Self-exclusion is not a favour an operator does for you. It is an instruction it is obliged to follow.
If you are reading this entry about yourself, that is not a small thing, and it is worth saying clearly: this is the single most effective step available, it works, and it is deliberately designed to be difficult to undo. That difficulty is the entire point of it.
How it works
You tell the operator — usually through a form in account settings, or by contacting support — that you wish to self-exclude. The operator must then:
- Close the account and return your balance
- Stop all marketing to you: email, SMS, push, direct mail
- Prevent you reopening, including under a variation of your details
- Refuse deposits for the period you chose
Periods typically start at six months, run to five years, and can often be permanent. Some jurisdictions set a minimum.
Do all of it, not one part of it
One operator is one door. Close the corridor:
- 01National scheme. GAMSTOP in Great Britain covers every UKGC-licensed operator in one registration. Other countries run equivalents — Spelpaus in Sweden, ROFUS in Denmark, CRUKS in the Netherlands, OASIS in Germany.
- 02Blocking software. Gamban and BetBlocker sit on your phone and computer and block gambling sites and apps. BetBlocker is free.
- 03Bank blocks. Most major banks now offer a gambling block on the card itself, often with a cooling-off delay before it can be lifted.
- 04Remove the apps. All of them. Today.
If an operator breaches it
An operator that lets a self-excluded player reopen an account, that keeps marketing to them, or that charges a dormancy fee against their balance has committed a serious failure. It is a regulatory matter and it belongs on our docket.
Free, confidential support — no account, no cost — is signposted at our responsible gambling page. The National Gambling Helpline in the UK is 0808 8020 133, staffed 24 hours a day.