Quick self-check
Answer these four questions honestly. In the last month: (1) Have you spent more on gambling than you originally planned, more than once? (2) Have you gambled to win back money you lost? (3) Have you hidden how much you gambled from someone close to you? (4) Have you felt anxious or restless when you were unable to log in and play? Any 'yes' is worth talking about with a helpline or a GP — one yes does not mean you have a problem, but it is a signal worth listening to before it becomes three or four.
Where to get help
The National Gambling Helpline is free, confidential, and open 24/7 on 0808 8020 133. GamCare (gamcare.org.uk) runs live chat, one-to-one counselling, and a peer forum. BeGambleAware (begambleaware.org) is the UK charity that funds most of the treatment services and has a searchable directory of local help. If you are in immediate crisis, contact the Samaritans on 116 123. None of these services will judge you or share your call with your bank, your employer, or Duelana.
Self-exclusion
If you want to stop, GAMSTOP is the free UK-wide self-exclusion scheme that covers every operator licensed by the UKGC, including Duelana. You register once at gamstop.co.uk, choose 6 months, 1 year, or 5 years, and every licensed site will block your account and refuse new registrations for the whole period. Once activated, self-exclusion cannot be reversed early — that is by design. On top of GAMSTOP, you can ask Duelana directly to close your account and refund any balance.
Underage protection
Every page on this site carries the 18+ mark for a reason: gambling in the United Kingdom is legal only for adults, and even one underage deposit is one too many. Parents and guardians who share a device with a minor can install free filtering software — Gamban, BetBlocker, and Net Nanny all block gambling domains across the whole device — and can turn on family controls at the ISP or mobile-carrier level. Keep account passwords and card details out of reach of children, and talk to teenagers about how odds work: honesty about the mathematics is the strongest protection.
Limits and tools
Every UKGC-licensed operator, Duelana included, offers deposit limits, session-time limits, loss limits, and a reality-check pop-up. Set them before you make your first deposit, not after a bad session — the cooling-off period on a raised limit is exactly there to protect the version of you who is calm from the version who is chasing. Bank-level tools like a gambling block on your debit card (all major UK banks now offer one) add a second layer that the operator cannot override.
Signs of a problem
Gambling stops being a leisure activity when you start spending more time or money than you planned, chasing losses to break even, hiding sessions from your family, or borrowing to fund a deposit. Feeling anxious when you cannot log in, or relief only during a session, are red flags too. If any of that sounds familiar — pause, close the account, and talk to someone. The UK has free, confidential help lines that are open around the clock; you do not need to have a diagnosis to call.