What is the safer play self-check?
The safer play self-check is a short reflection tool with twelve statements about your gambling over the last three months. For each one you pick No, Sometimes or Often, and the tool adds your answers into a total out of 24 and shows which of four result groups it falls in. It is for information only. It cannot diagnose anything, and it does not tell you whether your gambling is safe or unsafe.
It runs in your browser. Nothing you choose is saved, stored or sent anywhere, and the page address does not change with your answers.
How do you use the self-check?
- Think about the last three months, not just the last week.
- Answer every statement. Pick No if it did not happen, Sometimes if it happened now and then, and Often if it happened regularly.
- Choose See my result. If a statement is unanswered, the tool names which one is missing.
- Read the ticked list under your result. Which statements you ticked tells you more than the total does.
Answers score 0 for No, 1 for Sometimes and 2 for Often, so the total runs from 0 to 24. Be as honest as you can. Nobody sees your answers, and the tool has no reason to flatter you.
What do the four result groups mean?
The groups below are our own editorial bands. They are not clinical cut-offs and they are not taken from any published screening instrument. Their only job is to suggest how much attention your answers deserve.
| Total | Group | What we suggest |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | No warning signs ticked | You ticked nothing. The check is not validated, so it cannot say your gambling is safe. Setting a limit on time and money before you play still helps. |
| 1 to 4 | A few warning signs | Look at which statements you ticked. A set budget and time limit, kept to, can stop small signs from growing. |
| 5 to 9 | Several warning signs | A good point to cut back, set firm limits and talk to someone you trust. A counsellor can help you think it through. |
| 10 to 24 | Many warning signs | Please consider talking to a counsellor or doctor soon. You do not have to wait until things feel worse. |
Why do the money statements get an extra note?
Two statements ask whether you used money meant for bills, rent, fees or savings, or borrowed money or used credit to gamble. If you tick either one, even once, the result adds a short note whatever your total is. Gambling with money you need for essentials, or with borrowed money, is a sign that deserves attention on its own, and a low total could hide it.
What do the twelve statements cover?
The statements are grouped under three headings so you can see where the signs sit.
| Group | What it asks about |
|---|---|
| Money (4 statements) | Going over your own limit, chasing losses, using money meant for essentials, and borrowing to gamble. |
| Time and mind (4 statements) | Playing longer than planned, thinking about gambling a lot, gambling to escape a low mood, and failing to cut down. |
| Life around you (4 statements) | Hiding how much you gamble, arguments or worry at home, missed commitments, and guilt or shame afterwards. |
What does this check not do?
- It does not diagnose gambling disorder or any other condition.
- It has not been clinically validated, and it is not a copy of any published questionnaire. The wording and the four groups were written by our editorial team.
- It does not know your income, your situation or your history, so the same total can mean different things for different people.
- It does not replace talking to a counsellor, a doctor or a helpline.
A low total is not a clean bill of health, and a high total is not a verdict. If gambling is affecting your money, health or relationships, it is worth talking to someone whatever the number says.
What can you do after you see your result?
| If you ticked | A practical next step |
|---|---|
| A few signs | Write down a money limit and a time limit before your next session, and keep to them. Take breaks when you are tired, upset or have been drinking. |
| Several signs | Cut back, remove saved cards from gambling accounts, and tell one person you trust. Ask the operator about limits, time-outs or self-exclusion where they are offered in your country. |
| Many signs, or either money statement | Pause gambling while you get advice. Speak to a gambling helpline, a counsellor or a doctor, and a free debt advice service if money is tight. |
Where can you get support?
Helplines differ by country, so our Get help page is the place to start. It lists support in one place so you do not have to search. These are examples we have checked:
| Service | Where | Contact |
|---|---|---|
| GamCare National Gambling Helpline | United Kingdom | 0808 8020 133, free, open every day |
| Tele-MANAS | India | 14416 or 1800 891 4416, free mental health support (not gambling-specific) |
If you are in immediate danger, call your local emergency number.
How is your privacy protected?
The check works only in your browser. It does not use cookies for your answers, does not save them in your browser storage, and does not send them to us or anyone else. If you close the page, your answers are gone. If you use a shared device, there is nothing left behind to find.
What should you do next?
Read your result and the list of ticked statements, then pick one action from the table above. For more on staying in control of your play, read our safer play guide. Our editorial standards explain how we write and check our pages. This page does not endorse gambling, and it contains no links to gambling operators.
How to read the result
The large number is your total out of 24: No scores 0, Sometimes 1 and Often 2. Under it is one of four groups, No warning signs ticked (0), A few warning signs (1 to 4), Several warning signs (5 to 9) and Many warning signs (10 to 24). The bar shows where your total sits. If you ticked using money meant for essentials, or borrowing to gamble, an extra note appears whatever the total. Below that is the list of statements you ticked, which says more than the number does, and a link to the Get help page. The groups are our own editorial bands, not clinical cut-offs.
How it is calculated
Each of the twelve statements scores 0 for No, 1 for Sometimes or 2 for Often. The total is the sum, from 0 to 24. The group is chosen from the total: 0 is the first group, 1 to 4 the second, 5 to 9 the third and 10 to 24 the fourth. Statements 3 and 4 (essential money and borrowing) trigger the money note when either scores 1 or more. The statements and bands were written by the Chancepedia editorial team. They are not taken from any published screening instrument and have not been clinically validated.
Worked example
Worked example
Example: you answer Sometimes to statement 1 (1 point), Often to statement 3 (2 points) and No to the other ten. Your total is 3 out of 24, which falls in the group A few warning signs. Because you ticked statement 3, the result also shows the money note. The twelve statements, each answered No (0), Sometimes (1) or Often (2), are: 1. I spent more on gambling than the limit I had set for myself. 2. I kept gambling to win back what I had just lost. 3. I used money meant for bills, rent, fees or savings. 4. I borrowed money or used credit to gamble. 5. I gambled for longer than I meant to. 6. I thought about gambling a lot when I was not doing it. 7. I gambled to get away from stress, boredom or a low mood. 8. I tried to cut down and could not keep to it. 9. I hid how much I gambled, or was not truthful about it. 10. Gambling led to arguments or worry with people close to me. 11. I missed work, study or other commitments because of gambling. 12. I felt guilty or ashamed after gambling.
Limits
This is a reflection tool, not a test or a diagnosis. It has not been clinically validated, and it does not copy or replace any published questionnaire. The four groups are editorial bands, not clinical cut-offs, so a total of 4 and a total of 5 are not a medical difference. It does not know your income, history or circumstances, a low total does not mean gambling is safe, and it cannot predict what will happen. It is not for anyone under the legal gambling age in their country. If gambling is affecting your money, health or relationships, talk to a counsellor, a doctor or a helpline whatever the number says.