Safer play by the harbour

Why a free site talks about this

Even with no money involved, reel games are built around anticipation: the pause before the last reel stops, the near miss, the feature that might be one spin away. That pull can carry over into real gambling elsewhere, or simply eat into time you meant to spend on other things. We would rather say so plainly than pretend otherwise.

Habits that keep play light

• Settle on when you will finish before you begin, and let a phone alarm keep you honest.
• Take regular breaks. Stand up, stretch and look at something far away.
• Give it a miss if you feel stressed, down or worn out, or after a drink.
• Keep autoplay for brief moments rather than whole visits.
• Treat running out of play credits as the end of the visit, not a reason to reload.
• Talk to someone you trust if play starts to feel less like fun.
• Bear in mind that a free game is no guide to what would happen with real stakes.

A short self-check

If you answer yes to any of these questions, it may be worth talking to one of the services listed below. Doing so is free and confidential.

• Do sessions regularly run past the time you planned?
• Do you feel irritable or restless when you try to cut back?
• Do you reach for a game to escape worry, loneliness or feeling flat?
• Have you hidden how much time or money you spend gambling from people close to you?
• Have you borrowed money, or gone without things, because of gambling elsewhere?
• Do you find yourself trying to recover money already lost to gambling?

Free help in Ireland and online

• Gambling CareConfidential information and support, including a freephone helpline on 1800 936 725.
• Gamblers Anonymous IrelandA fellowship where people giving up gambling meet and back one another.
• Extern Problem GamblingSupport and information for people affected by gambling, including family members.
• Gambling Regulatory Authority of IrelandThe State body that licenses and oversees gambling in Ireland, with plain guidance on the rules and the protections in place.
• Gambling TherapyWeb-based support, free of charge and open internationally.

Under 18? This quay is not for you

Harbour Lamp is for adults only. People under 18 must not use the site or its games, even though no money is involved. If you are a parent or guardian, device-level parental controls and browser content filters can block game sites on shared computers, tablets and phones.

A note on what we are

Harbour Lamp is not a gambling operator. We do not take stakes, hold balances or pay out anything, and the credits in our games are fictional. If you have a question about this page, write to [email protected].