How to block gambling in the UK: Gamstop, bank blocks and other free tools

This is information, not financial advice.

If you are reading this, you have already made the decision that matters. This page is the practical part: what to switch on, in what order, and what each tool does and does not cover. Everything here is free unless we say otherwise, and none of it needs anyone else's permission.

What free tools block gambling in the UK?

Four free layers cover most routes: Gamstop for online gambling, your bank's card block, blocking software on your devices, and separate schemes for betting shops, casinos, bingo halls and arcades.

Each layer has gaps, which is why people stack them. A sensible order, fastest first:

1. Your bank's gambling block. A toggle in most big banks' apps. Takes a minute.
2. Gamstop. An online registration that covers gambling companies licensed in Great Britain. Generally active within 24 hours.
3. Blocking software. BetBlocker is free and covers phones, tablets and computers, including sites Gamstop cannot reach.
4. Land-based schemes. If betting shops, casinos, bingo or arcades are part of the picture.
5. Someone to talk to. The National Gambling Helpline, 0808 8020 133, is free and open 24 hours.

How does Gamstop work?

Gamstop is a free national scheme: you register once, choose a minimum period, and gambling companies licensed in Great Britain must stop you signing up for or using online accounts.

The minimum periods are six months, one year, five years, or five years with auto-renewal. Gamstop says it generally activates a self-exclusion within 24 hours but cannot guarantee that, so do not rely on it alone for the first day.

When the minimum period ends, nothing changes on its own. Under Gamstop's terms, the self-exclusion carries on for up to a further seven years unless you contact the Gamstop Contact Centre and complete its removal process. Even then, it will not be lifted within a cooling-off period of at least 24 hours.

Two limits matter. Gamstop only covers the gambling companies that take part, which means those licensed in Great Britain; sites without a British licence are outside it. And it relies on your details matching, so Gamstop asks you to keep your details up to date if you move or change email address.

Gamstop is run by The National Online Self Exclusion Scheme Limited, based in Harrogate.

How do I block gambling on my bank card?

At most big UK banks, it is a toggle in the card settings of the app, and switching it back on takes 48 to 72 hours.

• Barclays. From the app home screen, tap Your Cards, choose the card, then Card limits and controls, then Gambling. Barclays says you wait 72 hours to gamble again after switching payments back on. The page describes debit cards.
• NatWest. In the app, go to Manage Cards, then Card payment controls, and switch on Gambling. NatWest says it stops gambling transactions by chip and PIN, contactless, Apple Pay, Google Pay and online, with a 48-hour cooling-off before gambling payments work again. It can only be changed in the app, and may not work for offline transactions such as on flights.
• HSBC and first direct. In the app, choose the card, then Manage cards, then Gambling restrictions. HSBC keeps declining gambling transactions for 3 days after the restriction is turned off, and says it cannot guarantee it will identify every gambling transaction.
• Santander. Debit Mastercard holders can block gambling in the Mobile Banking app. Santander keeps blocking gambling transactions for 48 hours after you ask to remove it.
• Starling. A toggle in the Security section of the app. Starling describes it as a block you can switch off, and it shows the National Gambling Helpline number when you try.

We could not load Lloyds Banking Group's page on 11 Sep 2026, so we have not listed its details. If your bank is not here, search its app for gambling, or ask.

Card blocks stop card payments. They do not touch cash, and a bank may not catch every route money can take, so think of the block as one layer.

Does Gamstop cover betting shops and casinos?

No; land-based gambling has its own free schemes, listed by the Gambling Commission.

• Betting shops. Gamstop Betting Shops, on 0800 294 2060, free of charge, lets you self-exclude from betting shops.
• Casinos. SENSE offers self-exclusion from all licensed land-based casinos in Great Britain.
• Bingo. The Bingo Industry Self-Exclusion Scheme covers all licensed land-based bingo premises across Great Britain.
• Arcades. BACTA's scheme covers adult gaming centres, high street arcades, motorway service areas and family entertainment centres. Its advice line is 01482 441 142.

What blocking software works on phones and laptops?

BetBlocker is free and hard to undo; Gamban is paid and is the tool the NHS names.

BetBlocker is a charity registered in Scotland. It says it is free, funded by grants and donations, and works on Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, iOS and Fire OS. You choose a restriction from one day to five years, and it cannot be lifted before the end of the period you chose. For longer restrictions, BetBlocker says the block carries on until you deactivate it, followed by a seven-day cooling-off.

Gamban costs £4.99 a month or £29.99 a year, with a 7-day free trial. The NHS lists it as a way to block gambling websites and apps on your devices. You may be able to get a free licence through the National Gambling Helpline; we could not confirm that on GamCare's own site on 11 Sep 2026, so ask when you call.

Physical boxes are the low-tech backup. A timed box for your card, or for your phone during the hours that are hardest, puts a fixed pause between wanting and doing.

Things to know

• The helpline. The National Gambling Helpline is run by GamCare, free and open 24 hours a day, every day, on 0808 8020 133, with live chat and WhatsApp too. In Wales, the Gambling Commission lists 0808 2819 265.
• NHS gambling services. The NHS runs specialist gambling services across England, and you can refer yourself without seeing a GP first.
• Stack the layers. Gamstop covers British-licensed sites, card blocks cover cards, and software covers the devices it is installed on. Together they close most gaps; alone, each leaves some open.
• Money. If gambling has left bills unpaid, Citizens Advice gives free, confidential help, and MoneyHelper's budget planner is free.
• Checked on 11 Sep 2026. Every period, number and price here comes from each organisation's own page on that date.