Self-Exclusion (Gambling)
A scheme that allows a person to voluntarily ban themselves from gambling for a set period. GAMSTOP is the national online self-exclusion scheme; multi-operator schemes cover land-based venues. Operators are legally required to participate.
Independent editorial summary — not the official statute text. Read the official version on legislation.gov.uk.
GAMSTOP is the UK's multi-operator online self-exclusion scheme, allowing a person to register once to be excluded from gambling with participating online operators rather than having to exclude themselves separately from each individual site. It has been cited by government as an example of the benefits of sector-wide protections that use available technology to protect a person as a whole, not just their account with one operator.
Because people who gamble online commonly hold accounts with several different operators, individual operators' own efforts to intervene and prevent harm can be undermined if a person experiencing a gambling problem can simply switch to another platform — which is the rationale for a shared, multi-operator self-exclusion scheme rather than one confined to a single operator.
Related terms
Official sources
This explanation is drawn from the official sources below; every substantive statement is verified against them. For advice on a specific matter, see our find help page.