A Night Out That Knows When to End

The arithmetic built into every game

Every game on a casino floor, at a table or on a machine, has a built-in house edge. Over time the casino keeps a share of all the money played. That is not a trick; it is simply how a gaming room pays its way. It does mean that the longer you play, the more plainly that share makes itself felt.

Paying for the evening, not investing in it

The sound way to see a visit is as paid entertainment, like theatre seats or a long dinner. You decide in advance what the evening is worth to you, you spend that, and you go up to bed. It is never a way to make money, and treating it as one is where trouble usually begins.

Limits you set before the lift

• Choose a spending limit and bring only that amount down with you.
• Choose a finishing time and set an alarm for it.
• Leave the cards you do not need in your room.
• Take breaks away from the floor: a turn around the lobby, a glass of water.
• Skip the evening if you are tired, upset or have been drinking. A casino must refuse anyone who appears drunk in any case.

When either limit is reached, the evening is over. Write both down if it helps: a figure on paper is harder to argue with at midnight than one you only meant to keep.

Signs the evening is running you

• Spending more than you planned, or going back for more money.
• Playing on to recover what you have lost.
• Staying past the time you set, or losing track of it.
• Hiding how much you spent, or how long you stayed, from the people you are with.
• Asking friends for money, or taking a loan, to keep playing.
• Feeling anxious, irritable or low about gambling the next day.

One of these on one night is worth noticing. A pattern is worth acting on.

Where to turn

• National Gambling Helpline: 0808 8020 133. Free, confidential and open 24 hours, run by GamCare.
• GamCare live chat: through GamCare, if typing is easier than talking.
• NHS: NHS gambling support.
• Gamblers Anonymous: Gamblers Anonymous.
• SENSE: the national self-exclusion scheme for land-based casinos in Great Britain. One enrolment covers every participating casino. Enrol at a casino reception or through the SENSE scheme.
• GAMSTOP: covers online gambling sites and apps only. It does not keep you out of a land-based casino, which is the job SENSE does. Details at GAMSTOP.

When it is someone close to you

You do not have to be the one gambling to ask for help. The National Gambling Helpline also helps partners, family and friends, and a call is a reasonable first step if someone else's habit has started to worry you.

If you are staying at one of these hotels with someone whose evening downstairs is going wrong, an offer of a break and a walk upstairs is often easier to hear than a lecture.

You are allowed to look after yourself, too. Ringing the Helpline for your own sake is reasonable even if the person gambling is not ready to talk.