Changing your relationship with gambling

Read about how getting the right support helped Nigel make some positive changes. If you’re in a similar situation, you’re not alone – we’re here to help you.

When Nigel first started gambling and had a few big wins, he enjoyed himself and thought the winning streak would last.

But when he stopped winning, he increased his bets to cover what he’d lost. He soon started to lose interest in spending time with his friends and family, and even took days off work to gamble more.

Nigel started missing bill payments and getting charged, which meant there was less money for his family each month. This meant extra pressure at home, and he felt guilty about how his gambling affected his family.

Realising something had to change, Nigel got in touch with a local gambling support charity for help. They suggested finding out if we had tools to support him.

Nigel’s next steps

Nigel’s situation is more common than you might think and we already had tools that could help him.

Nigel downloaded the Barclays app¹ and used the merchant control feature to turn off card payments to gambling websites, apps and betting shops. This control has a cooling-off period – if he wants to restart his spending, he’ll need to wait 72 hours before he can do this. 

Nigel also set a spending and cash withdrawal limit on his cards to help him feel in control of his finances again.

To help him keep his family finances on track, Nigel used the spending feature in the app. It showed him exactly where his money was going and helped him set realistic budgets.

Contact us

Worried you’ll miss a payment?

Help is always at hand. As soon as you think you might have some financial difficulties, give us a call – it could help make things better.

Have some information about your financial situation ready, before you call, including your income and outgoings. You might be talking for a while – we’ll want to understand your situation in detail, so make sure you set aside some time.

Mortgages – 0333 202 7492 Monday to Thursday, 8am to 8pm, Friday, 8am to 7pm and Saturday, 9am to 4pm

Barclaycard – 0800 051 8346 Monday to Friday 8am to 9pm, Saturday and Sunday 9am to 9pm

Overdraft and Barclayloan – 0333 202 7412 Monday to Thursday, 8am to 8pm, Friday, 8am to 7pm and Saturday, 9am to 4pm

Self-employed or have a business? Get some support

Call charges

Missed a payment and want to catch up?

If you’ve missed a payment on your Barclayloan, overdraft or Barclaycard, you might be able to pay it using the Barclays app¹, – or give us a call.

Overdrafts and Barclayloan – 0345 703 4034 Monday to Thursday, 8am to 8pm, Friday, 8am to 7pm and Saturday, 9am to 4pm

For a mortgage or Barclaycard, please call the relevant number in the section above.