GAMSTOP Self-Exclusion: What Registering Actually Does

What GAMSTOP is, and what it is called now

GAMSTOP is Great Britain's national online gambling self-exclusion scheme. A single registration stops you from every online gambling company licensed in Great Britain. This applies site-by-site and application-by-application for as long as you choose.

A minor change of name happened a while ago so keep a look out for this when searching. In November 2025 GAMSTOP as a national online gambling self-exclusion scheme turned 7 years old and changed its name to Gamstop Online, and the betting shops scheme previously known as MOSES also changed to Gamstop Betting Shops. Both now are a part of Gamstop Group. Even though the new name has been introduced, the old name was retained and still appears across the Gambling Commission’s publications. It still is the same scheme.

Run by a non-profit organisation, The National Online Self Exclusion Scheme Limited, it was established in June 2017 by the Remote Gambling Association and is overseen by the Gambling Commission. Participation by operators was made mandatory after 31 March 2020. Social responsibility code provision 3.5.5 of the licence conditions obligates all operators to integrate it, including the ten casinos on my review list that all appear on the scheme.

After 31 March 2020, participation by operators became mandatory. Social responsibility code provision 3.5.5 of the licence conditions requires every licensee that takes business from British residents to be integrated with it. This is the reason why the ten casinos reviewed on this site are all on the list.

The four periods you can choose

Most summaries mention three. The registration page shows four, because the five-year term is offered with and without the auto-renewal option.

At the time of the half-year 2026 report, the scheme quoted 614,738 registrations, with monthly registrations reaching 12,236 and a 16% increase when compared to the previous year. May set a monthly record. Registrations among the under-25s increased by 26%, and this group now comprises around one third of all individuals self-excluding. Men constitute the bulk of new registrations, and that pattern has remained the same since the scheme began in 2018.

One of the ages patterns comes from the scheme itself; younger users tend to opt for the six-month term, indicating that they are using it to manage their gambling before it becomes a crisis. Whether this continues is a question for the evaluations listed on this page.

Registering, and the 24 hours that follow

Registration is free and available to all, irrespective of where you reside in the UK, GB or NI. It only takes a few minutes to register yourself on their website.

The 24 hours that you think are insignificant become extremely important. A block is not immediate and the reason is mechanical; since April 2020 every licensed operator has been mandated by the Gambling Commission to check its customer lists against the scheme at least once every 24 hours. In clear terms all gambling businesses must be a part of the scheme and “must also update their lists of self-excluded consumers every 24 hours”.

So between registration and the next withdrawal window, an account you already have can be accessed. If you are registering because you need to resolve the issue, make sure you close the page, initiate a bank block, and consider today an unprotected day.

What GAMSTOP covers

A list of all online gambling companies with a Great Britain licence, which the scheme publishes, is provided here. When the list was last revised on 19 August 2026, it was 179 companies long, and it is worth reviewing, since the first licensed company is named and the brands are noted underneath in brackets.

All ten casinos that were reviewed on this site are present on the list. The list provides the company name and is usually different from the name on the website. Here are the lists that relate the company to the site name.

The most direct way to confirm a brand you utilise is to review the list and search for it. The names in brackets are trading names, and thus a search for the casino you are familiar with may lead to the licensed company. For example, L&L Europe Limited operates All British Casino, as well as nine other brands, and Rank Interactive (Gibraltar) Limited operates Grosvenor Casinos and Mecca Bingo.

If the brand you use is not on the list at all, check its licensee (even though the entry will be under the company). Our licence check page explains how to do that in about 2 minutes. The licensed companies for the 10 above can be found on the about page.

What sits outside the scheme

Three things that most people don’t know, but everyone should, that can make a difference between a permanent block and something you circumvent without intent.

Betting shops and other venues

Separate scheme

Gamstop Online covers only online accounts. It won't block betting shops or other offline betting facilities.

• The high street has its own scheme, Gamstop Betting Shops, which came into the same group in 2023 and was founded in 2016 as the Multi Operator Self Exclusion Scheme.
• It is free and set up through a single phone call on 0800 294 2060.
• Casinos, bingo halls and arcades run their own local arrangements on top of that.

Most National Lottery products

Partial cover

The National Lottery does show up on the participating list, and is represented by Allwyn Entertainment Limited. Take a close look at the entry.

• It says "National Lottery Instant Win Games only". Online scratchcards and instant wins are inside the block.
• Draw-based games sit outside it, so a GAMSTOP registration will not stop you buying a Lotto or EuroMillions ticket.
• Several other lottery operators appear on the list in their own right, so the position varies by product.

Websites with no British licence

No protection at all

The scheme does cover licensed companies because the licence is what makes them participate in the scheme. An unlicensed website has nothing to do with the Gambling Commission.

• The Gambling Commission has said such sites often target people who have self-excluded, which is worth knowing if unfamiliar gambling adverts start appearing after you register.
• Those sites also carry none of the other protections: no free dispute resolution, no rules on how you are treated, no recourse if the money disappears.
• Blocking software is the layer that closes this gap, because it works at the device, where a licence has no bearing. See making it harder to undo below.

Your money, your accounts, and the marketing

It is a blocking access service. It won't return the funds to your bank, and this is made clear on the page that you register from (you need to register with Gamstop). This will not return funds to your accounts. You will need to contact the individual gambling firms to request the transfer.

This is not the same as self-exclusion using a single operator. Social responsibility code 3.5.3 dictates that the business must close your account and return the money held on your account to you. So, self-exclusion is the one and only way you can exit a casino account and maintain a rule regarding your money. When there is a balance of money held on a self-exclusion account, the logical step is to request a refund of the money and then register.

The marketing does stop. The 24-hour check that was implemented in April 2020, in part, addresses this issue. This ensures customers registered under the scheme are not subjected to direct marketing by any online gambling services that the customer had a previous relationship with. After a customer directly self-excludes with an operator, the Commission requires the business to remove the customer’s information from the marketing databases.

If self-exclusion from a licensed operator results in the marketing continuing to be delivered after a reasonable time to process the self-exclusion has elapsed, then this constitutes a breach of a licence and should be reported. The procedure is outlined in the section below.

The gap that quietly catches people

This is the best advice offered on this page, and it is something you would not find on many other pages.

The System matches the data you enter against the data on record for operators. Directly quoting the Gambling Commission, “GAMSTOP only works by matching details put in by the consumer. Unfortunately, it is possible that minor changes to those details will mean that you can still gamble.”

'Minor' really means minor. A new email, moving, a different last name, a different phone number used on one ancient account. Any of these can create a gap between what you submitted and what a casino has on record.

• Register with every email address you have gambled under, including old ones you no longer use.
• Keep the details current afterwards. Your Gamstop account exists for this, and the scheme points out that using it is how you keep the block as effective as possible.
• Update it when life changes. The Commission names moving house, changing your last name and getting a new email address as the three that matter.
• Know what you agreed to. When you sign up you agree not to attempt to register new accounts, log in to existing ones, or otherwise try to get around the scheme during your exclusion, and the Commission states you are responsible for any actions you take designed to get around it.

What happens when the period ends

There really is nothing. The exclusion will not terminate automatically.

The Gamstop Online website states an exclusion will not automatically end, and will only end when you contact them. So the end of a 6 month term is a day that you become able to ask, "Why did I sign up for this?" It is an active step you must take while being completely sober.

During the term you are not able to end the exclusion. It is worthwhile to consider a longer term, as a last minute change your mind will not be used as an excuse.

If you can still gamble while self-excluded

This usually occurs because of the details gap mentioned previously. Sometimes it is because an operator has not complied with their licence conditions. In both of these instances, it needs to be reported and the Commission has revoked licences for not complying with this Scheme.

1. Inform the operator of your self-exclusion in writing. Include the date that you self-excluded yourself and the date(s) that you were able to gamble. Keep a copy of this letter.

2. Request that the account is closed and your balance is returned. Many operators will refund stakes after a self-exclusion but only if this is requested.

3. Contact the Commission with the details of your self-exclusion, the period(s) you were able to gamble, contact information, and your consent to have your information shared with the business so they can conduct an investigation.

4. Pursue the complaints procedure whilst the money is unresolved. The operator's complaints process must be pursued first and after 8 weeks, you can contact the independent ADR (Alternative Dispute Resolution) service for free, provided in the casino complaints guide.

The Commission is clear as to why this is valuable to you: "We do want to hear from any customers who have evidence of gambling businesses not following our rules as we use this information to build cases against gambling companies and raise standards."

Making it harder to undo

According to GAMSTOP, their self-exclusion scheme can be even more effective when combined with betting shop schemes and bank blocks, blocking software, and the helpline.

That combination is operator-named TalkBanStop. In 2020 GamCare, Gamban, and GAMSTOP joined together and launched TalkBanStop. The combination consists of talking to someone from the National Gambling Helpline, banning access to gambling sites with Gamban for free, and stopping the account creation process from the scheme.

• Blocking software. Gamban and BetBlocker are both free for UK residents and work at the device, which is the layer that reaches sites the scheme cannot.
• A bank block. Most UK banks will switch gambling transactions off from inside the app, usually with a delay before it can be switched back on.
• The controls already in your account. Deposit limits, reality checks and time-outs are required at every licensed site, and the rules on how fast each one applies are in our guide to safer gambling tools.
• The betting shop scheme. Free, one phone call, 0800 294 2060.
• Someone to talk to. The National Gambling Helpline is free and open 24 hours on 0808 8020 133. Samaritans are on 116 123 if things are worse than gambling.

The responsible gambling page provides detailed information on all of the above and includes National Health Services (NHS) clinics and other help available to families.

Does it actually work?

There have been two independent evaluations of TalkBanStop, both of which have been published in their full report form.

The first was conducted by Sonnet Advisory and Impact in June 2021. 80% of clients reported that the scheme was effective in reducing gambling-related harm. The second full report was carried out by Ipsos in September 2024. It concluded that the scheme was effective in reducing gambling-related harm for clients self-excluded from online gambling.

Analyse these points closely and make your own conclusions: this scheme caters to individuals who do not wish to transact with licensed operators. It is designed for this function. This scheme is not designed to be a remedy or to engage with the unlicensed sector. It depends on accurate details which you keep. Within these constraints, the evidence is positive.

If you are here while you are thinking about it, a six-month option is available so that you do not have to make an irreversible choice. It's free, and about a quarter of all people who registered selected this option.

Frequently asked questions

How long does GAMSTOP take to work?

Registration is quick and even though a block can take up to 24 hours to become effective, every licensed operator is required to check its customer base against this scheme at least once every 24 hours, a requirement that started in April 2020. Until that check is performed, they still can open an account that you already have.

Can I cancel my GAMSTOP self-exclusion early?

No, during the chosen time you cannot cancel this and this is the purpose of it. When the time is complete, the exclusion stays. Gamstop Online states that your chosen exclusion stays effective unless you contact them to make changes.

Does GAMSTOP cover betting shops and the National Lottery?

Gamstop betting shops have their own separate scheme. You can access it by calling 0800 294 2060. The National Lottery also has a block on Gamstop, but this is done by Allwyn Entertainment Limited. Their entry states "National Lottery Instant Win Games only" and so the draw games do fall outside the block.

Does registering with GAMSTOP get my money back?

Gamstop Online is quite clear that self-exclusion does not mean you will automatically be able to cash out your funds. You must contact the gambling firms yourself to ask for this to happen. Should you choose to exclude yourself with an individual firm, the Gambling Commission states that, by law, that firm must close your account and refund you the funds in the account.

What should I do if I can still gamble while self-excluded?

You should report them to the operator first and then to the Gambling Commission, stating the dates on which you were able to gamble and providing a copy of your self-exclusion registration. The Gambling Commission states they are particularly interested in hearing from customers to assist in the build of cases, so they can monitor and improve their services.