Self-exclusion is the strongest tool a British gambler has against their own worst nights. You ask to be locked out, and the industry is obliged to keep you out. It’s free, it’s quick, and once it’s done it’s hard to undo, which is precisely the point.
There’s more than one scheme, though, and they cover different ground. Here is what each does, and where the gaps are.
GAMSTOP: one request, every licensed site
GAMSTOP is the national online scheme. It’s run by a not-for-profit company, The National Online Self Exclusion Scheme Limited, which says it is independent of both the gambling industry and the government. It costs you nothing.
The important part is who has to take part. Every online gambling company licensed in Great Britain must be in it. Those companies have to check with GAMSTOP whenever you try to register or log in, and the ones you already have accounts with must check your status daily.
You choose a minimum period: six months, one year, five years, or five years with auto-renewal. The last option rolls you into another five-year period without you having to contact anyone.
Can you cancel early? No. GAMSTOP is blunt about it: it will not remove anyone’s exclusion before the minimum period ends.
And when the period does end, nothing happens. GAMSTOP will not contact you, and the block stays in place for a further seven years unless you ask for it to be lifted. Removal means a phone call or an online chat, followed by a 24-hour cooling-off period in which you can change your mind. The process is described in its removal FAQ.
Excluding from one site
You may only want out of one operator. Every licensed business must offer its own self-exclusion, and the Gambling Commission’s rules shape how it works.
The operator must close your account and return any money in it. It has to take you off its marketing lists within two days. The Commission describes self-exclusion as a commitment not to gamble for at least six months, and when your chosen period ends it should stay in place for a minimum of seven years unless you act. If you do ask to come back, you get one day to cool off, and that request has to be made by phone or in person. Re-registering online does not count.
If six months is more than you want, most sites also offer a shorter “time out”. GAMSTOP puts these at between one day and six weeks. A break is a break, but it is not self-exclusion, and you should not treat it as one.
Betting shops, casinos and bingo halls
GAMSTOP’s online block does nothing on the high street. For that, the Commission lists several free multi-operator schemes:
- GAMSTOP Betting Shops covers bookmakers in your area. Call 0800 294 2060.
- SENSE covers every licensed land-based casino in Great Britain.
- BISES, run by the Bingo Association, covers licensed bingo premises.
- BACTA and SmartEXCLUSION cover adult gaming centres and arcades.
Blocking software and bank blocks
Self-exclusion relies on operators doing their checks. Two other tools work on your side of the screen.
Blocking software stops gambling sites loading on your phone, tablet or computer. GAMSTOP points to Gamban and BetBlocker, both of which it says are free for UK residents.
Bank blocks stop the money. The Commission lists banks offering a gambling block, among them Barclays, HSBC, Lloyds, Monzo, NatWest, Santander and Starling. Some add friction to switching it off. Monzo makes you speak to its support team, and HSBC applies a cooling-off period before payments go through again.
What self-exclusion does not cover
Here is the gap, and some people will try to sell you a way through it. The Gambling Commission says unlicensed operators manipulate search results to reach British players, and many of them advertise themselves as “not on GAMSTOP”.
They aren’t on GAMSTOP because they don’t hold a British licence. That is not a loophole. It is the warning. The Gambling Commission says these sites often lack age verification, safer gambling tools, secure payments and any proper dispute resolution. It says some block payouts or set withdrawal limits so high they cannot be reached, and it names “NotonGamstop” searches as a way vulnerable people are targeted.
Without a licence there is nobody to complain to and nothing standing behind your balance. Even licensed sites offer less protection than most people assume, as our piece on what happens to your balance when a casino closes explains. Our guide to safe gambling covers how to stay on the licensed side of that line.
Where to get help
The National Gambling Helpline is free and open 24 hours a day. In England and Scotland it is run by GamCare on 0808 8020 133, with live chat and WhatsApp too. In Wales it is run by NHS Wales on 0808 2819 265. If things feel urgent, Samaritans are on 116 123.
Image: The Stray, Harrogate, by Derek Harper, CC BY-SA 2.0.
18+. Gambling should be entertainment, not income. Long term the house wins. Free and confidential help is at BeGambleAware.org.
