wageringterms.

Definition

GamStop

Also known as Gam Stop, National Online Self-Exclusion Scheme, NOSES

By Reviewed Editorial policy

In short

GamStop is the UK's national online self-exclusion scheme. One registration blocks you from every operator licensed by the Gambling Commission for six months, one year or five years.

GamStop is the UK’s free national self-exclusion service for online gambling. Registering once blocks you from every operator licensed by the UK Gambling Commission.

Participation has been a licence condition for all UK online operators since March 2020, so coverage of the licensed market is complete.

How it works

Register at gamstop.co.uk with your name, date of birth, address, email and phone number. Choose a period:

  • 6 months
  • 1 year
  • 5 years

Activation takes up to 24 hours. Existing accounts are closed, new registrations are refused, and marketing must stop.

It cannot be lifted early

Exclusion runs the full term. At the end, it does not lapse automatically, you must actively contact GamStop to have it removed, and there is then a seven-day cooling-off period before access resumes.

If you do nothing, the exclusion continues indefinitely. This design is deliberate: inaction keeps you excluded rather than returning you to gambling.

What it does not cover

This is the important part, and it is where people are caught out.

  • Land-based gambling: betting shops, casinos, arcades. Use SENSE (casinos) and MOSES (betting shops) separately
  • Unlicensed sites, including offshore operators marketing to UK players. These are outside the scheme entirely, and a substantial industry exists specifically advertising itself as “non-GamStop”
  • National Lottery products, which are licensed separately
  • Other jurisdictions: an operator licensed only in Malta or Curaçao is not covered

The “non-GamStop casino” sector is a genuine hazard for anyone who has excluded. These sites are typically licensed offshore, offer no meaningful dispute resolution, and exist to serve exactly the people the scheme was designed to protect.

Strengthening it

GamStop is most effective combined with:

  • Blocking software, Gamban, BetBlocker, which covers unlicensed sites
  • A bank gambling block, offered by most UK banks, usually with its own cooling-off period
  • Support from GamCare or GambleAware

Together these cover the gaps any single measure leaves.

Common questions

How does GamStop work?

One free registration blocks you from every operator licensed by the UK Gambling Commission, for six months, one year or five years. Activation takes up to 24 hours and existing accounts are closed.

Does GamStop block all gambling sites?

No. It covers UK-licensed operators only. Offshore sites marketing themselves as non-GamStop are outside the scheme entirely, as are land-based venues and the National Lottery.

Does GamStop expire automatically?

No. At the end of the term you must actively contact GamStop to have it removed, followed by a seven-day cooling-off period. If you do nothing, the exclusion continues.

Keep exploring

Sources