This guide spends most of its time explaining how the game gets onto a phone. This page is about the reverse: how to take it off again, and why that is sometimes the most important step of all.
Keep it entertainment
A game of chance is a pastime you pay for, not a source of income. Results are random and the house keeps an edge over time, so treat any real-money spend as a cost. If you are tempted to play because money is tight, that is a reason not to play. An app icon on the home screen makes a paid game feel as casual as checking messages, which is exactly why where it sits on your phone matters.
Set limits before you install
Decide in advance how much money and how much time you are willing to spend, and stop when either runs out. Turn off notifications from any casino app you keep, because reminders and offers are designed to pull you back in. Better still, skip the install entirely: the browser demo on our homepage uses play credits, needs no file and costs nothing.
Signs an app has too much hold
- Reaching for the phone to win back what you just lost.
- Borrowing money, or putting stakes on credit.
- Hiding the app, the time spent or the amounts from family.
- Opening it to escape worry, boredom or a bad day.
- Reinstalling an app you deleted, sometimes within a day or two.
The removal checklist
- Uninstall casino apps: long-press the icon and choose Uninstall, or go to Settings, Apps and remove them there.
- Delete shortcuts to gambling sites from your home screen, and clear saved logins in the browser.
- Turn off installs from unknown sources so a new file cannot slip back on.
- Install a blocker such as Gamban or BetBlocker to stop gambling sites and apps from loading.
- Self-exclude with any operator where you hold an account.
- Ask someone you trust to keep you accountable and check in with you regularly, or to hold the passcode for app installs on your phone.
Free support in India
Tele-MANAS is the government's free mental-health helpline: call 14416 or 1-800-891-4416, or visit the Tele-MANAS website. iCall, the psychosocial helpline of TISS, is on 9152987821 from Monday to Saturday, 8 am to 9 pm, with details at the iCall website. In an emergency, call 112.
Adults only: guidance for parents
Gambling apps and this guide are for people aged 18 or over. Parents can check which apps are installed on a child's phone, require approval for new installs through parental controls, and keep betting content out of family devices. Our terms restate the age rule, and you can contact us to report anything that appears aimed at minors.