In brief. GamStop is one tool among many. If you have registered with GamStop, or if you are considering safer-gambling measures for the first time, several other layers of protection are available — free or low-cost, and effective in combination.
§ 05.1 · Blocking software
Device-level blocking software
The clearest gap-filler for GamStop is device-level blocking software. Two products dominate the UK market: Gamban and BetBlocker.
Gamban is a paid subscription (currently around £2.50 per month or £24.99 annually). It installs on Windows, Mac, iOS and Android devices and blocks access to more than 47,000 gambling sites, including the vast majority of offshore operators serving the UK. It cannot be uninstalled without going through a delay process, which is the point. Anyone eligible for support through GambleAware can get Gamban free.
BetBlocker is a free, registered UK charity. It offers similar coverage to Gamban with a slightly less polished UI. It is installed on the device and, once activated, requires a cooling-off period to disable. Both products cover both licensed and unlicensed gambling sites, which is exactly the gap GamStop leaves.
§ 05.2 · Bank blocks
Bank-level gambling blocks
Every major UK bank now offers a customer-controlled gambling block as a toggle in its app. When enabled, the block prevents card transactions to any merchant coded MCC 7995 (gambling). This includes both UKGC-licensed operators and offshore casinos — the block operates at the payment scheme level, not the licence level.
Available at: Monzo, Starling, Revolut, Lloyds, Halifax, Bank of Scotland, NatWest, RBS, Ulster, HSBC, First Direct, Barclays, Santander, Nationwide, TSB, Co-operative Bank, and Metro Bank, among others. All have a cooling-off period between requesting the block off and it lifting — usually 48 hours, sometimes longer.
Combining a bank block with GamStop plus a device-level blocker (Gamban or BetBlocker) provides three overlapping layers that between them cover essentially the entire online gambling landscape.
§ 05.3 · Support services
Free confidential support
- GamCare — 0808 8020 133. The National Gambling Helpline, free, confidential, 24/7. Also offers online chat and a network of face-to-face and phone counselling across the UK.
- GambleAware. Charity funded partly by the industry statutory levy. Runs the National Gambling Support Network, publishes information, funds treatment, and hosts a self-assessment tool.
- NHS Gambling Clinics. Network of specialist clinics, currently 15 across England with Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland access via NHS 24 and local mental-health services. Self-referral is accepted at most.
- Gordon Moody. Residential and online treatment programmes for people with severe gambling addiction, free at the point of use.
- Gamblers Anonymous. Peer-support meetings across the UK, in-person and online, on a twelve-step model. Free to attend.
- Gam-Anon. Support for the families and friends of people with a gambling problem.
§ 05.4 · Warning signs
Warning signs worth taking seriously
The signs of problem gambling are well-documented and worth naming plainly. Any of the following, in yourself or someone close to you, is a reason to talk to one of the services above.
- Spending more than intended, more often than intended
- Chasing losses — betting more to try to win back what has been lost
- Borrowing money to gamble, or borrowing to cover the consequences of gambling
- Lying to family, friends or employer about the extent of gambling
- Feeling irritable, restless or low when unable to gamble
- Missing work, family commitments, or sleep because of gambling
- Feeling that gambling is the only way to solve a financial or emotional problem
§ 05.5 · Combining tools
Building a personal safer-gambling stack
The tools above work best in combination. For someone actively concerned about their own gambling, a reasonable combined stack looks like this: register with GamStop (covers all UKGC sites); enable your bank's gambling block (covers all card gambling merchants); install Gamban or BetBlocker on all your devices (covers offshore operators and the wider internet); and tell one trusted person what you have done, so accountability is visible.
For someone helping a friend or family member, the most useful things are usually the least dramatic: attending Gam-Anon meetings, avoiding lending money, and encouraging them to make the first phone call to GamCare themselves rather than doing it for them. The about page lists the organisations we have drawn on in writing this chapter.
Frequently asked
Common questions from British readers
They do different things. GamStop is a UK register-based scheme that blocks self-excluded players at UKGC-licensed operators. Gamban is a paid software subscription installed on your devices that blocks tens of thousands of gambling sites regardless of licence. Best used together — GamStop for the UK-licensed side, Gamban for the offshore gap.
Yes. Every major UK bank now offers one as a toggle in the app. Monzo, Starling, Lloyds, NatWest, HSBC, Barclays, First Direct, Santander and TSB all have this. It applies to gambling merchant codes and blocks transactions at the payment stage. Most have a cooling-off period before you can turn the block off.
The National Gambling Helpline on 0808 8020 133, run by GamCare, is free, confidential and open 24 hours. GambleAware provides online advice and a live chat. NHS Gambling Clinics accept self-referrals in most of England. Local NHS options exist in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland through NHS 24 and equivalents.