If betting on FairPlay or anywhere else has started to cost you sleep, money or honesty with people close to you, you can call Tele-MANAS on 14416 (or 1800-89-14416) any time of day. It is the government’s free tele mental health helpline, run with NIMHANS in Bengaluru, and you can choose the language you speak in. This page also covers the practical steps that make betting harder to reach.
Which warning signs matter?
You don’t need all of them. Two or three is enough reason to stop and take stock:
- chasing losses with a bigger stake “to get it back”;
- borrowing, using a credit line or selling something to keep playing;
- hiding bets, deleting chats or lying about where money went;
- feeling restless or angry when you can’t bet;
- spending the evening of a match watching odds instead of the game.
Where can you get help in India?
Tele-MANAS on 14416 for anything to do with stress, low mood or a habit you can’t shake. Calls are free. Lost money to a fake betting site, a bogus “customer care” number or a made-up withdrawal “fee”? Ring 1930, the cybercrime helpline, or lodge a complaint on cybercrime.gov.in. Your bank or UPI app should hear about it the same day.
Why can’t you self-exclude from FairPlay?
In most regulated markets, licensed operators have to offer self-exclusion and deposit limits, and a regulator checks that the tools work. FairPlay names no operator and no regulator. A “close my account” request sent over WhatsApp binds nobody, so the blocking has to happen on your side.
How do you put distance between you and betting apps?
- Uninstall the APK, then switch off “install unknown apps” for your browser and file manager so it can’t come back with one tap.
- Set app timers in Android’s Digital Wellbeing settings, including one for the browser you used to bet.
- Lower the daily transaction limit in your UPI or banking app, where it allows that, and remove saved cards.
- Leave the Telegram and WhatsApp groups that post tips, “IDs” and bonus codes. They are built to pull you back.
- Tell one person. Saying it out loud makes the next deposit harder.
What if you’re worried about someone else?
Talk about the money, not the morality. Ask what has been lost and what is owed, offer to sit with them while they call 14416, and don’t settle debts on their behalf without a plan. Caring for someone in this state is stressful in its own right, and 14416 is there for you as well.
This site is meant for adults only. All betting and casino games carry a house edge, and over time the house is the one that comes out ahead.