How GAMSTOP works

GAMSTOP is the free national self-exclusion scheme for online gambling in Great Britain. One registration blocks you from the websites and apps of every gambling company licensed here, for a period you choose. This guide covers how it works, what it does and does not block, and how to use it alongside other tools.

What GAMSTOP is

The online scheme is now called Gamstop Online. Taking part in the national multi-operator self-exclusion scheme is a condition of the Gambling Commission’s licences for online gambling businesses, not a voluntary extra. GAMSTOP said in July 2026 that 614,738 people were registered with Gamstop Online, and that more than half of them had chosen the longest, five-year exclusion.

People use it for different reasons. Some want to stop gambling altogether; others want a break to save money or get through exams or a busy period. GAMSTOP says it does not text you or send post to your home, so you can decide who knows you have registered.

How it works

1. You register on gamstop.co.uk and choose how long the block should last. GAMSTOP says it takes a few minutes.
2. GAMSTOP checks your identity using the personal details you give it, and adds you to its register.
3. Licensed operators check the register whenever someone tries to open or use an online gambling account.
4. If you are on it, they block you — from existing accounts as well as new ones.

The block can take up to 24 hours to become effective. GAMSTOP asks you to keep your details up to date in your account so the block can carry on protecting you. You can also extend your registration from your account.

Choosing a period, and what happens at the end

The options are 6 months, 1 year, 5 years, or 5 years with automatic renewal. Once registered, you cannot cancel during the period you chose. When it ends, the exclusion does not lift by itself: it stays in place until you contact GAMSTOP and ask for it to be removed. In practice, going back to gambling takes a deliberate step.

What GAMSTOP does not do

• It does not return your money. Registering will not automatically pay out balances held with gambling companies. Contact each operator you have an account with to withdraw what is there.
• It does not cover high-street bookmakers. A separate service, Gamstop Betting Shops, lets you exclude from betting shops. Other kinds of land-based gambling have their own multi-operator schemes, which let you exclude from the same type of premises in your area with one request.
• It only works with licensed operators. Sites without a Gambling Commission licence are not part of the scheme — another reason to check the licence of anywhere you are thinking of using.
• It does not stop card payments. For that, use your bank’s gambling block (below).

The brands we review

LeoVegas Gaming PLC, which runs all six brands in our reviews, appeared on GAMSTOP’s list of participating companies when we checked it on 12 November 2026 (GAMSTOP’s list was dated 11 November 2026). Separately, the group runs its own self-exclusion: LeoVegas says that excluding at one of its UK sites blocks you at all of them.

If you are worried about someone else

You cannot register another person with GAMSTOP; it has to be their own decision. The only exception GAMSTOP gives is where you are lawfully authorised to act for them, for example under a valid Power of Attorney. What you can do is register yourself, which stops your own details being used by someone else to open or use online gambling accounts. GamCare also supports people affected by someone else’s gambling — see our help page.

Combining GAMSTOP with other blocks

GAMSTOP describes its block as especially powerful when combined with other tools. The main ones are:

• A bank gambling block. Most UK banks offer one, usually in the app. It declines card payments that the bank recognises as gambling, online or in person. Blocks apply card by card, so switch it on for each card you use; on a joint account, each cardholder sets their own. Removing a block usually triggers a cooling-off period — most banks use 48 or 72 hours, GAMSTOP says. If a gambling payment gets through while your block is on, tell your bank: it can happen when a merchant is miscoded, and the bank may be able to block that merchant directly.
• Blocking software on your phone, tablet and computer, which stops gambling websites and apps loading. GamCare publishes information about the options.
• Self-exclusion with an individual operator, and deposit limits and time-outs if you want something lighter than a full block.
• Support. The National Gambling Helpline is free and open 24 hours a day on 0808 8020 133 in England and Scotland; the helpline for Wales is 0808 2819 265.