GAMSTOP Explained: One Sign-Up to Block Every Licensed UK Site

What GAMSTOP is

GAMSTOP is a free national self-exclusion service for Great Britain. With a single registration, it blocks you from using online betting and gambling sites licensed by the UK Gambling Commission for a period you choose. Instead of self-excluding from each operator one by one, you do it once and it applies across every licensed online operator.

Participation is not optional for operators: every UKGC-licensed online gambling site is required to integrate with GAMSTOP. That is what makes it powerful — it closes the “I’ll just use another site” loophole that undermines site-by-site exclusion.

How it works

1. You register on the GAMSTOP website with your personal details. Accurate details matter, because the block works by matching your information against new and existing accounts.
2. You choose a minimum period — commonly six months, one year or five years.
3. Licensed operators block access. During your exclusion you cannot log in or open new accounts with participating sites, and gambling marketing to you should stop.
4. It does not auto-cancel. When the period ends, the exclusion is not lifted automatically; there is a deliberate step and a cooling-off delay before you could return.

What it covers — and what it does not

GAMSTOP covers online gambling with GB-licensed operators. It is important to be honest about its limits:

• It does not cover betting shops or land-based venues (those use separate schemes).
• It does not block sites that are not licensed in Great Britain. Unlicensed sites are exactly the ones with the weakest protections, which is another reason to avoid them entirely.
• It works best alongside other steps, such as bank gambling-blocks and blocking software on your devices.

Combine it with other tools

For many people, GAMSTOP is most effective as part of a layered approach:

• Bank card gambling blocks, offered by most UK banks, add a financial barrier.
• Blocking software on phones and computers restricts access to gambling sites.
• The National Gambling Helpline (0808 8020 133) and GamCare offer free, confidential support and can help you build a plan.

Taking the step

Choosing to self-exclude is not a failure; it is a decisive, practical way to take back control. If any part of you is weighing it up, that is usually reason enough to act. GAMSTOP is free, quick to set up, and reversible only after a genuine cooling-off period — which is exactly the point.

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18+. If gambling is affecting you or someone you know, help is available now. Register at GAMSTOP, call 0808 8020 133, or see our responsible gambling page.