Gambling can be profitable and comes with the promise of making easy money. However, its proposition can also be a cause for compulsive betting and adverse impacts on your life. If you find it difficult to stay away from gambling products, it is essential to ponder self-exclusion schemes and tools. 

Self-exclusion is a voluntary process involving signing up to be blocked from various betting products for a specified period. Below is an overview of the leading self-exclusion options for players in the UK.


Use GamStop

GamStop is the first scheme that comes to mind when talking about UK self-exclusion. It is a national scheme introduced by the United Kingdom Gambling Commission (UKGC) and allows players to take time away from casinos licensed in the UK. GamStop is a mandatory license requirement, so all UKGC casinos must participate or risk losing their license. Here's how it works:

  • Casino Participation – All online casino operators must participate in the scheme to retain their gambling license.
  • KYC ID Verification – Casinos are required to perform thorough KYC (know-your-customer) ID verification when players sign-up or log-in to the website.
  • GamStop Database – GamStop relies on a database that lists players who have registered to be self-excluded. UK punters can visit the official GamStop page to register their details and choose exclusion terms ranging from six months to five years.
  • Player Blocking and Account Suspension – Once on GamStop, players won’t have access to any online gambling sites or accounts held with UK operators until they serve the self-exclusion term.
GamStop is an effective scheme but only blocks websites licensed by the UK Gambling Commission. Players can still gamble when on GamStop and explore games on different casinos that aren’t on GamStop like on NonGamStopBets or UK land-based casinos, which is the major drawback of the program. Nonetheless, it offers a free tool you can use to take temporary breaks from UK casino sites and online sportsbooks. Registration status also takes 24 hours, after which you'll be effectively blocked from all UKGC sites.


GamBan

Gamban is another popular self-exclusion tool available for UK punters looking to quit gambling for a predetermined duration. Unlike GamStop, which is a national self-exclusion program, Gamban is a game blocker, more like Gamblock, BetBlocker, NetNanny, etc. It is an app that players can install on their devices to instantly block access to gambling websites, promotions and online content. The tool also relies on a website that features blocked casino sites. Currently, Gamban has more than 13,000 sites in its database, some of which are online casinos, sportsbooks, eSports, crypto sites, trading platforms, and more. Players with an active license cannot access any website on the database until they serve the self-exclusion term, which starts from six months.

Since Gamban relies on a database, it may not feature some newly released EU casinos. However, the tool addresses this loophole by allowing punters to add new casinos that aren't on the database. This means you can include all the EU websites you want to self-exclude from. Also, you must install the Gamban app across all devices used for gambling for it to be effective. It is available for Mac, Windows, Android, and iOS and comes with multiple-use licenses. Once installed, the app is irremovable and blocks all gambling websites effectively. Nonetheless, players can continue gambling using any device that doesn’t have the app installed. Gamban also blocks other non-gambling websites, which might present problems for some users.


GamCare Forums

GamCare is a charity organization dedicated to helping problem gamblers in England, Scotland, and Wales. However, the organization cooperates with many UK and non-UK operators and offers various services designed to reduce the adverse impacts of compulsive gambling habits. The GamCare forum serves those affected directly or indirectly by gambling and has the following activities:

  • Support – Players in England, Scotland, and Wales can find face-to-face help from volunteers, gambling experts, reformed gamblers, counsellors, and advisors.
  • Counselling – The forums offer counselling and support to anyone looking to take the first steps towards responsible gambling.
  • Self-exclusion– Players who want to take temporary or permanent breaks from online/offline gambling will find many resources and links to helpful tools and schemes. 
  • Safe Gambling Standards – GamCare has been involved in spearheading safe standards and practices. It counsels gambling companies to promote a sustainable industry and is recognized for the Safer Gambling Standard, a revered quality standard for social responsibility among operators.

GamCare maintains a support forum available around the clock and runs support chats to ensure players have access to resources, information and helplines. The organization also cooperates with other blockers, such as Gamban, and Gamblock, making it easier to offer self-exclusion tools and products to players who need them. What's more, GamCare forums are free of charge.


Conclusion

There are various other ways to self-exclude from casinos. Most sites offer internal self-exclusion programs, so you can block each separately. You'll also encounter GamStop equivalents in SpelPaus (which blocks Swedish casinos), ROFUS (for blocking Danish sites), and SENSE (for land-based casinos in the UK). National self-exclusion programs like GamStop, SENSE, ROFUS and SpelPaus, and internal casino schemes are free, but game blockers may require a license fee. As such, it is vital to understand how each solution works before you sign up.