Safer play

What we do in our own room

Five tables, closing at two at the latest. No credit, no cash machine, no play on your hotel bill. The bar shuts before the tables. A clock in plain sight, and staff who tell you the time when you ask.

The supervisor will hold you to the limit you name, keep your seat while you take a walk on the promenade, or refuse you entry for a few days if you request it. The desk can arrange a longer stop. None of this can be done through the website, deliberately; it needs a person who can see and hear you.

Signs to take seriously

• You think about the gaming room during the morning ride
• You go back to win back yesterday's losses
• The money set aside for play starts eating the money for meals
• You play to avoid a conversation with the people you are travelling with
• You feel relief when the room is closed, and irritation when it is open and you are not there

Stopping for longer

In Great Britain, SENSE covers every land-based venue at once. In the Netherlands, Cruks covers gaming venues and licensed websites alike. In Poland we know of no single register for venues, so ask each one, starting with our desk. The entry rules page has the details.

For family and friends

Choose a quiet moment away from the room, speak about what you have noticed rather than what you fear, and remember that the lines above help relatives too. On a trip, the guide will listen in confidence.

How our staff are trained

Everyone at the door and on the floor takes a course on recognising harm before their first shift and refreshes it every spring. Desk staff learn the stop procedure in their first week.