Responsible gaming
River teaches poker without money: no real stakes, fictitious chips that cannot be bought, and nothing to win. But poker played for money, at a casino or online, carries risks: losing money and losing control of your play. This page summarises the essentials; the Responsible gaming module in the app goes further.
The Responsible gaming module in the app
The module is free and available at any time from the learning path and from Settings. It contains:
- an explanation of variance: why short-term results depend heavily on luck, even with good decisions;
- warning signs and a short self-assessment;
- the contact details of help services in each target country (Switzerland, France, Belgium, Germany, Austria, Ireland and Canada, province by province), kept up to date in the app's content.
Good decisions do not guarantee winning
River judges your decisions, not your results. A good decision can lose a hand, a session or even a long run of sessions. No method guarantees winning at poker, and learning to play better does not make poker a reliable source of income.
Warning signs
- You bet more money or play for longer than you planned.
- You play again to try to win back what you have lost.
- You borrow, sell belongings or use money intended for essential expenses (rent, bills, food) to play.
- You hide your gambling from those close to you or lie to them about it.
- You think about gambling all the time, or you need to bet more to feel the same excitement.
- You feel restless or irritable when you try to cut down or stop.
- You gamble to escape your problems, stress, sadness or boredom.
- You have tried several times to cut down or stop, without success.
- Gambling harms your work, your studies, your relationships or your health.
If you recognise yourself in one or more of these signs, talk to someone you trust or contact a help service.
Tips for staying in control
- Set yourself a budget before playing, only with money you can afford to lose, and stick to it.
- Set yourself a time limit and take regular breaks.
- Never try to win back a loss.
- Never borrow to play.
- Avoid playing under the influence of alcohol, when tired or when experiencing strong emotions.
- Consider the money you play with as the price of a leisure activity, never as an investment.
- Keep up other activities and look after your relationships.
- Use the limits and self-exclusion offered by operators and, where one exists, your country's national exclusion register.
Help services
The contact details below were checked on the services' official pages on 6 November 2026. The full, up-to-date list is in the Responsible gaming module of the app.
Switzerland
- SOS-Jeu, national helpline on gambling addiction, free and anonymous: 0800 040 080 (sos-jeu.ch; in German, Spielen ohne Sucht: sos-spielsucht.ch)
- Centre du jeu excessif (CHUV, Lausanne), consultations: +41 21 314 8400
- Exclusion from casino games, land-based and online: information from the Federal Gaming Board (esbk.admin.ch)
France
- Joueurs Info Service (Santé publique France): 09 74 75 13 13
- Voluntary gambling ban, with the Autorité nationale des jeux (ANJ): interdictiondejeux.anj.fr
Belgium
- SOS Gambling, free helpline listed by the Gaming Commission: 0800 35 777
- Excluded Persons Information System (EPIS) of the Gaming Commission: gamingcommission.be
Germany
- BIÖG-Telefonberatung zur Glücksspielsucht, free phone counselling: 0800 1 37 27 00
- Check dein Spiel, online counselling from the BIÖG: check-dein-spiel.de
- OASIS national player exclusion system, run by the Regierungspräsidium Darmstadt
Austria
- Glücksspielsucht-Hotline (Medical University of Vienna): 0800/20 5242
- Spielsuchthilfe: 01/544 13 57
- Official list of help services, state by state, from the Federal Ministry of Finance: bmf.gv.at
Ireland
- Extern Problem Gambling, free counselling: 089 241 5401 (problemgambling.ie)
- Gamblers Anonymous Ireland: 01 872 1133
Canada
- Quebec: "Gambling: Help and Referral", 1 800 461-0140 (aidejeu.ca)
- Ontario: ConnexOntario, 1-866-531-2600
- British Columbia: Gambling Support Line, 1-888-795-6111
- Alberta: Addiction Helpline, 1-866-332-2322
- Saskatchewan: Problem Gambling Help Line, 1-800-306-6789
- Manitoba: Manitoba Problem Gambling Helpline, 1-800-463-1554
- New Brunswick: Gambling Info Line, 1-800-461-1234
- Nova Scotia: Mental Health and Addictions Provincial Intake, 1-855-922-1122
- Prince Edward Island: PEI Gambling Support Line, 1-855-255-4255
- Newfoundland and Labrador: Gambling Help Line, 811
- Northwest Territories: 811 Mental Health and Wellness Support Line, 1-844-259-1793
- Nunavut: Kamatsiaqtut Nunavut Helpline, 1-800-265-3333
Other countries and territories
Talk to your doctor or a local addiction help service.
In an emergency
If you or someone close to you is in danger, call the emergency services: 112 in the European Union and in Switzerland, 911 in Canada. In Switzerland, La Main Tendue answers on 143.
Our commitment
- No real stakes, no chips sold, no prizes to win.
- No advertising, no affiliation and no link to any gambling operator.
- No promise of winnings.
- An app restricted to people aged 18 and over.
- A Responsible gaming module that is free for everyone.