What actually happens when you sign up to GAMSTOP? Most people know it “blocks gambling sites”, and not much more. The details matter, especially the parts that surprise people: the exclusion does not end on the date you picked, removal involves a cooling-off period, and operators can be told about a past exclusion for years afterwards. This guide answers the common questions one at a time, using the scheme’s own rules and the Gambling Commission’s licence conditions.
What is GAMSTOP?
GAMSTOP is the national online self-exclusion scheme for Great Britain. It is free to use, and a single registration lets you exclude yourself from the websites and apps of every online gambling business licensed by the Gambling Commission. Before it existed, self-exclusion worked one operator at a time, which meant a person trying to stop had to close dozens of accounts and could simply open a new one somewhere else.
Do all online casinos have to take part?
All licensed ones do. The Commission made participation a licence condition for online operators from 31 March 2020. When two operators failed to integrate the scheme properly, their licences were suspended within days, on 3 April 2020. So any casino holding a current Gambling Commission licence for online gambling is connected to GAMSTOP.
The flip side is the reason this site exists. A casino that is “not on GamStop” is not licensed for Great Britain, and GAMSTOP has no way of reaching it. That is a gap in coverage, not a feature.
What does registration involve?
- Verify your main email address through a link GAMSTOP sends you.
- Give your personal details: title, name, date of birth, current address and postcode, and previous postcodes.
- List other contact details you use or have used: extra email addresses and mobile numbers. Operators match against these, so the more complete the list, the stronger the block.
- Pass identity verification, carried out with external verification providers.
- Choose your minimum period: six months, one year or five years.
It can take up to 24 hours for the exclusion to become effective across all participating operators. You receive a confirmation email once registration is complete.
Which period should I choose?
Only you can decide, but it helps to know how the periods behave.
| Minimum period | Can it be shortened? | Can it be extended? | What happens at the end |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 months | No | Yes, through your GAMSTOP account | Exclusion stays active until you request removal |
| 1 year | No | Yes | Exclusion stays active until you request removal |
| 5 years | No | Yes | Exclusion stays active until you request removal |
Many people pick the longest period they feel they can commit to, on the reasoning that a decision made with a clear head deserves protection from one made in a weak moment.
What happens when the minimum period ends?
Nothing, unless you act. GAMSTOP does not remove the exclusion automatically, and it does not contact you to say the minimum period has passed. The exclusion continues for up to seven years after the end of the minimum period unless you contact GAMSTOP to remove it. This design surprises people, but it is deliberate: lifting a block should take a conscious decision, not happen silently on a calendar date.
How is an exclusion removed?
Only after the minimum period has ended. You contact the GAMSTOP contact centre and go through its removal process. GAMSTOP will not deactivate the exclusion until a cooling-off period of at least 24 hours has passed from the end of that contact, and the exclusion stays fully active during that time. Even after removal, GAMSTOP informs operators for seven years that you were previously self-excluded, so some casinos may ask extra questions or apply extra checks if you open an account.
If you are thinking about removing your exclusion, consider talking to someone first. The National Gambling Helpline is free and confidential on 0808 8020 133, 24 hours a day. There is no pressure to decide anything on the call.
What must casinos do once I am registered?
Licensed operators check new and existing customers against the GAMSTOP register. If you match, they must stop you gambling with them for as long as the exclusion lasts. In practice that means you cannot open a new account or play on an existing one. Licence conditions also require operators to stop sending marketing to self-excluded customers.
What does GAMSTOP not cover?
| Not covered | What to use instead |
|---|---|
| Betting shops | GAMSTOP’s separate betting shop scheme |
| Sites without a UK licence | Blocking software such as BetBlocker (free) or Gamban (free to UK residents via the National Gambling Helpline) |
| Card payments to gambling merchants | Your bank’s gambling block, offered by banks including Monzo, Starling and Barclays |
| The urge to gamble itself | Support from GamCare, Gamblers Anonymous or NHS gambling services |
Combining GAMSTOP with a bank block and blocking software closes most of the gaps. Our safer gambling tools guide compares every option side by side.
How does GAMSTOP differ from a single-casino exclusion?
Each licensed casino also offers its own self-exclusion. UK licence conditions set a minimum period of six to twelve months, extendable to five years, and a one-day cooling-off period before you can gamble again once it ends. That blocks one operator, which can cover several brands. GAMSTOP blocks them all at once. If you are worried about your gambling generally rather than one site in particular, GAMSTOP is the stronger tool.
Is my data safe?
GAMSTOP shares the details needed for operators to match you against the register, and it publishes a privacy policy explaining how long data is kept. The core purpose is narrow: let licensed operators recognise you so that they can refuse service. Operators only need to know that you match; they do not need to know why you registered.
Does GAMSTOP work?
It works within its scope, which is every UK-licensed online gambling business. Its limits are the edges of that scope: sites without a British licence, and the person’s own determination to find one. That is why we will not help anyone find a casino outside GAMSTOP, and why we recommend adding blocking software and support rather than relying on one tool. If a block feels frustrating, it is doing what it was set up to do.
Common misunderstandings
- “It runs out on the date I chose.” It does not. The minimum period is the earliest point at which you can ask for removal, not an end date.
- “I can cancel it if I change my mind next week.” Not during the minimum period. That is the whole point of the commitment.
- “It only blocks the casinos I have accounts with.” It applies to every online operator licensed by the Gambling Commission, including ones you have never used.
- “A new email address gets round it.” Operators match on several details, including name, date of birth and address history, which is why GAMSTOP asks for so much information at registration.
Helping someone else
You cannot register another adult with GAMSTOP; self-exclusion has to be their own decision, made with their own details. What you can do is talk to them about it, sit with them while they register if they want company, and help them add a second layer such as a bank block or blocking software. The National Gambling Helpline also supports family members and friends affected by someone else’s gambling, and you can call it for yourself, without the other person’s involvement.
Quick answers
- Cost: free.
- Time to take effect: up to 24 hours.
- Periods: 6 months, 1 year or 5 years; cannot be shortened.
- After the period: continues up to seven more years unless you ask for removal.
- Removal: contact GAMSTOP, then at least 24 hours’ cooling-off.
- Coverage: every online operator licensed by the Gambling Commission.
Register at gamstop.co.uk. To confirm that a casino is licensed and therefore covered, see our licence-checking guide, and for wider support visit our responsible gambling page.