GAMSTOP is a free national online self-exclusion scheme covering gambling websites and apps licensed in Great Britain. You register once with your personal details, choose a minimum exclusion period, and the exclusion then applies across those websites and apps until you ask GAMSTOP to remove it.
The mechanics, step by step
The process is designed to be simple, and it works the same way whichever gambling websites or apps you have used:
- Register once with GAMSTOP, giving your personal details.
- Choose a minimum exclusion period.
- The exclusion applies across gambling websites and apps licensed in Great Britain for at least that period.
- When the minimum period ends, contact GAMSTOP if you want the exclusion removed.
- Removal takes effect only after a 24-hour cooling-off period.
Because registration happens once, there is no need to contact each gambling website or app separately. The details you give are what allow the scheme to recognise you, so they need to be accurate and match the details you use for gambling accounts.
During the exclusion period, access to online gambling with operators licensed in Great Britain is locked. That applies whether you try to use an existing account or open a new one. The scheme costs nothing to use, and signing up does not depend on having an account with any particular gambling website or app.
Minimum exclusion periods
When you register, you choose a fixed minimum exclusion period. The options are:
- 6 months
- 1 year
- 5 years
- 5 years with automatic renewal
One crucial detail is that you cannot shorten the period once it has been confirmed. You cannot turn the six-month option into a few weeks, and if you have committed to a year or five years, the full term runs. It is worth choosing the period calmly, knowing that a longer option gives more lasting protection and the automatic renewal option keeps the exclusion going without any further action.
The exclusion also does not stop automatically when the minimum period ends. It stays in place until you contact GAMSTOP to remove it, and removal includes a 24-hour cooling-off period. That built-in pause gives time to reconsider before access returns, which is part of what makes the scheme a firm barrier rather than a switch that can be flicked off on a bad day.
What GAMSTOP does not cover
GAMSTOP applies only to online gambling. It does not cover land-based venues, such as:
- high street betting shops
- casinos
- bingo halls
- amusement arcades
Many high street bookmakers and casinos run their own self-exclusion, which is arranged separately with those venues. Anyone who also gambles in person may want to use both, so that the online exclusion is not undermined by a visit to a shop or casino.
GAMSTOP is a strong measure, but it is only part of the picture, and further help and support are available. Gambling is for adults 18 and over and costs money; UK players can set deposit limits, use GAMSTOP or call the National Gambling Helpline on 0808 8020 133, which is free and open 24 hours a day.
