What GAMSTOP is

GAMSTOP is a free, national self-exclusion scheme for Great Britain. Register once, and every online gambling company licensed by the UK Gambling Commission is required to stop you opening new accounts and to close or block access to any accounts you already have — for a period you choose. It’s run by a not-for-profit organisation, and using it costs nothing.

If you’ve decided you need a clean break from online betting, GAMSTOP is one of the most effective single steps available. We link to it from our responsible gambling page, and every UK-licensed site we feature is required to honour it.

How to register

Registration takes a few minutes and is done at the official GAMSTOP website. You’ll be asked for:

  • Your name and date of birth
  • Your address and postcode
  • Your email address and mobile number
  • Your chosen exclusion period

The details you give are used to match against gambling accounts, so it’s worth registering every email address and phone number you’ve ever used to sign up to a betting site. Gaps in your details are the main reason exclusions leak — if an operator can’t match you, it can’t block you.

Once you submit, there’s a short cooling-off window before the exclusion becomes fully active (typically around 24 hours), after which the block applies across all participating operators.

What it blocks — and what it doesn’t

GAMSTOP is powerful but it is not a magic wall. Be clear-eyed about its edges.

It blocks: online casinos, sportsbooks, bingo and slots operated by any UK Gambling Commission licensee. That’s the vast majority of the legal UK market.

It does not block:

  • Unlicensed, offshore gambling sites that aren’t part of the UK scheme
  • Physical betting shops, casinos and lottery terminals
  • Some peer-to-peer or crypto gambling apps operating outside UK licensing

This is important. Determined access to unlicensed sites is exactly where people relapse, and those sites offer none of the consumer protections you’d get from a licensed book. So GAMSTOP works best as one layer among several.

Make it airtight

To close the gaps, pair GAMSTOP with:

  • A gambling block from your bank. Most UK banks and many app-based banks let you toggle a block that declines gambling transactions, often with its own cooling-off delay.
  • Blocking software such as Gamban, which blocks gambling sites and apps at the device level and reaches sites GAMSTOP can’t.
  • Removing saved cards and betting apps from your phone and browser.

Used together, these make the impulsive route to a bet genuinely hard rather than one tap away. We walk through the full stack on our protecting yourself from gambling harm guide.

Choosing a period

GAMSTOP lets you exclude for a set minimum period. Once chosen, you cannot lift it early — and even after it expires you have to actively re-contact operators after a further delay. That permanence is a feature, not a flaw: it removes the option of caving during a bad night. If you’re unsure how long you need, err longer. You can always let it lapse; you can’t cut it short.

You don’t have to do this alone

Self-exclusion is a practical step, but the reasons behind it usually deserve support too. Free, confidential help is available any time:

  • BeGambleAware.org — advice, self-assessment tools and a directory of support
  • GamCare — 0808 8020 133, 24/7 helpline and live chat
  • Gordon Moody — residential and online treatment for severe gambling harm

If you recognise the warning signs — chasing losses, borrowing to bet, hiding it — our signs of problem gambling guide is a good next read.

Registering with GAMSTOP is one of the quieter, braver decisions in gambling. It costs nothing, it’s reversible only on your own terms, and it buys you the space to reset.

18+. Gambling involves real financial risk. If it stops being fun, take a break — play responsibly.