Casino Self-Exclusion: National Schemes, Apps and Bank Blocks

Casino self-exclusion lets you block yourself from gambling for a set period, either at one casino or across every licensed operator in your country through a national scheme such as GamStop in Great Britain, Spelpaus in Sweden, CRUKS in the Netherlands, OASIS in Germany or BetStop in Australia. National schemes only bind operators licensed in that country, so offshore casinos ignore them; blocking software and bank gambling blocks close that gap.

The strongest protection uses three layers at once: the national register, a blocking app on every device, and a gambling block on your bank card. This page explains each layer, how long exclusions last, and why one layer alone often fails. If you want to talk to someone first, our responsible gambling page lists free helplines.

Which national self-exclusion schemes exist?

Most regulated markets now run one central register that every licensed operator must check. Registering is free and usually takes a few minutes online. Once registered, licensed operators must refuse your account and stop marketing to you for the whole period. The table compares the five schemes readers ask about most.

Swedish players can see how widely Spelpaus is used: 134,484 people were registered on 31 December 2025, according to Spelinspektionen’s annual report. The register only works where the operator holds a Swedish licence, which is why Spelinspektionen’s bans on unlicensed operators matter, as our blocked casinos page shows.

Why do offshore casinos ignore national schemes?

Because the schemes are licence conditions, not laws that reach every website. A casino licensed in Curaçao or Anjouan has no access to GamStop or Spelpaus data and no duty under those countries’ rules to check it. Some offshore casinos advertise “not on GamStop” as a feature, which tells you they target excluded players.

That is the main reason to add other layers. If you register with a national scheme and still find yourself on offshore sites, it is not a failure of willpower: the scheme was never built to cover them. Blocking software and bank blocks work at the device and payment level, so they catch offshore sites too.

How does casino-level self-exclusion work?

Every licensed casino, and most offshore ones, offers its own tools in the account settings: deposit limits, loss limits, session reminders, time-outs and self-exclusion. A self-exclusion at one casino closes that account for the chosen period. It does not stop you opening an account at a sister brand unless the operator links them, so ask support whether the exclusion covers all its brands.

• Deposit limits: set daily, weekly and monthly caps; increases usually take effect only after a waiting period at licensed sites.
• Time-outs: short breaks from 24 hours to several weeks.
• Self-exclusion: months or years; licensed operators must not reopen the account early.
• Reality checks: pop-ups showing time and money spent.

Ask for confirmation of any exclusion in writing and keep it. If the casino lets you back in during the period, or keeps sending you offers, that is a breach you can report to its regulator, and a strong point in any later complaint; see how to complain about a casino.

Which blocking apps work?

Blocking software stops gambling websites and apps from loading on your devices, including offshore casinos that ignore national schemes. BetBlocker is free and run as a charity; Gamban is a paid subscription. Both block thousands of gambling domains and update their lists. Install the blocker on every phone, tablet and computer you use, and choose a block period you cannot cancel early.

How do bank gambling blocks help?

A bank gambling block stops your card from paying merchants coded as gambling, which covers casinos regardless of where they are licensed. Many banks let you switch it on in the app, and some make you wait before switching it off again; see also our rogue casino checklist. It is the single layer offshore casinos find hardest to get round, because card payments must carry a merchant code.

Blocks have gaps. Crypto bought on an exchange and sent to a casino does not pass through the gambling code, and some casinos route payments through processors with other codes. If you use a block, consider asking your exchange to restrict transfers too, or avoid holding crypto while you take a break. Our chargebacks and crypto guide explains why crypto deposits are hard to reverse.

How do you build a plan that holds?

A plan that holds combines tools that cover each other’s gaps and makes the first step back to gambling slow. Register with the national scheme where you live, install a blocker on every device, switch on the bank block, and close or exclude any offshore accounts you already have. Then tell one person you trust what you have done, and agree what they should do if you ask them to help you undo it.

Leaving existing offshore accounts open is the most common gap. Log in once, request a self-exclusion or closure in writing, withdraw any balance, and keep the confirmation. Old bonus emails from those casinos are easy to unsubscribe from; marking them as spam also helps your email filter learn.

What should you do if self-exclusion fails?

Tell the operator and, if it is licensed, its regulator: an excluded player who can still open an account or receive offers is a licence breach. Keep screenshots and dates. Then add the layers you are missing, and talk to a helpline. A failed exclusion is common and fixable; the point is to make gambling harder to reach, not to rely on any single tool.

1. Screenshot the account or marketing message and note the date.
2. Email the operator, say you are self-excluded, and ask it to close the account and refund deposits made during the exclusion where its rules allow.
3. Report a licensed operator to its regulator; national schemes also take reports.
4. Install a blocking app and switch on your bank’s gambling block.
5. Contact a free helpline; see our responsible gambling page.

Some offshore casinos on our casinos to avoid list reappear under new domains after closing or being blocked. Blocking apps that update their lists daily catch most of these mirrors, which is one more reason to use them alongside national schemes.

Frequently asked questions