Quick Answer
No. Self-excluding at one online casino blocks you from that casino's operator and nobody else. To block yourself from every participating online gambling operator in Great Britain in one go, register with GAMSTOP, the free national self-exclusion scheme. To cover casinos licensed elsewhere as well, add blocking software on your devices and a gambling block on your bank card.
Why One Casino's Exclusion Isn't Enough
The UK Gambling Commission's good-practice code on self-exclusion makes the gap plain. It tells casinos to encourage self-excluded customers to extend the exclusion to the other operators they use. A casino would have no reason to say that if its own exclusion already covered them.
What Self-Exclusion Options Are There?
The options below block different things, and they differ on whether you can undo them early.
| Option | What it blocks | Can you undo it early? | Cost and where to set it up |
|---|---|---|---|
| One casino's own self-exclusion | Your accounts with that one operator | UK rules don't say - check the casino's terms | Through the casino's account settings or customer services |
| GAMSTOP (Great Britain) | Online gambling sites and apps run by participating operators licensed in Great Britain | No - not until your minimum period ends | Free, at gamstop.co.uk |
| Michigan Responsible Gaming Database (US) | All Michigan-regulated online gaming, online sports betting, or both | No - it ends automatically when the period runs out | Apply to the Michigan Gaming Control Board in person or with a notarised form |
| BetBlocker | Gambling sites and apps on your devices, licensed or not | No - and removal after that waits seven days | Free, from betblocker.org |
| Gamban | Gambling sites and apps on all your devices | No - Gamban says installations can't be removed early | Paid subscription with a seven-day free trial |
| Monzo gambling block | Card payments to merchants using the gambling code | Only after the cooldown you chose, from 2 days to a year | In the Monzo app |
| Barclays gambling block | Debit card payments to gambling companies | Yes, but you then wait 72 hours before you can gamble again | In the Barclays app |
What Does One Casino's Self-Exclusion Cover?
A casino's own self-exclusion covers your accounts with that one operator. Under the UK Gambling Commission's social responsibility code on self-exclusion, a UK-licensed online casino that accepts your self-exclusion has to close your accounts and return any money in them. The casino also has to take you off its marketing lists within two days of receiving your completed request.
The Gambling Commission's good-practice code sets the time limits. A casino's shortest self-exclusion period should be between 6 and 12 months, with the option to choose up to at least five years. When the period ends, the exclusion stays in place for at least seven years unless you take positive action to gamble again.
Does Self-Exclusion Cover a Casino's Sister Sites?
The UK Gambling Commission's rules don't say whether one operator's self-exclusion has to cover every brand it runs. Before you confirm a self-exclusion at a casino, ask its support team which of its sister sites the exclusion covers, and keep their answer in writing. GAMSTOP avoids the question, because one GAMSTOP registration covers every participating operator, whichever brand you use.
How Does GAMSTOP Work?
GAMSTOP is the free national self-exclusion scheme for online gambling in Great Britain. Every UK-licensed online casino operator has to take part in the national multi-operator self-exclusion scheme as a condition of its licence, and GAMSTOP's terms date that requirement to 31 March 2020.
You register with GAMSTOP once and choose an exclusion period: six months, one year, five years, or five years with automatic renewal. The exclusion then applies to every participating operator.
Can You Cancel GAMSTOP Early?
No. GAMSTOP's terms say you can't deactivate an exclusion until your minimum period has ended. After that, a GAMSTOP exclusion still doesn't switch itself off. It stays active until you contact GAMSTOP to remove it, and a cooling-off period of at least 24 hours runs before it lifts.
Does GAMSTOP Block Every Online Casino?
No. GAMSTOP's terms say it can only exclude you from gambling services offered by participating operators, and those are operators licensed in Great Britain. A casino licensed anywhere else isn't bound by a GAMSTOP exclusion. Blocking software and a bank gambling block are the two ways to close that gap.
Is There a Self-Exclusion Scheme for US Online Casinos?
In the US, each state with regulated online casinos runs its own self-exclusion list. Michigan's Responsible Gaming Database lets you self-exclude from all Michigan-regulated online gaming, online sports betting, or both, for one year or five years.
The Michigan Gaming Control Board's FAQ says you can't remove your name from the database early. It comes off automatically when the period ends. Confirmation can take up to 45 days, and you apply in person or with a notarised form. Michigan's list only covers Michigan-regulated sites. In other states with legal online casinos, check the state gaming regulator for its own programme - our guide to which US states allow online casinos lists them.
Can Blocking Software Stop Gambling Sites?
Blocking software stops gambling sites and apps loading on your devices, wherever the site is licensed. The UK Gambling Commission's good-practice code tells casinos to point self-excluding customers towards it.
BetBlocker is a free tool run by a charity, and it works on Windows, Mac, Linux, Android and iOS. BetBlocker aims to cover gambling sites with or without a licence, though its own FAQ admits the list can't be guaranteed to catch every site. Once a BetBlocker restriction starts, you can't lift it before the end of the period you chose, and a request to remove it after that waits seven days.
Gamban is a paid subscription with a seven-day free trial. One Gamban licence covers all your devices, and Gamban says its installations are final and can't be removed early. The app comes off automatically when your licence period ends.
Do Bank Gambling Blocks Work?
A bank gambling block stops card payments to gambling companies, so it catches the deposit itself. It only covers card payments. Monzo's help page says its blocks are for card payments only, though you can ask Monzo about blocking other payments, such as bank transfers. Barclays' page describes a block on debit card payments to gambling providers it can detect. Neither page mentions crypto.
Monzo's gambling block stops card payments to any merchant using the gambling code. When you switch it on, you choose a cooldown of anywhere from 2 days to a year, and you have to wait it out before the block lifts. Monzo warns that some transactions aren't tagged correctly and get through anyway.
Barclays' gambling block stops debit card payments to gambling companies. If you switch gambling payments back on, Barclays makes you wait 72 hours before you can gamble again.
Which Self-Exclusion Options Should You Use Together?
Each self-exclusion option closes a different gap. GAMSTOP covers every participating operator in Great Britain in one sign-up. Blocking software reaches the sites outside GAMSTOP, and a bank block catches card deposits wherever they're heading. If you've decided to stop gambling, set up all three on the same day, while the decision is fresh.
One casino's self-exclusion protects you from that casino. Every other block on this page is there for the casino you haven't thought of yet.