CURRENT EDITIONEU guide · Safety & player rights
Supporting someone affected by bonus pressure
A relative or friend may notice gambling pressure before the person using an account feels ready to discuss it. Support can begin with a calm conversation and practical help, without taking over the person’s identity or gambling on their behalf.
- Choose a quiet time and describe specific concerns such as missed sleep, repeated deposits or distress about a deadline.
- Do not lend money for continued gambling or use your own account to help someone recover losses.
- Gambling Therapy supports people affected by their own or someone else’s gambling.
Discuss observable effects
Choose a quiet time and describe specific concerns such as missed sleep, repeated deposits or distress about a deadline. Avoid turning the conversation into an argument over whether one bonus was mathematically attractive. The issue is the effect on everyday life. Listen to what the person says and offer to help find support rather than promising to solve the situation through another promotion.
Protect practical boundaries
Do not lend money for continued gambling or use your own account to help someone recover losses. Avoid sharing identification or payment details. If household finances are affected, seek appropriate financial or debt advice and consider practical safeguards. Boundaries can coexist with care; support does not require absorbing every consequence or keeping harmful behaviour secret.
Use services for affected others
Gambling Therapy supports people affected by their own or someone else’s gambling. National services such as Joueurs Info Service also support relatives. They can help discuss options, including treatment information and self-exclusion, while respecting the person’s situation. This educational site cannot diagnose gambling disorder or provide treatment.
A detail worth checking
It can help to agree on one manageable next step rather than demand a complete solution immediately. That might be finding a support service, looking at an exclusion tool together or making an appointment with a local professional. Do not take possession of another adult’s account credentials without a clear, appropriate arrangement; support should respect privacy and consent. Affected relatives may need their own emotional and financial advice even if the person gambling declines help. Keeping personal boundaries is part of that support, not evidence that concern has ended.
Worked example · hypothetical
A deadline conversation
Someone says they must deposit again tonight or waste an almost-finished bonus. A useful response is to acknowledge the pressure and offer to pause together, review essential spending and contact support. Debating the exact percentage of progress is unlikely to resolve the underlying difficulty stopping.
- Identify the relevant account event and preserve its original wording.
- Separate known facts from assumptions before drawing a conclusion.
- Use the applicable official source or complaint route when a material question remains.
Common questions
Can I contact support without the gambler joining?
Yes. Services for affected others can help you consider your own situation and boundaries.
Should I open an account to help finish their bonus?
No. Do not gamble on their behalf or share identities and payment access.
Sources & further reading
Read the source alongside the explanation. Rules and published terms can change; check the current official position where you live.
- Gambling Therapy — independent international support
- Spelpaus — official Swedish exclusion service
- StopSpillet — Danish support and treatment guidance