GAMSTOP and self-exclusion explained

GAMSTOP is the UK's national online self-exclusion scheme. You register once, for free, and every online gambling operator licensed by the UK Gambling Commission is required to check your details against it and block you from opening or using an account for as long as your exclusion lasts.

Key facts

• It's a licence requirement, not a voluntary courtesy some operators offer. Participation in GAMSTOP has been a mandatory condition of holding a remote gambling operating licence since 31 March 2020, and the same requirement was extended to telephone and email betting from 1 April 2024.
• One registration covers every UK-licensed online operator, not just the site you were using when you decided to exclude — that's the entire point of a multi-operator scheme, as opposed to asking each operator individually.
• Self-exclusion via GAMSTOP is different from a casino's own account-closure or deposit-limit tools. Those are operator-specific and don't stop you opening an account elsewhere; GAMSTOP is designed specifically to close that gap.
• It's separate from commercial account restrictions. GAMSTOP is something you choose for yourself; a stake limit or account closure an operator applies unilaterally is a different topic — see our account restrictions guide.

How it works, step by step

Exclusion periods

GAMSTOP exclusion is not a short pause you can cancel on a whim once confirmed — periods are fixed choices, and an indefinite exclusion can only be lifted after a substantial minimum period has passed, reflecting that the scheme is designed as a genuine barrier rather than a quick timeout. Check GAMSTOP's own current site for the exact periods on offer before registering, since scheme terms can be updated.

What GAMSTOP does not do

• It doesn't remove or freeze money already in an existing casino or betting account — see our dormant account balances guide for how UK rules protect a balance you can no longer access to gamble with.
• It doesn't cover gambling that isn't in scope of a UK remote operating licence, such as unlicensed offshore sites — which is itself a reason to check an operator's licensing status, not just register with GAMSTOP and assume every gambling avenue is closed.
• It can't be reversed early once your chosen period is confirmed — this is a deliberate design feature of the scheme, not an oversight.

Common misconceptions

• "I only need to self-exclude from the site I'm worried about." GAMSTOP is specifically built to cover every UK-licensed operator at once, precisely because single-operator self-exclusion doesn't stop someone opening an account elsewhere.
• "Registering removes my existing account balances." GAMSTOP blocks future access and new accounts; it doesn't itself touch money already sitting in an account you held before excluding.
• "I can lift my exclusion whenever I decide I'm ready." Exclusion periods are fixed once confirmed, and even the shortest period cannot be cancelled early — that's a deliberate part of how the scheme is designed to work.

Related content

See our responsible gambling page for our wider safer-gambling positioning, and our casino KYC and dormant account balances guides for related account-level topics.