The service is operated by The National Online Self Exclusion Scheme Ltd and is mandated by the UK Gambling Commission. This means every legitimate gambling operator in Great Britain must participate and check against the GamStop database. These practical steps can help when you casinos are trying to get your online gambling under control. You can choose how long to exclude yourself from gambling, from 6 months up to 5 years. You can also choose to have your exclusion renew automatically so you do not have to think about it again.

Blocking software

It is the responsibility of the gambling business to put procedures in place to prevent this from happening. Yes—all UK-licensed arms of major operators (e.g. PokerStars UK, Betfair, Sky Vegas) are connected to GamStop. Some international versions of those sites (for example, PokerStars.eu or PokerStars on other domains) may not be covered—but you should never use those, as they’re unregistered in the UK and illegal for UK players.

  • The UK has several different player-protection schemes and programs that offer similar tools to GamStop.
  • You can contact gambling companies you have accounts with directly to arrange the return of funds.
  • It means exactly what you think it does – excluding yourself from playing.

But every time you visit our site or use GAMSTOP, please check these Terms to take note of any changes we have made and to ensure you understand the Terms that apply at that time. Gambling businesses are required to have their own self-exclusion arrangements in place. Once you confirm your choice, the ban is irreversible—you cannot shorten or cancel it. At the end of your chosen period, your registration simply expires and you may gamble again if you wish. Available to anyone resident in Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the service requires no banking details or credit card information. Over 500,000 people have registered with GamStop since its launch in 2018, with record daily sign-ups reported around New Year 2025.

Even if you don’t have a gambling problem, gambling apps can be distracting – and tempting when you’re bored or stressed. Non-GamStop casinos are likely to have more security risks, and less customer support. If you run into an issue, the UKGC can’t intervene to help you because these casinos do not operate under UKGC licenses. It’s a lot to consider, and when there are so many safer options out there, it’s worth really thinking about if playing at a non-GamStop casino is worth it. In amongst the best UK casino sites, you might have come across the term “non-GamStop casinos.” These are often casinos that are not licensed in the UK and therefore not subject to UK regulations. Playing at casinos that don’t carry a UK license, if you’re based in the UK, carries significant risks.

Casinos

We have decided that by extending the scope of the requirement to include telephone and email betting services we are taking a small but important step to better protect vulnerable consumers. Just like us, the UK Gambling Commission takes responsible gambling very seriously. They have strict regulations in place to protect players, including requirements for operators to integrate with self-exclusion tools like GamStop. This commitment to player safety is something we at Casino Kings strongly believe in.

You agree to ensure your Registration Information is accurate, up-to-date, comprehensive and relevant during the period of your self-exclusion. You understand and agree that if you fail to keep your Registration Data up to date, we reserve the right to do either or both of restricting your account and ending your participation in GAMSTOP. You understand and agree that you are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of any information forming part of your self-exclusion registration. You understand that the details of how this will be done will depend on the Gambling Operator in question, and that the return of such funds is not our responsibility. There may be occasions where customers who have self-excluded are able to gamble.

After four years and six months has passed, you will be able to turn off auto renewal from your GAMSTOP account to prevent another further five-year Minimum Exclusion Period from beginning. We may make reasonable changes to these Terms from time to time, where necessary for compliance with a legal obligation or the effective operation of GAMSTOP or your self-exclusion. If you have gambled whilst self-excluded you should let the gambling business know as it helps them to identify any areas where their procedures could be improved. If you think that you are spending too much time or money on gambling, whether online or in gambling premises, then you can ask to be self-excluded.

Once you activate it, you must wait for the full exclusion period to finish. As well as registering with Gamstop Online, it’s a good idea to block in-person gambling too. Contact us for help with the registration process, to update your details or to extend your block. You will be able to use your Gamstop account to keep your details up to date, which will be a good way of keeping your Gamstop block as effective as possible.

Read the Terms of GamStop Exclusion

You understand and agree that we will collect the IP address of any device that opens a confirmation email. When you have successfully registered for your self-exclusion or a further Minimum Exclusion Period, we will send an email confirming your registration. If you select the Onfido process, you understand and agree we will need a photo of you and an official photographic ID document which Onfido will compare using facial recognition technology.

You must not provide links to our site in such a way as to suggest any form of association, approval or endorsement on our part where none exists. This clause shall not apply insofar as (but only to the extent that) we are unable to exclude or limit text or data mining or web scraping activity by contract under the laws which are applicable to us. We will use reasonable endeavours to ensure that our site and GAMSTOP do not contain or spread any viruses or other malicious code. We will try to notify you if we make any significant changes to these Terms.

We took a closer look into exactly what does GamStop do wrong, so keep reading to find out. There are quite a lot of benefits that GamStop provides to UK players, which is why it is so popular. If you still find yourself wondering what is GamStop scheme comprised of, we are here to guide you through it.