How does GAMSTOP work?
- You register on the GAMSTOP website with your name, date of birth, email addresses, mobile numbers and postal addresses; photo ID may be needed, taken as a fresh picture.
- GAMSTOP confirms who you are, sometimes with a soft search at a credit reference agency.
- Every online operator licensed in Great Britain must check GAMSTOP when anyone registers or logs in, and must check existing customers daily.
- A match blocks the account, and the operator must return any withdrawable balance.
Taking part has been a licence condition, social responsibility code 3.5.5, since 31 March 2020. GAMSTOP is run by The National Online Self Exclusion Scheme Limited, a not-for-profit independent of the industry and the government.
What happens when the exclusion period ends?
Nothing, unless you act. The block outlives every period:
| Period you choose | When it ends |
|---|---|
| 6 months, 1 year or 5 years | The block stays for 7 more years unless you ask to remove it |
| 5 years with auto-renewal | A new five-year minimum starts; auto-renewal can be switched off only in the last six months |
To remove an expired block you request removal by online chat or on 0800 138 6518, after which a 24-hour cooling-off period starts. GAMSTOP offers nothing shorter than six months; for a short break, operators' own time-outs run from one day to six weeks. Auto-renewal has existed since December 2024.
What does GAMSTOP not cover?
- Betting shops, land-based casinos and bingo halls: they have their own schemes, Gamstop Betting Shops, SENSE and BISES.
- The National Lottery's draw games, such as Lotto and EuroMillions; its online instant win games are covered.
- Sites without a British licence: the scheme works only through operators licensed in Great Britain, so check the licence of any site you are unsure about.
- Adverts you see online.
GAMSTOP itself recommends adding bank blocks and blocking software, and for limits short of exclusion there are deposit limits.
