What Are Cookies?
Cookies are small text files that are placed on your computer, smartphone, tablet, or other device when you visit a website. They are widely used across the internet to make websites work more efficiently, to provide a better user experience, and to give website owners useful information about how their sites are being used.
Cookies are not programmes and cannot contain viruses. They simply store small amounts of data — such as your preferences, login status, or browsing activity — that the website can read when you return. Some cookies are deleted when you close your browser (session cookies), whilst others remain on your device for a set period or until you delete them (persistent cookies).
In addition to traditional cookies, similar technologies such as web beacons (also known as tracking pixels), local storage, and browser fingerprinting may also be used. This policy covers all such technologies, which we collectively refer to as "cookies" for simplicity.
LovingNoCount.com is committed to transparency about the cookies we use and the purposes for which we use them. This policy explains the different types of cookies on our site, who sets them, what they do, and how you can control them.
Legal Basis for Using Cookies
Our use of cookies is governed by the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations 2003 (PECR) and the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR). Under these regulations:
- Strictly necessary cookies do not require your consent, as they are essential for the website to function properly.
- All other cookies (analytics, functionality, advertising) require your informed consent before they can be placed on your device.
When you first visit LovingNoCount.com, you will be presented with a cookie consent banner that allows you to accept or decline non-essential cookies. You can change your preferences at any time using the methods described later in this policy.
For more information about how we handle your personal data, please see our Privacy Policy.
Types of Cookies We Use
We use the following categories of cookies on LovingNoCount.com:
1. Strictly Necessary Cookies (Essential)
These cookies are essential for the basic functioning of our website. Without them, you would not be able to navigate the site or use certain features. These cookies do not collect personal information and cannot be switched off in our systems.
Strictly necessary cookies are used for:
- Cookie consent: Remembering your cookie preferences so that we do not ask you again each time you visit.
- Security: Cloudflare security cookies that protect the website from malicious traffic, bot attacks, and DDoS attempts.
- Load balancing: Ensuring the website loads correctly and efficiently by distributing traffic across our servers.
- Session management: Maintaining your browsing session as you navigate between pages on the site.
| Cookie Name | Provider | Purpose | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| __cf_bm | Cloudflare | Bot management and security | 30 minutes |
| cf_clearance | Cloudflare | Security challenge verification | 1 year |
| cookie_consent | LovingNoCount | Stores your cookie preferences | 1 year |
2. Analytics Cookies
Analytics cookies help us understand how visitors interact with our website by collecting and reporting information anonymously. This data allows us to improve the structure, content, and functionality of our site based on how it is actually used.
We use Google Analytics to collect analytics data. The information gathered includes:
- How many people visit the site and how often
- Which pages are most and least popular
- How visitors navigate through the site
- How long visitors spend on each page
- Where visitors come from (search engines, social media, direct visits, etc.)
- What devices and browsers are used to access the site
- General geographic location (country and city level, not precise location)
Google Analytics uses cookies to distinguish between different visitors and sessions. The data is aggregated and anonymised — we cannot identify individual visitors from the analytics data. Google Analytics data is retained for 26 months, after which it is automatically deleted.
| Cookie Name | Provider | Purpose | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| _ga | Google Analytics | Distinguishes unique visitors | 2 years |
| _ga_* | Google Analytics | Maintains session state | 2 years |
| _gid | Google Analytics | Distinguishes visitors for 24 hours | 24 hours |
| _gat | Google Analytics | Throttles request rate | 1 minute |
You can opt out of Google Analytics tracking at any time by installing the Google Analytics Opt-Out Browser Add-on, or by declining analytics cookies through our cookie consent mechanism.
3. Functionality Cookies
Functionality cookies allow our website to remember choices you have made and provide enhanced, more personalised features. They may be set by us or by third-party providers whose services we have added to our pages.
Functionality cookies are used for:
- Theme preferences: Remembering whether you prefer light or dark mode (if applicable).
- Font size preferences: Remembering any accessibility adjustments you have made.
- Recently viewed content: Remembering which reviews or guides you have recently visited, to make navigation easier.
- Google Fonts: Loading and caching the Inter font family used throughout the site for consistent typography.
| Cookie Name | Provider | Purpose | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| user_prefs | LovingNoCount | Stores display preferences | 1 year |
| recently_viewed | LovingNoCount | Tracks recently viewed pages | 30 days |
4. Advertising and Tracking Cookies
As an affiliate website, LovingNoCount.com uses advertising and tracking cookies to track when a visitor clicks on an affiliate link and subsequently registers or deposits at a gambling operator. These cookies are essential to our business model, as they allow the gambling operators to attribute referrals to our site and pay us the commission that funds our operations.
Advertising cookies may be used for:
- Affiliate tracking: Recording when you click on an affiliate link on our site, so that the gambling operator can attribute your registration to us. These cookies are set by the affiliate tracking platforms used by the operators we work with.
- Conversion tracking: Confirming that a click on our site resulted in a registration or deposit at the operator, for the purposes of commission calculation.
- Link attribution: Identifying which specific link or page on our site referred you to the operator.
These cookies do not allow us to see your personal account information at any gambling operator. They simply record that a referral originated from our site. The data collected is used solely for the purpose of calculating affiliate commissions.
It is important to note that we do not run display advertising on LovingNoCount.com. We do not use retargeting cookies, behavioural advertising cookies, or any form of programmatic advertising. The only advertising-related cookies on our site are those directly associated with affiliate link tracking.
Third-Party Cookies
Some cookies on our site are set by third parties rather than by LovingNoCount directly. We work with the following third-party services:
Google Analytics
Google Analytics is a web analytics service provided by Google LLC. It uses cookies to help us analyse how visitors use our website. The information generated by these cookies is transmitted to and stored by Google on its servers. Google may also use this data to contextualise and personalise its own advertising network, but this does not affect the information we receive, which is anonymous and aggregated.
Google's privacy policy is available at policies.google.com/privacy.
Cloudflare
Cloudflare provides content delivery network (CDN) and security services for our website. It uses cookies for bot detection, security challenge verification, and performance optimisation. These are classified as strictly necessary cookies.
Cloudflare's privacy policy is available at cloudflare.com/privacypolicy.
Google Fonts
We use Google Fonts to load the Inter font family. When you visit our site, your browser may connect to Google's servers to download the font files. Google may log your IP address for this purpose. No cookies are set by Google Fonts itself, but the connection to Google's servers is a form of data processing.
Google Fonts' privacy information is available at developers.google.com/fonts/faq/privacy.
How to Manage and Disable Cookies
You have several options for managing cookies on your device. Please note that disabling certain cookies may affect the functionality of our website and your browsing experience.
Using Our Cookie Consent Tool
When you first visit LovingNoCount.com, a cookie consent banner will appear, allowing you to accept or decline non-essential cookies. You can change your preferences at any time by clicking the "Cookie Settings" link in our website footer.
Browser-Level Cookie Management
All major web browsers allow you to control cookies through their settings. Here is how to manage cookies in the most popular browsers:
Google Chrome
- Click the three-dot menu icon in the top-right corner of the browser.
- Select "Settings" from the dropdown menu.
- Click "Privacy and security" in the left-hand panel.
- Click "Cookies and other site data" (or "Third-party cookies" in newer versions).
- From here, you can block all cookies, block third-party cookies, or manage site-specific cookie settings.
- To delete existing cookies, go to "Privacy and security" > "Clear browsing data" and select "Cookies and other site data."
More information: Google Chrome cookie settings help.
Mozilla Firefox
- Click the hamburger menu icon (three horizontal lines) in the top-right corner.
- Select "Settings" (or "Preferences" on macOS).
- Click "Privacy & Security" in the left-hand panel.
- Under "Enhanced Tracking Protection," you can choose Standard, Strict, or Custom settings to control cookie behaviour.
- To delete existing cookies, scroll down to "Cookies and Site Data" and click "Clear Data."
More information: Firefox cookie settings help.
Safari (macOS and iOS)
- On macOS: Open Safari, click "Safari" in the menu bar, then select "Settings" (or "Preferences").
- Click the "Privacy" tab.
- Select your preferred cookie blocking option (e.g., "Prevent cross-site tracking").
- To delete existing cookies, click "Manage Website Data" and remove the cookies you wish to delete.
- On iOS: Go to Settings > Safari > and toggle "Block All Cookies" or "Prevent Cross-Site Tracking."
More information: Safari cookie settings help.
Microsoft Edge
- Click the three-dot menu icon in the top-right corner.
- Select "Settings."
- Click "Cookies and site permissions" in the left-hand panel.
- Click "Manage and delete cookies and site data."
- From here, you can block all cookies, block third-party cookies, or manage site-specific settings.
- To delete existing cookies, go to "Privacy, search, and services" > "Clear browsing data."
More information: Microsoft Edge cookie settings help.
Opting Out of Google Analytics
If you wish to opt out of Google Analytics tracking specifically, you can install the Google Analytics Opt-Out Browser Add-on. This add-on instructs Google Analytics not to send any information about your visit to Google Analytics. It is available for all major browsers.
Do Not Track (DNT) Signals
Some browsers offer a "Do Not Track" (DNT) setting that sends a signal to websites requesting that they do not track your browsing activity. There is currently no universally accepted standard for how websites should respond to DNT signals. LovingNoCount respects DNT signals where technically feasible and will limit non-essential cookie usage when a DNT signal is detected.
Impact of Disabling Cookies
If you choose to disable or delete cookies, please be aware that:
- Strictly necessary cookies: Disabling these may prevent parts of the website from functioning correctly. For example, your cookie consent preferences will not be remembered, meaning you will see the consent banner on every visit.
- Analytics cookies: Disabling these does not affect your browsing experience. It simply means your visit will not be included in our analytics data.
- Functionality cookies: Disabling these means the site will not remember your preferences, such as display settings or recently viewed pages.
- Advertising cookies: Disabling these means that if you click an affiliate link, the referral may not be tracked. This does not affect your experience at the gambling operator in any way.
Cookie Consent Under PECR
The Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations 2003 (PECR) requires that we obtain your informed consent before placing non-essential cookies on your device. This means:
- We must tell you what cookies we use and why, before placing them.
- We must obtain your active, affirmative consent for non-essential cookies.
- We must make it as easy to refuse cookies as it is to accept them.
- We must not use pre-ticked checkboxes or treat continued browsing as consent.
- Strictly necessary cookies are exempt from the consent requirement.
Our cookie consent mechanism is designed to comply fully with PECR requirements. When you first visit our site, non-essential cookies are not placed until you have given your consent through the cookie banner. You can withdraw your consent at any time by adjusting your cookie settings.
Changes to This Cookie Policy
We may update this cookie policy from time to time to reflect changes in the cookies we use, changes in the law, or changes in our practices. When we make significant changes, we will update the "Last Updated" date at the top of this page and, where appropriate, notify you through our cookie consent mechanism so that you can review and re-confirm your preferences.
We recommend reviewing this policy periodically to stay informed about our use of cookies.
Contact Us About Cookies
If you have any questions about our use of cookies, this cookie policy, or your cookie preferences, please contact us through our contact page.
You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO), the UK's independent authority set up to uphold information rights. The ICO can be contacted at:
- Website: ico.org.uk
- Telephone: 0303 123 1113
- Post: Information Commissioner's Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF
Related Policies
For further information about how we handle your data and your rights, please refer to:
- Privacy Policy — How we collect, use, and protect your personal data.
- Terms and Conditions — The terms governing your use of our website.
- Responsible Gambling — Our commitment to promoting safe and responsible gambling.