the message of how to gamble safely, how to find tools and where to seek further help should you need it.

A Brief History

Launched almost a decade ago in 2017, the initiative had a different name; Responsible Gambling Week.

While the concept of “responsible gambling” is still obviously pertinent, the name change is indicative of the shift in industry values. It’s not just some libertarian Wild West where everything is about personal responsibility.

The industry is recognising that in order for a sustainable, regulated and fair market, fostering a safe gambling environment is incumbent on them too, not just the player. Hence the name change to Safer Gambling Week

What’s new for 2026: How to spot a licenced operator

The most notable new angle for 2026 Safer Gambling Week is the focus on finding legal, licensed and regulated online gambling sites. This is something we’ve fought for, as we’ve seen an influx of unregulated websites with no player protections become available to players especially via Google listings. The “enshittification” of Google’s algorithm has played a big roll in poisoning the well for players, as well as dodgy social media campaigns.

There are many reasons not to sign up for these sorts of sites including and not limited to:

• They’re illegal!
• No protection of your funds
• Games might not be fair
• You might not even get paid if you win
• Might not have tools
• No actual help if you run into trouble

So to help educate players avoid these cesspools, these are some tips and tricks being put forth by SGW (which we wholeheartedly agree with):

• Scroll to the footer of an online casino and look for the Gambling Commission licence number. There should also be a link to the UKGC website, where you’ll find the public register to check its credentials!
• Make sure you can set a deposit limit before you sign-up: every licenced operator in the UK offers this.
• Often, you’ll find a Safer Gambling Tick icon, with more information about a site’s safer gambling practices. Cowboy sites are unlikely to have this, or if they do, you’ll be able to smell bullshit pretty quickly.
• If there is no evidence on the homepage of a UKGC licence name or number, don’t play! Look for the following words: “X Brand is licensed and regulated in Great Britain by the Gambling Commission under account number xxxxx.”

Just to reassure you, every single brand that’s listed on WDW Bingo is licenced by the UK Gambling Commission. That is our promise! You can check out our Methodology and Ethos page here, called How We Review.

Thinking about what Safer Gambling Means

As always, this forms the core of Safer Gambling Week’s message. Some things to remember include:

• Set limits and stick to them. Fun fact: 400,000 deposit limits are set every month on UKGC sites according to the campaign!
• Gambling is not a way to make money; it is an entertainment activity!
• Take a Break: As the cheesy old saying goes, “When the fun stops, STOP”
• Friends and Family are more important than gambling. If you find that gambling is taking precedence over your relationships, please get in touch with one of the organisations below.
• Stick to legal websites, for your own protection!
• PLAY SMART; don’t chase your losses.

Safer Gambling Tools

As I said, every regulated casino offers sturdy tools to help you keep your gambling in control and fun.

• Pop-up reminders while you’re playing so you never lose track of time.
• Deposit Limits. Some sites offer Net Deposit Limits, which take in to account your wins, losses and withdrawals rather than just how much you’ve deposited.
• Self-exclusion. You can choose a short period or a longer period, usually up to 5 years. There’s also GAMSTOP, to self-exclude from all UKGC sites.

Get Help

Perhaps most importantly of all, Safer Gambling Week collates and lists all the contact details of the most important support organisations. You can find them here too:

Great Britain

• National Gambling Helpline (run by GamCare)
• Phone: 0808 8020 133 (free, 24/7)
• Web: GamCare (live chat, forum, group chat, GamChange self-help)

GamCare Young People support

• Phone: 0808 8020 133 (free, 24/7)

Northern Ireland

• National Helpline (Dunlewey Substance Advice Centre)
• Phone: 08000 886 725 (free, 9am–11pm, 7 days)

Helplink National Gambling Addiction Service

• Phone: 0818 99 88 80 (9am–9pm weekdays, 12pm–6pm weekends, out-of-hours available)

Happy Safer Gambling week to all who celebrate; it’s an important one for our industry!