How to Use GamStop, Step by Step

Closing gambling accounts one by one is slow, and every account you forget is a way back in. GamStop does it in one go. Sign up once, and every gambling site and app licensed in Great Britain has to refuse you.

Who can use it

Anyone living in the UK, including Northern Ireland. It's free.

How to sign up

1. Go to gamstop.co.uk and choose to register.
2. Enter your details. Use the email addresses, phone numbers and home addresses your gambling accounts are registered with, since that's how sites match you.
3. Choose how long: 6 months, 1 year or 5 years.
4. GamStop checks your identity, which takes a few minutes.

Choosing how long

Once it starts, you can't shorten it or cancel it until the minimum period is over. That's what makes it work: it holds firm on the days you'd want it gone. Pick the length you'd still be glad you chose on your worst night.

What happens to money in your accounts

Signing up doesn't automatically send back money sitting in your gambling accounts. Contact each company directly to withdraw it.

What GamStop doesn't cover

• Betting shops: use the multi-operator scheme at self-exclusion.co.uk.
• Casinos in person: use SENSE.
• National Lottery draws: Lotto and EuroMillions aren't covered. National Lottery online instant-win games and scratchcards are. The National Lottery also has its own limits and exclusion in your account.
• Sites not licensed in Great Britain: use a blocking app such as Gamban or BetBlocker.
• Payments: add a bank gambling block.

When the period ends

Your exclusion doesn't switch off by itself. It stays in place until you contact GamStop and ask to remove it. Even then, there's a 24-hour cooling-off before it lifts. You can keep it, or sign up again, whenever you want.