What Is Gamstop? Complete Guide to the UK Self-Exclusion Scheme

The free national self-exclusion scheme in the United Kingdom, also known as Gamstop, is a way to help players within the county get assistance with their gambling addiction and prevent further harm and financial issues. If you’d like to learn more about it and how can you sign yourself up with Gamstop, let’s take a deeper look into how the system works.

What is the Gamstop self-exclusion program?

The GAMSTOP scheme is an UK program that allows you to self exclude from all casinos and betting sites that take part into it at once without having to do it separately on all different gaming platforms. It covers gambling operators licensed in Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Active since 2018, it got started as a way to help people with gambling addiction stop playing. Because once you register with Gamstop, all gambling sites are bound to block your access, regardless of whether you’ve had an account with them or you’re trying to sign up.

The ban can be set up for 6 months, 1 year or up to 5 years, depending on your preferences. And the even better news is that Gamstop is a free scheme so it doesn’t cost anything to sign yourself up for self-exclusion from all online UKGC-licensed casinos and sports betting sites.

Another thing that’s important to note, though, is that you cannot deactivate the self exclusion early. The idea behind that is to prevent a relapse and to help problem gamblers get better. Also, when the Gamstop block is near it’s end and you want to deregister yourself, you’ll need to contact Gamstop. You can reach the centre by phone at 0800 138 6518. They work 7 days a week, from 10 AM to 8 PM. You’ll have to verify your identity once more and upon confirmation, you can state you want to stop your Gamstop block. A mandatory 24-hour cooling-off period will take place and throughout that time the registration will be still active. Once that period is up, you’d no longer be signed up with the scheme. Keep in mind that should you not go through those steps once your exclusion period expires, then it’s renewed for further 7 years.

Which UK operators take part in the Gamstop exclusion?

All online gambling operators licensed by the UKGC are obligated to sign up as part of the scheme. This means that all casinos and sports betting sites that are under the authority of the UK Gambling Commission are required to block players on Gamstop from accessing their services.

Now, Gamstop is a self-exclusion scheme in the online UK casino world only. This means land-based casinos and betting shops don’t take part in the scheme and neither do gambling sites outside the United Kingdom. That is why the casino and betting platforms that are open to international players are frequently called non Gamstop casinos. The reason is due to their international licenses and the lack of UKGC regulation they aren’t required to take part of the self-exclusion scheme.

Gamstop vs self-excluding via the different operators

All licensed UKGC operators have two other systems set in place that allow you to block your access to the casino account. One of those is time-out which is for the site you’re placing it only and for a shorter duration of time, from 24 hours up to six months. On the other hand, they’ve got sefl exclusion schemes, too, which block your access on all sites that are on the same technology (all sister brands). Both of those need to be activated manually by reaching out to the customer support team.

The thing is, this still leaves the other gambling platforms open for betting. That’s where Gamstop comes into the picture because it encompassess all online casinos and sports betting sites within the country. If you’ve signed up with the gambling self exclusion, as soon as you try to log in or sign up with any of the UKGC-licensed casinos, the system will notify the operator you’ve self excluded and your access will be denied.

How to sign up for the Gamstop self exclusion scheme?

In order to sign up with the Gamstop self-exclusion scheme, you need to head towards the Gamstop website and create an account there. Upon doind so you’ll have to provide some personal details such as name, address, date of birth, phone number and email. The point of this all is that you’ll need to go through verification of your identity and, of course, then the data you’ve given will be used to block your access to any online gambling providers.

Along with being unable to access the gambling sites, according to the terms and conditions of the self-exclusion scheme, they’re also obligated to stop sending you any promotional emails. This, of course, includes updates on games, current promotions and so on.

Pros and cons of the Gamstop self-exclusion

Pros	Cons
It’s easy to create your account, you only need to provide some personal information and confirm	If you don’t manually stop your participation once the self-exclusion period expires, it’ll renew for seven more years
It includes all UKGC online gambling platforms	It doesn’t include the sites outside the UKGC
It can be set to last up to five years

Responsible gambling

There are various tools set in place in the UK to help gamblers who’ve been developing dangerous habits and addiction. For one, if you need help with your betting habits, you can always contact the National Gambling Helpline at 0808 8020 133. It’s open 24/7 and it can help you get the tools you need as soon as possible. There is the Gamban tool, too, which you can use to block access to gambling sites on your devices and, of course, the Gamstop provides you the option to self-exclude.

Don’t hesitate to make use of the resources offered by the support communities, the NHS and, if needed, the in-patient centres for addiction treatment. Talk to friends and family, find something that brings you joy and don’t let gambling control your life. As the slogan goes, when the fun stops, stop playing. Read on some more resources and info on how to gamble responsibly and get help if your habits get out of control on gambleaware.org.

Gamstop self exclusion FAQ

Is the Gamstop block taking effect right away?

No, the block via Gamstop can take up to 24 hours to take effect.

Does Gamstop include land-based establishments?

No, the Gamstop program is a national online self-block tool which only works for online gambling.

Is it possible to cancel Gamstop gambling self-exclusion?

No, there is no way to cancel your Gamstop account and return to gambling throughout the period of your self-exclusion.

Is it possible to circumvent the Gamstop gambling self-exclusion?

Many players try to circumvent this by creating accounts with non Gamstop gambling platforms or, alternatively, attempting to create new accounts with UKGC casinos by using different data. Be wary of this, though, because it can further exacerbate your addiction.