How Does GAMSTOP Work, and What Betting Sites Does It Block?

GAMSTOP is a free national online self-exclusion scheme. A registered person provides identifying details and selects an exclusion period; participating gambling businesses then use those details to identify and restrict access to matching accounts.

The scheme forms part of the consumer-protection framework overseen by the Gambling Commission. Online betting and gambling companies licensed to serve consumers in Great Britain must participate, making GAMSTOP an important component of gambling regulation in Great Britain. It covers familiar bookmakers, casinos and bingo brands when they operate under that licence.

GAMSTOP works through operators rather than through a phone, broadband provider or web browser. It therefore does not block gambling websites at internet level, remove advertising or control companies outside the Gambling Commission’s licensed market.

This distinction matters: registration creates a shared self-exclusion across covered operators, but it is not a universal technical barrier. Device-blocking software, banking gambling blocks and advertising controls can provide additional layers where broader restrictions are wanted.

Licensed betting sites collect identifying details such as a customer’s name, date of birth, address, email address and telephone number. Their systems use these details to query GAMSTOP during registration and may repeat checks at login or when account information is reviewed. A sufficiently strong match should prevent a new account from opening or restrict an existing one.

This is separate from identity verification. Verification asks whether the person is who they claim to be, often using documents, databases or payment information. GAMSTOP matching asks a different question: whether that verified or supplied identity corresponds to an active self-exclusion record. The two verification and GAMSTOP checking processes may happen close together, but they serve different purposes.

Matching is not always based on one exact field. Systems can consider several details together, including previous information supplied when registering with GAMSTOP. If information is incomplete, recently changed or entered differently—for example, an old postcode, a new telephone number or a shortened name—the result may not be conclusive.

In those cases, the operator may pause registration, request supporting evidence or refer the account for manual review. This investigation helps distinguish a genuine mismatch or routine change from an attempt to avoid an active exclusion.

When an operator finds a match, existing gambling accounts are restricted or closed, preventing further deposits and bets. A new registration should also be refused, although the operator may request identity documents if the match is uncertain.

Participating operators should stop covered direct marketing, such as promotional emails and text messages. This may not happen instantly, and general advertising can still appear online, on television or in public. The explanation of how GAMSTOP data is shared and matched clarifies what information operators receive.

Money left in an account

Self-exclusion does not cancel ownership of an account balance. Withdrawal arrangements are handled by the operator, not GAMSTOP. Account access may be limited, so the practical route is to contact the operator’s customer support, explain that the account is GAMSTOP-restricted, and ask for its withdrawal process. Identity or payment-method checks may still be required.

If a participating operator continues allowing deposits or bets after a valid match, the activity should be documented with dates, screenshots and account details. The issue can then be raised with the operator and reported to GAMSTOP; unresolved complaints may also follow the operator’s formal complaints procedure.

GAMSTOP covers online gambling businesses licensed by the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) to serve customers in Great Britain. This includes:

• Sportsbooks, including fixed-odds and in-play betting
• Online casinos, from slots to live-dealer and table games
• Bingo platforms
• Online poker rooms
• Betting exchanges, where customers bet against one another
• Gambling apps connected to a licensed online service

An app is not treated as a separate loophole simply because it is downloaded through an app store. If it uses the same licensed gambling service, GAMSTOP checks should apply there as they do on the operator’s website.

Check the licence, not just the logo

Brand names can make coverage look more complicated than it is. A single licensed company may operate several sportsbooks, casinos or bingo sites under different trading names. Those brands may have distinct websites and designs while sharing the same licence holder and account systems.

The most reliable check is the UKGC’s public register. Search using the website address, trading name, legal company name or licence number, then confirm that:

• the licence status is active;
• it includes relevant remote gambling activities;
• the domain or trading name is associated with that licensee.

Licence details usually appear in a site’s footer or terms. A site holding only an overseas licence is not brought within GAMSTOP merely because it accepts visitors from Great Britain.

GAMSTOP offers fixed minimum terms of six months, one year or five years. Once registration is completed, the chosen term cannot simply be cancelled or shortened. This is deliberate: a self-exclusion would offer little protection if it could be reversed during a change of mind.

Reaching the expiry date does not necessarily switch GAMSTOP off automatically. To request removal, the registered person may need to contact GAMSTOP, answer security questions and complete identity checks. A 24-hour cooling-off period normally follows before removal takes effect.

Removal from GAMSTOP also does not guarantee that previous betting accounts will reopen. An operator may keep an account closed, request documents or conduct its own safer-gambling review under its terms. Access therefore depends on both GAMSTOP status and the operator’s decision.

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