Stop Gambling: Self-Exclusion and Support in the UK
Independent, free self-help for anyone who wants to cut down or stop gambling. Not connected to GAMSTOP.
If gambling is costing you more than you want it to, in money, time, sleep or peace of mind, you are not on your own and you do not have to sort it out alone. This site brings together plain, practical self-help: how to spot when gambling has become a problem, how to block yourself from gambling, how to take back control day to day and where to find free support in the UK. Gamstop Guide is an independent self-help resource. We are not GAMSTOP or Gamstop Online, we are not connected to the Gambling Commission or any gambling business, and we cannot register, change or remove a self-exclusion. To block yourself from online gambling in Great Britain, use the official free service at gamstop.co.uk. If you want to talk to someone now, the National Gambling Helpline is free on 0808 8020 133, day and night.
Are you worried about your gambling?
There is no line you have to cross before you are allowed to worry. Some people notice a problem after one very bad night. Others realise slowly, over months, that gambling has crept into every spare moment. Both are real, and both are worth acting on.
These are some of the signs people describe most often. You do not need to recognise all of them, or even most of them.
- Spending more money or more time on gambling than you meant to
- Needing to bet bigger amounts to get the same buzz
- Chasing losses, trying to win back money you have already lost
- Borrowing money, using credit or selling things to gamble or to cover gambling losses
- Hiding gambling from people close to you, or feeling defensive when it comes up
- Feeling restless, low or irritable when you try to cut down
- Gambling to escape stress, boredom, loneliness or low mood
- Missing work, sleep, meals or time with family because of gambling
- Thinking about gambling when you are doing other things
- Promising yourself you will stop, and finding you cannot
The NHS website has a short self-assessment based on questions like these. It explains that a total score of 8 or more suggests that a person, or the people around them, are likely to be experiencing gambling-related harm. A lower score is not a reason to wait if something already feels wrong to you.
You are not weak and you are not a bad person. Gambling products are built to hold attention, and problems with gambling can happen to anyone. Feeling ashamed is very common, but it tends to keep people quiet for longer than they need to be. Reaching out early is a sign of strength, not failure.
First steps you can take today
You do not need a perfect plan. A few practical steps, taken today, can put real distance between you and gambling while you work out what comes next. Most of them are free and take only minutes.
- Register with GAMSTOP. Go to gamstop.co.uk and choose six months, one year or five years. One free registration covers every online gambling business licensed in Great Britain. Our guide on how to block gambling walks through it.
- Switch on a gambling block with your bank. Many UK banks let you block card payments to gambling businesses from inside the banking app. Do it on every card you hold.
- Install blocking software. Tools such as BetBlocker, which is free, stop gambling websites and apps loading on your phone, tablet and computer.
- Delete gambling apps and unsubscribe. Remove apps, saved logins and saved card details, and unsubscribe from gambling emails and texts.
- Tell one person you trust. Saying it out loud to a friend, family member or adviser makes the problem smaller and the plan stronger.
- Talk to someone who understands. Call the National Gambling Helpline on 0808 8020 133. It is free, confidential and open 24 hours a day.
If you only manage one of these today, that is still a real step. You can come back for the rest tomorrow.
The main tools at a glance
Each tool works in a different way and covers a different gap. Used together, they make it much harder for a moment of weakness to turn into a bet. This table sets out what each one does.
| Tool | What it does | What it does not cover | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| GAMSTOP (Gamstop Online) | Excludes you from every online gambling business licensed in Great Britain for the period you choose | Betting shops, casinos and arcades on the high street; websites without a GB licence | Free |
| Bank gambling block | Stops card payments coded as gambling, wherever the website is based | Payments that are not coded as gambling; cards at other banks | Free |
| Blocking software (BetBlocker, Gamban) | Stops gambling websites and apps loading on your devices | Devices it is not installed on | BetBlocker is free; Gamstop Online describes both as free for UK residents |
| Gamstop Betting Shops (formerly MOSES) | Excludes you from high street betting shops in the area you choose | Online gambling | Free |
| SENSE | Excludes you from land-based casinos licensed in Great Britain | Online gambling, betting shops | Free |
| Bacta and Bingo Association schemes | Self-exclusion from arcades, adult gaming centres and bingo venues | Online gambling | Free |
| Device and app store settings | Restrict websites and app downloads; a trusted person can hold the passcode | Other devices and other browsers | Free |
The pattern in the third column matters. No single tool closes every gap, but each one closes a gap that another leaves open. Our guide on how to block gambling explains how to set up each layer step by step.
How GAMSTOP works, in brief
GAMSTOP is the free national self-exclusion scheme for online gambling in Great Britain. The organisation behind it renamed itself Gamstop Online in November 2025, and the website is still gamstop.co.uk. Since 31 March 2020, every online gambling business licensed by the Gambling Commission has had to take part, as a condition of its licence. That means one registration reaches every licensed website and app at once.
- Periods. You choose six months, one year or five years. There is also a five-year option that renews automatically.
- Speed. Gamstop Online says registration generally takes effect within 24 hours, although this cannot be guaranteed.
- No shortcuts. The minimum period you choose cannot be shortened.
- No automatic end. When the minimum period ends, the exclusion carries on unless you contact Gamstop Online to remove it, and removal involves a cooling-off period of at least 24 hours.
- Details matter. The scheme matches the details you give against gambling accounts, so include old email addresses, phone numbers and addresses you have used with gambling sites.
Gamstop Online’s own figures show how many people use it. In the first half of 2026 it reported 614,738 people actively registered, a record 12,236 new registrations in May 2026 and strong growth among under-25s. If you register, you are in very large company.
If you want to check whether a particular website is licensed in Great Britain, and so covered by GAMSTOP, our UKGC licensed operator register explains how to check the Gambling Commission’s public register and includes a reference table of licensed online operators.
Free support services in the UK
Blocks buy you time. Support helps you use that time well, whether that means dealing with urges, untangling money worries or rebuilding trust at home. All of the services below are free and independent of this site. Contact details were checked in October 2026; services sometimes change their hours, so their own websites are the final word.
| Service | What it offers | Phone | Website | Hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| National Gambling Helpline (GamCare) | Confidential advice and support for anyone affected by gambling, including family and friends | 0808 8020 133 | gamcare.org.uk (live chat) | 24 hours a day, every day |
| GAMSTOP (Gamstop Online) | Online self-exclusion from GB-licensed gambling websites and apps | See website | gamstop.co.uk | Register online at any time |
| Gamstop Betting Shops | Self-exclusion from high street betting shops | 0800 294 2060 | gamstop.co.uk | See website |
| NHS gambling services (England) | Specialist treatment; you can refer yourself | Via your nearest clinic | nhs.uk | Clinic hours vary |
| Gamblers Anonymous | Peer support meetings using a 12-step approach | 0330 094 0322 | gamblersanonymous.org.uk | Meetings every day of the week |
| GamFam | Peer support for families affected by gambling, and for people in recovery | Contact form | gamfam.org.uk | Online group meetings |
| StepChange | Free debt advice and debt solutions | 0800 138 1111 | stepchange.org | Mon to Fri 8am to 8pm, Sat 9am to 2pm; online tool 24/7 |
| Citizens Advice | Free help with debt, money, housing and benefits | Via website or local office | citizensadvice.org.uk | Varies by service |
| Samaritans | Someone to talk to if you are struggling to cope | 116 123 | samaritans.org | 24 hours a day, every day |
The Gambling Commission also lists 0808 2819 265 as the helpline number for people calling from Wales. Our guide to gambling support services in the UK explains what each service does, who it is for and what to expect when you get in touch.
Taking back control, one day at a time
Blocking access is only part of the picture. Many people also want to understand why gambling took hold and what to do when an urge arrives. A few ideas that people often find useful:
- Learn your triggers. Payday, a big match, being alone late at night, stress at work or a drink or two are common ones. Knowing yours lets you plan around them.
- Ride the urge out. Urges usually rise, peak and fade. Delaying for 20 or 30 minutes, going for a walk or ringing someone can be enough for the moment to pass.
- Put money out of easy reach. Pay bills on payday, keep a small spending balance and let someone you trust help with money for a while if that feels right.
- Fill the gap. Gambling often fills time and offers excitement. Planning other things to do, especially at your usual gambling times, helps.
- Be kind to yourself after a slip. A lapse does not wipe out your progress. What matters is what you do next.
Our guide on how to take control of gambling covers these ideas in more depth, including talking to family, handling money and what to do after a relapse.
If someone close to you gambles
Gambling harm rarely stays with one person. Spouses, parents, children and friends can be hit by lost money, broken trust and constant worry. You deserve support in your own right, whether or not the person who gambles is ready to change.
You cannot register another adult with GAMSTOP or switch on their bank block for them, and trying to do things behind their back usually damages trust. What you can do is protect your own money, for example by separating accounts or coming off joint cards, make the tools easy to find and offer to sit with them while they set blocks up. The National Gambling Helpline takes calls from family and friends, and GamFam and Gam-Anon run groups for people affected by someone else’s gambling.
Money worries and gambling
Debt and gambling often feed each other. Money worries can make the pull to gamble stronger, and the hope of a win to fix things is one of the most dangerous thoughts in gambling. Free, non-judgemental debt advice is available from StepChange and Citizens Advice. They can help you work out which debts to deal with first, talk to lenders and look at options you may not know about. Getting debt advice early tends to give you more choices, not fewer.
A quick money safety net. Switch on your bank’s gambling block, remove saved card details from any gambling accounts and avoid new credit while you are getting help. If you share finances with someone, think about how to protect both of you while things settle.
About this site
Gamstop Guide is run by Gamstop Guide Ltd as an independent self-help resource. We have no connection with GAMSTOP, Gamstop Online, the Gambling Commission or any gambling business, and we do not accept money from gambling companies. There are no adverts and no tracking cookies on this site. We are not a charity, a treatment provider or a helpline, and we do not have counsellors of our own. Our job is to explain the options clearly and point you to the real services that can help. You can read more on our about us page.
Need to talk to someone now?
Call the National Gambling Helpline, run by GamCare, free on 0808 8020 133 at any time of day or night, or use live chat at gamcare.org.uk. To block yourself from every gambling website and app licensed in Great Britain, register with the official national scheme at gamstop.co.uk. If you feel unable to keep yourself safe, call Samaritans free on 116 123, or call 999 in an emergency.
Common questions
Is this the official GAMSTOP website?
No. Gamstop Guide is an independent self-help resource run by Gamstop Guide Ltd. The official national self-exclusion scheme is GAMSTOP, run by Gamstop Online at gamstop.co.uk. We cannot see, register, change or remove anyone’s exclusion.
How do I self-exclude from online gambling?
Register for free at gamstop.co.uk and choose six months, one year or five years. Every online gambling business licensed in Great Britain must take part, so one registration covers them all.
How quickly does a GAMSTOP exclusion start?
Gamstop Online says registration generally takes effect within 24 hours, although it cannot guarantee that. A bank gambling block or blocking software can protect you in the meantime.
Does GAMSTOP cover betting shops and casinos?
No. GAMSTOP covers online gambling. Betting shops have Gamstop Betting Shops (0800 294 2060), land-based casinos use SENSE, and arcades and bingo venues have their own schemes.
Can I get help without seeing a GP?
Yes. The National Gambling Helpline is open to anyone, and in England the NHS says you can refer yourself to a gambling clinic. A GP can also tell you about local services.
I have gambled again after deciding to stop. Is it too late?
No. Slips are common and they do not undo the progress you have made. Look at what led to it, add any blocks that were missing and talk to the helpline or your support group. Our guide on taking control of gambling has a section on what to do after a relapse.
How can I check if a gambling website is licensed?
Search the Gambling Commission’s public register at gamblingcommission.gov.uk. Our UKGC licensed operator register page explains how to do it and includes a reference table of licensed online operators.