Gamstop

Gamstop is not a commercial company but a regulated self-exclusion service created in response to the growing need for centralised player protection in the UK online gambling market. Launched in April 2018 under the oversight of the Gambling Commission, it became mandatory for all online operators in March 2020. The scheme’s core function is to allow a gambler to voluntarily exclude themselves from all licensed GB gambling sites and apps simultaneously, removing the burden of contacting each operator individually.

Users complete a simple online registration, providing personal details that are then shared across participating operators. The exclusion period can be set at 6 months, 1 year, or 5 years. Importantly, once the self‑exclusion is active, it cannot be reversed early, ensuring a committed cooling‑off period. After the selected term ends, the block is not automatically lifted; the user must contact Gamstop to request removal, and continued monitoring of their activity can last up to seven years.

Gamstop is widely praised for its effectiveness in reducing problem gambling. By May 2025 it had registered over 560,000 users, and the scheme reports that it consistently meets or exceeds all player protection targets set at inception. It is integrated into every GB‑licensed online casino and betting site, meaning that registered users are prevented from creating new accounts or logging into existing ones at those venues.

However, Gamstop does not cover offshore gambling sites that are not licensed by the Gambling Commission. This has led to the emergence of “non‑Gamstop” casinos that actively target excluded users, raising concerns reported by The Guardian about illicit networks exploiting vulnerable individuals. In response, the scheme partners with organisations like GamCare to provide counselling and recovery support, and it encourages users to install additional blocking software and to self‑exclude from physical betting shops.