Our verdict The single highest-value thirty minutes in early recovery.
What it actually is
GamStop is operated by a not-for-profit body and has been a mandatory condition of holding a Gambling Commission remote licence since 2020. Registering once, with your name, date of birth, email, postcode and mobile number, propagates a block across every licensed operator — including accounts you have forgotten you opened.
What happens when you register
Registration takes a few minutes. You choose a minimum period of six months, one year or five years. Once the period starts it cannot be shortened, cancelled or appealed, which is precisely the point. At the end of the period the exclusion does not lift automatically — you must actively contact GamStop and then wait a further twenty-four hours.
Where it is strongest
Irreversibility and reach. Willpower is a poor defence at eleven o’clock at night; a registry that refuses the transaction is a much better one. Choosing five years costs nothing extra and removes the recurring decision entirely.
Where it is weakest
Its boundary is the GB licence. Offshore websites that accept UK customers without a Gambling Commission licence sit outside the scheme, and land-based venues are not covered at all. Treat GamStop as one of three layers — the other two being device-level blocking software and a gambling block with your bank.
Best for
Everyone who gambles online, from the first session onwards.
What to watch for
GamStop covers GB-licensed operators only. It does not reach unlicensed offshore websites, betting shops, or arcades — so it needs pairing with blocking software and a bank block.