What is GamStop?

GamStop is a free national self-exclusion scheme in Great Britain that lets a person block their own access to every UK Gambling Commission-licensed online gambling site with a single registration. Once you sign up, all UKGC-licensed operators must prevent you from logging in, opening a new account, or receiving marketing for the length of exclusion you choose: 6 months, 1 year, or 5 years. Since March 2020 it has been a licensing requirement for every UK-licensed online operator to integrate with GamStop, so one registration covers the whole regulated market rather than each site individually. Worked example: on 1 July you register for GamStop and select the 5-year option. From that moment until 1 July 2031 you cannot deposit or bet at any of the roughly 200-plus UKGC-licensed casino and sportsbook brands. Even after the 5 years elapse the exclusion does not lift automatically; you must actively contact GamStop and complete a 24-hour cooling-off period before access is restored, so an impulsive 2 a.m. decision cannot immediately reopen every account. Why it matters: for players, GamStop is the most complete UK tool for enforcing a break, though it only covers UKGC-licensed sites, not offshore or unlicensed casinos. For affiliates, promoting or steering GamStop-excluded users toward non-GamStop offshore operators is a serious compliance and ethical breach that can trigger enforcement and account termination. A common mistake is assuming GamStop also blocks land-based betting shops or lottery terminals; it does not. Compare with self-exclusion, GAMCARE, GamBan and the UKGC.