Clash of Clans Tips is about strategy games, but gaming and gambling sometimes meet. A few of our articles are about betting on esports, and spending real money is only a tap away in many games. This page explains how to keep betting under control, how to tell when it is becoming a problem and where to find free, confidential help.
We do not offer betting or gambling, and we do not want anyone to bet more than they can afford. If you choose to bet for real money, we want you to do it safely.
Need help now?
Help is free and confidential, and you do not have to deal with it alone. These services are good places to start:
- Worldwide: Gambling Therapy offers free online support and live chat in several languages.
- United States: the National Problem Gambling Helpline, run by the National Council on Problem Gambling: call or text 1-800-MY-RESET (1-800-697-3738).
- United Kingdom: the National Gambling Helpline, run by GamCare: 0808 8020 133 in England and Scotland and 0808 2819 265 in Wales, free and open 24 hours a day.
- Australia: Gambling Help Online: 1800 858 858.
- New Zealand: the Gambling Helpline: 0800 654 655, or send a free text to 8006.
If your country is not listed, Gambling Therapy can point you to local services, and your doctor can refer you to support where you live.
What responsible gambling means
Gambling responsibly means you stay in charge. You decide before you start how much time and money you will spend, you treat that money as the price of entertainment, and you accept that you may lose it.
Knowing a game well does not make betting on it safe. Esports results can turn on a single mistake, a patch or a roster change, and bookmakers build a margin into their odds so that they make money over time. Even experienced bettors lose more often than they expect.
When betting stops being fun, or you keep betting to win back what you have lost, it is time to stop.
In-game spending
Many games, Clash of Clans included, let you spend real money on gems, passes and other extras. That is not gambling, but it can become a habit in the same way. Set a monthly budget, use the spending limits and parental controls in your app store account, and talk with younger players about what things really cost.
Habits that keep you in control
- Set a deposit limit with the betting site before your first deposit, and a loss limit if one is offered.
- Decide how long you will bet and how many bets you will place, and stop when you reach the limit.
- Keep betting money apart from money for rent, bills and food.
- Never borrow money to bet.
- Do not chase losses with bigger stakes or extra bets.
- Be careful with live betting during matches: fast decisions make it easy to bet more than you planned.
- Read the terms before you accept a bonus or free bet: wagering requirements can keep you betting longer than you meant to.
- Avoid betting when you are tired, stressed, upset or have been drinking.
- Take regular breaks, and use the time-out or self-exclusion options if you need a longer pause.
Warning signs of gambling harm
Gambling problems often grow slowly and can be hard to see, both for the person who gambles and for the people around them. Look out for these signs:
- spending more money or time on betting than you planned
- betting again to win back money you have lost
- borrowing money, or using money meant for something else, to bet
- hiding how much you bet or how much you have spent
- betting to escape boredom, stress or loneliness
- betting getting in the way of work, school, sleep, money or relationships
- feeling guilty, anxious or ashamed about betting
Even one of these signs can mean gambling is starting to cause harm. Noticing it is a good reason to talk to someone, and getting help early makes the biggest difference.
Check your gambling
If you are not sure whether betting has become a problem, go through the warning signs again and answer each one honestly. Your account history at the betting site and your bank statements show what you have really spent, which is often more than it feels like. For a second opinion, call or message one of the helplines above. The conversation is confidential, and you can stay anonymous.
Ways to get help
- Helplines: free support by phone, text or chat, listed by country at the top of this page. Advisers can also put you in touch with free counselling near you.
- Self-help groups: Gamblers Anonymous runs free meetings for people who want to stop gambling, in many countries and online.
- Self-exclusion: licensed betting sites let you set limits, take a time-out or exclude yourself completely. Some countries also have national schemes that block you from all licensed operators at once, such as GAMSTOP in the United Kingdom and BetStop for online wagering in Australia.
- Blocking tools: gambling-blocking software and the screen-time settings on your phone or computer can make it harder to reach betting sites.
- Your doctor can offer support and refer you to specialist help.
For family and friends
When someone gambles too much, the people close to them are affected too: partners, children, parents and friends. Feeling worried, angry or powerless is normal, and you can get support for yourself. Most of the helplines above also talk to family members.
Try to bring up the subject calmly and without blame. Protect your own money, and think carefully before paying off someone else’s gambling debts, because that can keep the problem going. Only the person who gambles can decide to get help, but you can make sure they know where to find it.
If you are a parent, keep an eye on spending in your children’s game and app store accounts, and talk with them about betting sites and offers they may see while gaming or watching streams.
Age limits and the law
You must be of legal age to bet or gamble, and the limit depends on where you live. It is 18 in most countries, including the United Kingdom and Australia. In New Zealand you can bet from 18 but must be 20 to enter a casino, and many US states require you to be 21. Online betting, and esports betting in particular, is licensed in some countries, restricted in others and not allowed at all in some.
Check the age limit and the rules where you live before you bet for real money. Your national or state gambling regulator publishes them, for example the UK Gambling Commission, the gaming commission of your US state, or New Zealand’s Department of Internal Affairs. Only bet with operators that are licensed where you live.