House › Responsible Play
Responsible Play
The rules we keep, the things we will not do, and where to get help. This page applies to the top-floor room and to anything you may do at the independent venues along the parade.
The short version
Eighteen and over only, with photo identification checked every single time. No wagering, payments or games of any kind on this website. No promises about results, ever, by anyone. No pressure from staff, no encouragement, no loyalty scheme, no free anything to keep you in a chair. Ask to be kept out and you will be kept out.
Age rules
Nobody under eighteen may enter the Marquee room, wait inside it, be signed in as a visitor to it, or stand on the landing outside it. Photo identification is checked at the door on every visit, including for guests the team already recognises, and entry is refused where identification cannot be checked. Parents cannot give permission to a minor; there is no version of this rule with an exception in it.
What this website does not do
- It takes no wagers and offers no play. There is nothing here to gamble on.
- It holds no accounts, no balances, no deposits and no payment details.
- It sells nothing, and it does not link to gambling operators.
- It makes no claim that anyone can win anything, here or anywhere else.
- It runs no countdown, no urgency, no offer and nothing designed to hurry you.
Setting your own limits
Decide two things before you go upstairs: the most you are willing to spend, and the time you are leaving. Write both down if that helps. Treat any money involved as spent the moment you sit down, because that is the only honest way to think about it. Games are entertainment with a price, like a theatre ticket, and the price is whatever you put down.
Practical habits
- Eat first. Play after a proper meal, never instead of one.
- Leave cards in the room safe and take a fixed amount with you.
- Set an alarm for your leaving time and honour it.
- Take breaks out of the room, not just away from the table.
- Never play to recover money already spent.
- Never play after drinking heavily or when upset.
Signs worth taking seriously
- Spending more than the amount you set, more than once.
- Playing longer than intended and losing track of the hour.
- Hiding how much time or money is involved from people with you.
- Feeling irritable or restless when you are not playing.
- Borrowing, or thinking about borrowing, to keep going.
- Chasing a bad night rather than closing it.
How we behave
Door staff are members of the house team, paid the same whether the room is full or empty. They will not invite you in, will not suggest a table, will not comment when you leave, and will not remember out loud that you were there last night. The counter stops serving at midnight and the room closes at one, on the clock, with no extension for anyone.
If a guest looks unwell, distressed or heavily intoxicated, they are not admitted. If someone becomes distressed inside, a table is closed and the room is quietly cleared around them. Nobody is asked to explain themselves and nothing is discussed afterwards.
Asking to be kept out
Tell anyone at the desk, or the person on the door, that you would rather not be let in. That takes effect immediately and lasts for the rest of your stay, or longer if you ask. It is recorded as a door instruction only, not attached to your room record, and it will never be raised with you again or mentioned to anyone you are travelling with. You do not need to give a reason and you will not be asked for one.
Getting help
Gambling harm is common, treatable, and nothing to be embarrassed about. Free, confidential support exists in most countries and does not require you to have hit any particular point before you use it.
- Ask at the desk for the printed card of national helplines and local services; it is kept by the key rack and can be handed over without a word said.
- National gambling helplines usually operate around the clock, free of charge, and can be reached by phone or online chat.
- Your own doctor can refer you to specialist treatment services, which are free in many health systems.
- Peer support groups meet weekly in most towns, including two within a short train ride of here.
- Self-exclusion schemes let you block yourself from venues and gambling websites for a fixed period; the venues on the parade all participate in one.
- Bank and card providers can block gambling transactions on request, usually from within their own applications.
If you are worried about someone with you
Say something early and say it plainly, away from the room. The desk will help you get them out of the building without a scene, and will refuse entry on their behalf if they ask us to. Support services also help family and friends, not only the person playing.