6/26/2026
For many, payday is a positive moment. But if you have been gambling excessively, it can feel complicated. It might mean stronger urges or a potential chance of relapse while you’re trying to quit. This is a totally normal part of recovering from addiction. The best thing is to ensure that when payday comes around, you are prepared, as a plan can help you manage both gambling urges and your income.
Managing Access
Suddenly having an influx of accessible money can be a big trigger. Particularly with casinos and slot machines available on your phone. If you know having access to money is a risk, you need to decide what will happen to your money once it enters your account.
Most major banks offer some sort of gambling block, so you won’t be able to make transactions to certain vendors. Find out more about this here.
Some people have a trusted friend or family member who helps to manage their money. This is made easier with our partner Sibstar, a debit card and app that can be controlled and managed by a dedicated “helper” of your choice, while still allowing you access to the things you need. Find more about this here.
Plan Your Spending
If you want to manage your money on your own, having a plan as soon as it hits your account is key.
If possible, set all your bills to go out on payday, so you know they are covered, and the money is out of sight straight away.
If you have outstanding debt, work out how much you can feasibly pay per month and also ensure this goes out as soon as you've been paid.
If you need help with debt, visit our debt support page.
Be sensible here; don’t suddenly overpay debt if it leaves you with nothing for food or travel, as this can lead to gambling urges later down the line.
Make a plan for any remaining money. It’s often easier to segment it into how much you need per week. Moving any remaining money into an account that's harder to access and isn’t linked to a card will make it harder to gamble with.
Recovery doesn’t mean every penny has to go towards bills and debt. Make sure you leave money to treat yourself and enjoy life. A plan that is too strict will be hard to maintain.
Managing Your Payday
Even if you are paid monthly, you might be able to request that your employer pays you weekly. This means you will get a steady weekly deposit into your account instead of one lump sum. This can make it easier to manage and plan your spending overall.
Consider removing or reducing your overdraft and getting rid of credit cards if you feel you are likely to use them to gamble. If you know you tend to ask others to borrow money, the best thing is to be open and honest and make sure this option is off the table. Only borrow money if you really need it for essential bills.
Managing urges
Urges to gamble can initially feel incredibly strong, but will subside over time. If you have an overwhelming urge to gamble, find an alternative activity that takes up half an hour. Have a timer ready to go for 30 minutes, don’t act on the urge and keep reminding yourself that the feeling will pass. It will usually do so before the timer elapses. This technique is called “urge surfing”.
It also helps to install a physical blocker, like Gamban. Gamban blocks access to over 500,000 sites across all your devices. That bit of friction can be the deciding factor between gambling and not.
“Playing the tape” is also a key way of keeping yourself on track. When people think of gambling, they are often only thinking of the immediate outcome. The potential to win money and feel that “high”.
However, if you roll the tape all the way, and remember everything negative that happens when you gamble, this stops the “rose-tinted” view of betting.
If you struggle with thoughts of gambling on payday, make sure you keep busy to keep your mind off things. Plan something you enjoy with a friend or family member, or offer to do an extra shift so you're not distracted and not fixated on your pay.
Aside from payday, think about other times which might be a trigger for you. This could include the first weekend or football match after payday. Arrange something healthy but distracting to switch up your routine and keep your mind away from gambling.
If you need to speak to someone, call Gamcare on 0808 8020 133 for free and confidential advice and support.
Financial goals
It can be helpful to set achievable financial goals each payday. For example, you may want to go on a trip you've always planned, buy a car, or put a deposit down on a house. Make sure it's not so big that it feels miles away. You can always start small and build over time.
Having that financial goal in mind gives you something to focus on, which brings you joy and happiness that aren't tied to gambling.
If you have been free from gambling for a while, you may start to get complacent, and this is when old habits can creep back in. No matter how long it's been since you gambled, make sure you keep up with the payday routine, gambling blocking, GA meetings and whatever else you use to stay on track.
Payday Checklist
- Set all bills to come out when you're paid.
- If you have outstanding debt, plan how much you can pay off each month and set up a direct debit.
- Choose a trusted person to either help manage your money or someone you can talk to when you feel urges.
- Make sure bank blocking is set up.
- Install Gamban to block access to over 500,000 gambling sites and apps.
- Join our Gamban Discord for a place to speak openly with others who relate.
- Think about how you have managed urges before, what works and what doesn't? Having a mental tool kit is key.
- Set an achievable financial goal to work towards.
- What are you doing on payday which can help to distract you?
Other Helpful Resources
- If you have gambling debt, there are organisations that can help. Find out more here.
- Self-exclude from all the betting shops in your area here.
- Self-exclude from all UK casinos here.
- There is support for affected others at GamFam.
- There is peer support and support with the criminal justice system available at GamLEARN.
- Gamblers Anonymous isn’t for everyone, but it's available worldwide and is a free, anonymous way to talk to others suffering from gambling harm.
- The Gamban Discord is another free, anonymous platform where you can get together with others to chat, play games, or just read what others have to say.
