Digital Wellbeing is Android's built-in set of tools for seeing and managing how you use your phone, including daily app timers and a Focus mode that pauses chosen apps. For casino apps it works as a time limit: when your allowance runs out, the app closes and its icon dims until midnight.
Digital Wellbeing comes with Android and shows how long you spend in each app.
An app timer closes the app and dims its icon once your daily allowance is used.
Timers reset at midnight; Focus mode pauses chosen apps and their notifications.
It limits time, not money, so pair it with deposit limits and other blocks.
UK casino apps must also show time and net spend while you play.
Made by
Google (Android)
Main tools
App timers, Focus mode, usage dashboard
When a timer ends
The app closes and its icon dims
Timer reset
Midnight
Limits
Time on one device, not spending
What Digital Wellbeing is
Digital Wellbeing is Google's name for the screen-time features on Android phones. It gives you a dashboard of how long you've spent in each app and how often you've opened it, plus tools to set boundaries. On many phones it's in Settings under Digital Wellbeing, though phone makers sometimes label it a little differently.
Where Apple's Screen Time leans on age ratings to block apps, Digital Wellbeing is mainly about time. That makes it a self-management tool rather than a lock. You'll find it alongside reality check and time-out in our glossary.
How Digital Wellbeing app timers work
Google's Digital Wellbeing help page (opens in a new tab) explains that you tap 'Set timer' next to an app and choose a daily allowance. When you run out of time, the app closes and its icon dims. Timers reset at midnight, so a fresh allowance starts each day.
Open Settings and find Digital Wellbeing (the label can vary by phone maker).
Open the dashboard to see which apps you use and for how long.
Find the casino app in the list and tap 'Set timer' beside it.
Choose a daily time allowance that fits the budget you've set.
Focus mode pauses the apps you pick, and their notifications, for as long as it's on. That's useful if promotional pushes from a casino app tend to pull you back in. Google's help page describes it as pausing chosen apps rather than limiting them to a set time.
Digital Wellbeing compared with other gambling controls
What Digital Wellbeing covers against other tools
Tool
What it limits
Scope
Easy to reverse?
Digital Wellbeing app timer
Time in an app each day
One Android device
Yes, you can change it yourself
Focus mode
Chosen apps and their notifications while on
One Android device
Yes
In-app reality check
Reminds you how long you've played
One casino account
You choose the interval
Deposit limit
Money paid in over a period
One casino account
You set and change it in the app
GAMSTOP
Access to all GB-licensed online operators
Every British-licensed site and app
No, not during the chosen period
The table shows the main gap. A timer stops the clock but not the spending, and nothing prevents you raising the allowance in a moment of frustration. That's why time tools work best alongside a deposit limit set inside each app, and GAMSTOP (opens in a new tab) if you want a firmer break.
UK time rules inside casino apps
Licensed apps carry their own time features by law. The Gambling Commission's RTS 13 standard (opens in a new tab) says customers must be able to choose how often they get a reality check, and full-screen apps that hide the phone clock must show the time of day or elapsed time. Since 17 January 2025, online casino games must also show net spend and time spent in real time.
So Digital Wellbeing tells you about your phone, while the casino app tells you about your session. Using both gives a fuller picture. Our guide to reality checks in casino apps shows how to set the in-app reminder.
If you're worried about how much time or money gambling is taking, the National Gambling Helpline, run by GamCare, is free and open 24/7 on 0808 8020 133.
Digital Wellbeing timers work with any Android app, including the three below. Each is licensed by the Gambling Commission, so each must offer reality checks and show session time and net spend. PlayOJO's listing names Safe Mate, Take A Break and Deposit Limits among its tools. Offers are for new customers, 18+, and terms apply.
Coral: bet £10 on slots, get 100 free spins (selected games, 10p each, accept within 48 hours, valid for 7 days, no wagering on winnings; Neteller, PayPal, Paysafe, Skrill, prepaid cards and certain debit cards excluded). Ladbrokes: spend £10 on slots after depositing and get 50 free spins a day for your first 10 days, maximum 500 (10p each, selected games, claim by 23:59 daily, 7 days to use, no wagering; PayPal, Paysafe, Neteller, Skrill, Moneybookers and prepaid card deposits excluded). PlayOJO: first deposit of £10 or more, 80 free spins on Big Bass Bonanza at 10p each, no wagering, winnings paid in cash, not available in Northern Ireland.
Coral and Ladbrokes are both run by LC International Limited (Entain). If you already hold an account with one Entain brand, you may not be able to open another; check the terms first.
Significant terms: 18+. New players only. Offer runs 01/10/2026 to 01/02/2027. Deposit (certain types excluded) and bet £10+ on slot games to get 100 free spins (selected games, £0.10 each, 48 hrs to accept, valid 7 days). No wagering on free spin winnings. Deposits by Neteller, PayPal, Paysafe, Skrill, prepaid cards and certain debit cards do not qualify. Restrictions and T&Cs apply. GamCare.org.uk
Read our Coral app reviewLicence: LC International Limited, Gambling Commission account 54743. Offer checked 5 October 2026.
Time limitClaim daily for 10 days; each batch valid 7 days
Worked valueUp to 500 spins at £0.10 (up to £50 in spins)
Significant terms: 18+. New customers only, from 14/11/25 until further notice. Certain deposit methods excluded. Deposit and spend £10+ on slots for 50 free spins a day during the first 10 days after first deposit and registration (max 500, £0.10 each, selected games, claim before 23:59 each day, valid 7 days). No wagering. Prepaid cards, PayPal, Paysafe, Neteller, Skrill and Moneybookers deposits do not qualify. Restrictions and T&Cs apply. GamCare.org.uk
Read our Ladbrokes app reviewLicence: LC International Limited, Gambling Commission account 54743. Offer checked 5 October 2026.
Significant terms: 18+. New UK customers (excluding Northern Ireland). First deposit only. Minimum deposit £10. 80 free spins on Big Bass Bonanza, £0.10 each. No wagering requirements; winnings paid in cash. Cannot be used with any other offer. Only available to players who arrive through the designated offer link. Full T&Cs apply. GamCare.org.uk
Read our PlayOJO app reviewLicence: Skill On Net Limited, Gambling Commission account 39326. Offer checked 5 October 2026.
18+. Every casino game has a built-in house edge, so over time you should expect to lose what you stake. Set a budget before you play and stop when it’s gone: safer gambling tools and support. Free, confidential help: National Gambling Helpline 0808 8020 133.
Frequently asked questions
Can Digital Wellbeing block a casino app completely?
Not permanently. An app timer closes the app once your daily allowance is used and dims its icon until the timer resets at midnight, and Focus mode pauses chosen apps while it's on. Both can be changed by whoever holds the phone. For a firmer block, look at GAMSTOP, Gamban or a bank gambling block. Our page on blocking gambling apps on Android compares the options.
What happens when a casino app timer runs out?
Google says the app closes and its icon dims, so you can't open it again that day without changing the timer. The allowance resets at midnight. Any game round already in progress is handled by the operator's systems, so check the app's help pages for how interrupted games are settled. Our answer on what happens if an app crashes mid-game explains the usual approach.
Is Digital Wellbeing on Samsung phones?
Samsung phones include Digital Wellbeing features, usually listed in Settings with parental controls, though the layout differs from Google's own phones. App timers and a dashboard of usage are the core features to look for. If you can't find something, search Settings for 'timer' or 'Digital Wellbeing'. Our Samsung Galaxy casino apps page covers other settings on those phones.
Does Digital Wellbeing limit how much I spend?
No. It limits time, not money. A short session can still involve large stakes, so a timer works best alongside a deposit limit set inside each casino app and, if you need it, a bank gambling block. UK casino apps must show your net spend in real time while you play. Our guide to setting deposit limits in a casino app walks you through it.
Can I see how long I've spent in casino apps?
Yes. The Digital Wellbeing dashboard shows screen time and how often you open each app, which can be eye-opening for gambling apps. Inside the casino app itself, UK rules require the elapsed time of your session to be shown and let you set reality check reminders. Our answer on how to see how much you've lost on a casino app covers the money side.
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