GamStop
GamStop Self-Exclusion in the UK and How to Take Control of Gambling
Online gambling is designed to be easy to start and hard to stop. If you have reached the point where you want to take a break, or stop altogether, GamStop is the most effective single step available to you in the UK. It is free, it blocks every UK-licensed gambling site at once, and it takes about five minutes. This guide explains exactly how it works, what it does and does not cover, and the wider support that goes alongside it. There is no pressure here either way. The decision is yours, and the information is just here to help you make it.
Need to talk to someone now?
The National Gambling Helpline is free, confidential and open 24 hours a day, every day.
0808 8020 133 or live chat at begambleaware.org
If you want to self-exclude right away, you can register free at gamstop.co.uk.
What this guide covers
What GamStop is
GamStop is the UK's national online self-exclusion scheme. Register once and every gambling operator licensed by the UK Gambling Commission is legally required to block your existing accounts and stop you opening new ones for as long as you choose. It launched in April 2018, is run by the not-for-profit National Online Self-Exclusion Scheme Limited, and has been a mandatory part of every UK gambling licence since March 2020. By the end of 2025 more than 562,000 people had registered.
The point of it is simple. Before GamStop you had to exclude from each site one by one, which rarely held. Now a single registration covers the whole UK-licensed market, so the option to gamble online is removed in one move rather than left to willpower site by site. It is worth saying plainly: using GamStop is not an admission of failure. It is one of the most sensible, practical things you can do if gambling has started to take more than it gives.
How to register
The process is quick and free. You do not need bank or card details.
Go to the official site
Visit gamstop.co.uk directly. It is free, and registration takes around five minutes. Be wary of any site charging a fee, the real scheme never does.
Enter your details
Provide your name, date of birth, email and postcode. GamStop uses these to match you across every operator, so accuracy matters. The scheme verifies identity using credit file data.
Choose your period
Pick six months, one year or five years. Choose honestly rather than optimistically, the exclusion cannot be lifted early once it is set, which is the feature that makes it work.
Confirm and it takes effect
Once confirmed, the block applies across all UK-licensed sites, typically within 24 hours. There is nothing more for you to do.
One thing many people do not realise: GamStop does not end automatically. When your chosen period expires, your accounts stay blocked until you actively contact GamStop to reactivate, and even then there is a cooling-off period. Doing nothing keeps you protected.
What it covers and what it does not
Being honest about the limits matters, because a tool you misunderstand can give a false sense of safety. Here is the clear picture.
| GamStop covers | GamStop does not cover |
|---|---|
| All UKGC-licensed online casinos, sportsbooks, bingo and poker | Land-based betting shops, casinos and arcades (separate schemes) |
| New accounts at any UK-licensed operator | The National Lottery and licensed lotteries (excluded via Allwyn) |
| Any new UK operator that launches during your exclusion | Unlicensed offshore sites operating outside UK law |
The offshore gap is the one to take seriously. GamStop has no power over sites without a UK licence, and those are exactly the ones that may still let an excluded person gamble. This is one more reason to only ever use properly licensed sites, which our guide to legit gambling sites explains how to check. It also matters because the protections of UK regulation, covered in our responsible gambling guide, only exist within the licensed market.
Stronger protection by layering tools
GamStop works best as one layer among several. On its own it blocks UK-licensed sites, but combining it with other tools closes the gaps and makes a relapse far harder. The UK Gambling Commission backs this layered approach through the TalkBanStop programme, which brings three tools together.
The three layers that work well together are GamStop for self-exclusion across UK-licensed sites, Gamban blocking software which works at device level and covers tens of thousands of gambling domains including offshore ones, and a gambling block through your bank, which most UK banking apps now offer to stop gambling transactions on your cards. TalkBanStop, the partnership between GamCare, GamStop and Gamban, sets all three up through a single conversation with a trained adviser, and Gamban is free through it.
If you want the strongest protection, do all three: register with GamStop, install Gamban on your devices, and turn on the gambling block in your banking app. Each catches what the others miss.
Signs it might be time
There is no shame in any of these, and recognising them is the hard part most people struggle with. If several feel familiar, it may be worth considering a break.
- You feel a pull to gamble with bigger stakes to get the same feeling
- You feel restless or irritable when you try to cut back
- Thoughts about gambling take up more of your day than you would like
- You gamble to escape stress or low mood rather than for enjoyment
- You have hidden the extent of your gambling from people close to you
- It has started to cost you money, relationships or opportunities you care about
These are signs worth paying attention to, not a diagnosis. Only a qualified professional can assess gambling harm properly, and the good news is that support is free and genuinely effective. Reaching out early, before things reach crisis, makes recovery far easier. If any of this resonates, the helpline below is a good, judgement-free first call.
Where to get support
GamStop is a tool, not a substitute for support, and you do not have to do any of this alone. These services are free, confidential and staffed by people who help with exactly this every day.
National Gambling Helpline (GamCare)
Free, confidential support 24 hours a day, by phone and live chat.
0808 8020 133 gamcare.org.uk
Beyond the helpline, a few organisations offer different kinds of help. GamCare runs counselling and a peer support forum alongside the helpline. Gamblers Anonymous holds free peer support meetings across the UK and online. Gordon Moody provides residential treatment for severe gambling harm and runs Gambling Therapy, a free online service. And BeGambleAware offers information and signposting to local services. Whichever fits, the first step is the same: one call or message. People who have made it consistently say the hardest part was picking up the phone, and that it was worth it.
For the wider set of tools every UK-licensed site must offer, including deposit limits, time-outs and reality checks, see our responsible gambling guide.
Related reads
These guides cover staying safe and in control when you do play.
18+. Gambling should be fun, not a way to make money or cope with stress. If it has stopped being fun, free help is available any time on 0808 8020 133 or at begambleaware.org. You can self-exclude free at gamstop.co.uk.
