If you enjoy gambling, it isn't always easy to tell where the line is between a hobby and a compulsion or addiction that has the potential to leave a person in debt, damage their relationships and harm their mental health.
But whether you spend time on the machines, or place bets on the football, how can you tell if your gambling habit is becoming bad for your health?
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What are the signs of gambling addiction?
According to Catherine Sweet, from gambling addiction charity GamCare, "for many people gambling is not a harmful activity, but for some it can become a serious problem".
"We believe it's important for people to properly understand the risks associated with gambling, and for them to be able to access timely advice and support to prevent a problem developing," she tells HuffPost UK.
The charity says you may be developing a gambling addiction if you notice:
:: Your spending has become uncontrolled
:: You're spending significant time gambling
:: You're concealing or lying about gambling behaviour
:: Gambling is impacting on relationships with family and friends
:: You're withdrawing from family activities
:: You're spending excessive amounts of time on a computer
:: You have no apparent interests or leisure pursuits
:: You take increasing absence from school, college, university or work
How to cut down on gambling:
If you are starting to recognise some of the warning signs above, there are self-care tactics you can implement to try to cut down on gambling.
GamCare recommends scheduling other activities at the times you're most likely to gamble, plus writing your feelings down in a diary to keep track of how they change.
"If you are not gambling, note how you are feeling and how you have coped. If you have gambled, think about the events that led up to this and record your feelings before, during and after," the charity recommends.
You can also remove some of the temptation by blocking software for online gambling and implementing "self-exclusion" by banning yourself from certain betting shops you frequently attend.
When you lose control of your gambling habits, this can lead to spending more than you can afford and feeling an overwhelming need to "win" the money back. However, in order to reduce your risk of falling into debt the NHS says it's important to remember gambling is not a way to make money - "try to see it as entertainment instead", the website says. It also recommends not taking credit cards with you when you go gambling and avoiding bottling up your feelings about gambling from loved ones.