How to Self-Exclude with GAMSTOP: Step by Step

GAMSTOP is the free national self-exclusion scheme for online gambling in Great Britain. One registration blocks you from every gambling website and app licensed by the Gambling Commission, for a period you choose. This guide walks through registering, what the block covers, what it leaves open and what happens when the period ends. Gamstop Guide is an independent information site and is not part of GAMSTOP: to register, use the official website at gamstop.co.uk.

Who runs GAMSTOP

The scheme is run by Gamstop Online, the trading name of The National Online Self Exclusion Scheme Limited. Since 31 March 2020, every online gambling business licensed by the Gambling Commission has had to take part as a condition of its licence, so one registration reaches every licensed website and app at once. Registering is free and takes a few minutes.

How to register, step by step

1. Register at gamstop.co.uk. Choose Register on the official website and give your name, date of birth, email address, mobile number and postcode. Add any previous addresses, email addresses and phone numbers you have used with gambling sites, because the scheme matches these details against gambling accounts.
2. Choose how long the block lasts. You can pick six months, one year or five years. The shortest period is six months and the longest is five years, and you can also choose a five-year block that renews automatically.
3. Allow time for it to take effect. Gamstop Online says a registration generally takes effect within 24 hours, although this cannot be guaranteed. A bank gambling block or blocking software can protect you in the meantime.
4. Know what it covers. Once active, you are blocked from using any accounts you already hold with online gambling companies licensed in Great Britain, and from opening new ones. Gamstop Online publishes the full list of participating companies on its website.
5. Know what it does not cover. GAMSTOP is for online gambling only. It does not cover high street betting shops, land-based casinos, arcades or bingo halls, and it does not reach websites that have no Gambling Commission licence.
6. Understand what happens afterwards. The minimum period you choose cannot be shortened. When it ends, the block does not lift on its own: it stays in place until you contact Gamstop Online to remove it, and removal involves a cooling-off period of at least 24 hours. You can extend your registration and update your details by signing in to your account.

What GAMSTOP covers, and what it does not

Each gap has its own tool. Betting shops have Gamstop Betting Shops, the scheme formerly known as MOSES, on 0800 294 2060. Land-based casinos use SENSE, and arcades and bingo venues have schemes run by Bacta and the Bingo Association. Websites without a British licence, often called non gamstop casinos, are not part of the scheme, so a bank gambling block and blocking software are the tools that reach them. Our guide on how to block gambling sets up each layer step by step, and our page on non gamstop casinos explains how those sites differ.

To check whether a particular website is licensed in Great Britain, and so covered by GAMSTOP, see our UKGC licensed operator register.

Making the registration work

• Use every detail you have used. Old email addresses, phone numbers and previous addresses help the scheme match accounts you may have forgotten.
• Choose the longest period you feel able to commit to. The period cannot be shortened, which is the point: it takes the decision out of a weak moment.
• Add a second layer straight away. A bank block and blocking software cover the first 24 hours and the gaps GAMSTOP leaves.
• Keep your details up to date. If you move or change your phone number or email address, update your account so the block keeps matching you.
• Close or ignore accounts you no longer need. Unsubscribe from gambling emails and texts, delete apps and remove saved card details.

You can register for any reason. Some people want to stop for good, others simply want a break to save money or focus on exams, work or family. Gamstop Online reports that hundreds of thousands of people are actively registered at any one time.

Registering on behalf of someone else

You cannot register another adult with GAMSTOP. Each person has to register themselves. Family members sometimes register their own details so those details cannot be used to gamble online. If you are worried about someone, you can make the tools easy to find and offer to sit with them while they register. Our guide to support for family and friends lists the services that help people affected by someone else’s gambling.

When the minimum period ends

Nothing changes automatically when the period you chose comes to an end. The block stays in place until you contact Gamstop Online and ask for it to be removed, and there is a cooling-off period of at least 24 hours before removal takes effect. Many people choose to extend instead. If you are unsure, the National Gambling Helpline on 0808 8020 133 can talk it through with you, free and at any time.