GAMSTOP: how it works, how to sign up and how to remove it

What is GAMSTOP?

GAMSTOP is the national online self-exclusion service in Great Britain, run by The National Online Self Exclusion Scheme Limited. It is free. Once you register, you are blocked from signing up for or using accounts with online gambling websites and apps that are licensed in Great Britain. Existing accounts stop working and you can't open new ones. This guide is for readers in the UK; other countries have their own registers.

How to register for GAMSTOP, step by step

1. Go to gamstop.co.uk and choose "Register".
2. Choose a period: 6 months, 1 year, 5 years, or 5 years that renews automatically.
3. Complete the registration It can take up to 24 hours for the block to become effective.
4. Keep your details up to date in your account, so the block can keep working.

How long does GAMSTOP last, and can you end it early?

The shortest period is six months and the longest is five years. Once you have registered, you cannot cancel the registration during the exclusion period. That is deliberate: a decision made in a calm moment shouldn't be undone in a weak one.

How to remove GAMSTOP after it ends

The exclusion does not lapse by itself. When your period has ended, it stays in place until you ask GAMSTOP to remove it. According to GAMSTOP's privacy policy, removal takes effect after a cooling-off period of at least 24 hours, during which you can change your mind. GAMSTOP then tells operators for seven years that you were previously self-excluded. GAMSTOP says it will not remove an exclusion early, so don't expect an exception before the period you chose is over.

What GAMSTOP covers, and what it doesn't

• Covered: online gambling websites and apps licensed in Great Britain.
• Separate tools: GAMSTOP says that betting shops, bank blocks and blocking software are handled by separate tools (high street bookmakers, card payments and devices).
• Not covered: gambling sites that aren't licensed in Great Britain don't check GAMSTOP at all.

The gap: sites that don't check GAMSTOP

GAMSTOP only works where the operator is required to check it. Sites without a British licence aren't, and some advertise exactly that. When you've registered and an urge hits, that gap is where it's easiest to end up. So the register works best with two more barriers:

1. A filter on your phone that recognises casino and betting sites by pattern, including new addresses. How that works: block gambling sites on iPhone.
2. Someone who knows. Nobody notices a registration on a list. If someone you trust hears that the protection was switched off, you're not alone in the moment that matters.

Support alongside the block

A block creates distance; it doesn't resolve the reasons. In Great Britain, GamCare runs the National Gambling Helpline, which is free and confidential, with live chat as well. If you want a wider plan for stopping, start with how to stop gambling.