Gambling Self-Exclusion Explained: How It Works

Fact-checked by Josh Miller
Edited by Diana Westfield

Updated 10 Nov 2026Written by the CasinoCalcs team

Self-exclusion from gambling means asking gambling companies, ahead of time, to stop you using them for a set period. You pick how long, often six months, a year or five years. Your accounts get closed, the promotional emails stop, and if you try to sign up again you’re turned away. The clever part is the timing: you make the call on a calm day, and it still holds on the days that aren’t calm. Here’s how it works, where it falls short and what else can help.

How self-exclusion works

You can do it with one company, usually from your account settings or by asking their support team. Or you can use a scheme that covers lots of companies at once. In Great Britain that’s GamStop for online gambling, with separate schemes for high-street betting shops and casinos. Plenty of other countries and provinces have something similar, often run by the regulator or the lottery.

Expect to give your name, date of birth, address and email, so that companies can recognise you. It usually kicks in within about a day. You can’t end it early, which on some evenings will feel unfair. That’s on purpose. When the period’s up, many schemes keep the block running until you actively ask them to lift it.

What self-exclusion doesn’t cover, and what does

A scheme only reaches the companies signed up to it. Sites without a local licence aren’t, and some of them even advertise that. Two other free tools help close that hole. Lots of banks have a switch in the app that blocks gambling payments on your card, and some make you wait a couple of days before you can switch it back. Blocking software stops gambling sites from opening on your phone or laptop.

Put the three together and they cover each other well. Your accounts are shut, your card won’t pay a gambling site, and your browser won’t open one. None of it fixes everything on its own, and you don’t need to be at rock bottom to use it. Some people just want a few months off, and that’s reason enough.

If it feels hard

An account closing doesn’t make the urge go away overnight. It usually comes and goes in waves, and they do pass. Talking to someone helps more than most people expect. Free, confidential support is available in most countries by phone, chat or face to face, and there’s no bar you have to reach before you’re allowed to call.

If you’d like to see your own numbers first, the CasinoCalcs gambling spend calculator adds up a year of regular gambling, the deposit limit calculator helps you set a limit that fits, and the self-assessment quiz is a private check-in. None of them diagnose anything. They’re a place to start.

If you’d like to talk to someone now, BeGambleAware.org lists free, confidential support, available 24 hours a day.

Frequently asked questions

What is self-exclusion from gambling?

A request you make to gambling companies to stop you from gambling with them for a set period, often six months to five years. While it's in place they should close or block your account and stop sending you marketing.

Can you cancel self-exclusion early?

Usually no. That's deliberate: the point is that the decision you make on a good day holds on a bad one. When the period ends, many schemes keep the block in place until you actively ask to remove it.

Does self-exclusion cover every gambling site?

National schemes cover the companies that are licensed to take part, but not every site. Combining self-exclusion with a bank gambling block and blocking software closes most of the gaps.

Where can I get support?

Free, confidential support is available from gambling support services in most countries, by phone, chat or in person. In Great Britain, the National Gambling Helpline is open 24 hours.