GAMSTOP is a free service that blocks you from every gambling website and app licensed in Great Britain with a single registration. You choose a period of 6 months, 1 year or 5 years, and for that time you cannot log in to existing accounts or open new ones with any licensed online operator. It is run by a not-for-profit organisation, and since 31 March 2020 every online gambling business with a Gambling Commission licence has been required to take part.
Who it is for
Anyone who wants a firm break from online gambling. You do not need a diagnosis, a referral or a reason. Some people sign up at a crisis point. Others do it when they notice gambling taking more time or money than they meant it to, or ahead of a stretch when they know temptation will be high.
It is a blunt tool by design. Deposit limits and time-outs at a single casino are easy to undo or sidestep by opening an account elsewhere. GAMSTOP closes all the licensed doors at once and keeps them closed for a period you cannot shorten.
How to register
Registration is done online through GAMSTOP's own website and takes a few minutes. Search for the official site by name and check you are on the genuine one, since imitation pages exist.
- Enter your personal details: full name, date of birth, home address and postcode, plus every email address and mobile number you use or have used on gambling accounts. Operators match you on these details, so an old email you left out is a gap in the block.
- Choose your minimum exclusion period: 6 months, 1 year or 5 years.
- Complete the identity check, which is done electronically.
- Wait for the confirmation email. GAMSTOP says it generally activates an exclusion within 24 hours, though it does not guarantee that timing.
The more complete your details, the better the block works. If you move house, change your name or get a new email address during the exclusion, update your GAMSTOP record, or an operator may fail to match you.
Picking a period
Six months suits a reset. A year covers a full cycle of the things that tend to trigger gambling: the football season, Cheltenham, Christmas, a birthday. Five years is for people who want it gone from their life for the foreseeable future, and GAMSTOP also offers a five-year exclusion that renews automatically.
You cannot reduce the period once it is set, and you cannot cancel early. If you are unsure, advisers on the National Gambling Helpline talk through this choice every day and will not push you one way or the other. A longer period that turns out to be more than you needed costs you nothing. A shorter one that ends too soon can.
What happens when the period ends
Nothing happens automatically. GAMSTOP does not contact you when your minimum period expires, and the exclusion does not lapse on that date. According to GAMSTOP, if you do not ask for it to be removed it stays in place for up to a further seven years.
To end it you have to contact GAMSTOP's contact centre and ask. Its terms then apply a cooling-off period of at least 24 hours, during which you stay excluded, so the decision is not made on impulse. You can check your start date and minimum period by logging in to your GAMSTOP account.
If you reach the end and feel steady, removal is your right. If you are not sure, leaving it in place takes no effort at all. It may also be worth a conversation with GamCare before you decide, particularly if the wish to return has come on suddenly.
What GAMSTOP does not cover
Four gaps, all better known in advance.
- Betting shops, casinos, bingo halls and arcades. GAMSTOP is online only. Venues run their own multi-operator schemes, one each for betting shops, land-based casinos, bingo clubs and arcades. GamCare's self-exclusion page lists them all with contact details.
- Unlicensed websites. Sites based offshore without a British licence are not part of the scheme. They are operating illegally if they take UK customers, and some advertise directly at people who have self-excluded. See our page on casinos not on GAMSTOP for why they are a bad idea.
- Marketing you already receive. Licensed operators must stop sending you marketing once you are excluded, but it can take a short while to filter through, and it will not stop spam from unlicensed sites. Unsubscribe and block where you can.
- Things that look like gambling but are not regulated as such. Loot boxes in video games, trading apps and similar products fall outside it.
Tools that work alongside it
Self-exclusion works best in layers. GamCare recommends combining it with blocks on your devices and on your money.
Bank gambling blocks
Most large UK banks and app-based banks let you switch off gambling transactions on your debit card from the banking app. Once on, payments to merchants coded as gambling are declined. Many build in a delay before the block can be switched off again. This is the layer that covers unlicensed sites, because it works on the payment, wherever the site is based. If your bank does not offer one, ask. Several will add a block manually.
Blocking software
Software such as Gamban or BetBlocker stops gambling sites and apps from loading on your phone, tablet and computer. BetBlocker is free and run by a charity. Gamban is a paid product that GamCare and partner services can provide free of charge. Install it on every device you own, including the old tablet in the drawer.
Limits at individual casinos
If you do not want a complete stop, every licensed site must offer deposit limits, reality checks, time-outs of up to six weeks and its own self-exclusion. These are useful for keeping casual play casual. They are not a substitute for GAMSTOP if gambling is already causing you harm, because another site is always one sign-up away.
Our safer gambling page goes through each of these tools in more detail.
If you gamble while excluded
Operators are obliged to take reasonable steps to stop you, and for the most part the matching works. It is not perfect. If you find you can open or use an account with a licensed operator while registered, tell that operator and GAMSTOP so the gap can be closed. Changing your details to get round the block breaches the terms you agreed to and usually means the urge to gamble needs more support than a block alone can give.
It is common, and it is what the helpline is there for.
Where to get help
GAMSTOP stops access. It does not deal with why you wanted to gamble, the debts that may have built up, or the gap it leaves in your evenings. Free, confidential support exists for all of that.
- National Gambling Helpline: 0808 8020 133, free, 24 hours a day, run by GamCare. Live chat and WhatsApp are available too, and advisers can arrange ongoing treatment.
- NHS gambling clinics: specialist treatment across England, with self-referral in most areas. Details are on the NHS gambling support page.
- Gamblers Anonymous: peer support meetings in person and online, through Gamblers Anonymous UK.
If someone else's gambling is affecting you, the helpline supports family and friends as well. You do not have to be the one who gambles to call.
Questions people ask
Is GAMSTOP free?
Yes. Registering costs nothing, and the scheme is funded by the gambling operators that are required to take part.
How long does GAMSTOP last?
You choose a minimum of 6 months, 1 year or 5 years. The exclusion does not switch off when that time is up. GAMSTOP's terms say it continues for up to a further seven years unless you ask for it to be removed.
Can I cancel GAMSTOP early?
No. Once registered, the exclusion cannot be removed before the minimum period you chose has ended. GAMSTOP's terms are explicit that it cannot be deactivated before then.
Does GAMSTOP cover betting shops and casinos on the high street?
No. It covers online and app gambling with operators licensed in Great Britain. Venues have separate schemes, which GamCare can point you to.
Does registering with GAMSTOP affect my credit score?
No. It is not a credit product and is not recorded on your credit file.
Who can I talk to about my gambling?
The National Gambling Helpline is free and open 24 hours a day on 0808 8020 133. It is run by GamCare and also offers live chat.