Gamstop, a tool for people to use to stay away from online gambling, is said to have reached record numbers. Each year, the number of people banning themselves from gambling online is increasing, and 2023 brought in a 9.5% increase from 2022.
The Rise in Numbers
In 2003, Gamstop hit a record number of 92,000 signing up. This year brought a total number of over 433,000. The main group of people to register were young adults ranging between the ages of 16 and 24. Most people have chosen the 5-year ban from the different options of 6 months or 1 year. These numbers show that self-exclusion from gambling plays a significant role in controlling gambling habits and allowing individuals to seek further help.
Comments from Gamstop CEO
CEO Fiona Plamer had this to say: “We are continuing to see a year-on-year increase in the number of registrants, which shows the importance of self-exclusion for anyone struggling with their gambling, alongside other blocking tools and support. We want to continue raising awareness of Gamstop to anyone who might benefit from the self-exclusion and to the friends and families of anyone affected by gambling.”
“The prevalence of young adults among Gamstop’s registrants shows the importance of educating younger consumers, and we will continue our outreach to this age group in 2024, working collaboratively with like-minded organisations and harnessing the support of our football club partners.”
Who uses Gamstop
Gamstop has said that all ages groups use the scheme, while 40% of users are between the ages of 25 and 34. Since Gamstop was launched, variations in data have been evident. The highest number of registrations have generally been in the Winter months of the year. On the 1 July 2022 saw more than 371 people signing up, this is the highest number on a single day.
About Gamstop
Gamstop is a free self-exclusion service that you can set up to exclude yourself from online gambling. When you sign up with Gamstop, the service will prevent you from accessing all gambling websites and apps licensed to run online gambling services in Great Britain. You should always practice responsible gambling; it should be done for fun and entertainment. Gambling has taken over the lives of many people. If you feel you may be developing a problem, reach out for help or use self-exclusion tools such as what Gamstop provides.
Registration Process for Self-exclusion
You need to register with Gamstop to be able to self-exclude yourself. The registration process is simple, and you will need to provide some information, this will include:
- Your full name
- Date of birth
- All mobile numbers you used to register with gambling operators.
- Your primary email address and the email addresses you used to register with gambling operators.
- Your residential address and any address you used to register with operators.
You will need to decide on a timeframe you wish to be self-excluded from, this will be 6 months, 1 year or 5 years. Your details will then be verified. The time in which your self-exclusion takes effect will depend on the gambling operator’s system, which is out of Gamstop’s control.