Self-exclusion programmes around the world
Self-exclusion is a voluntary ban from gambling for a period you choose, and it cannot normally be cancelled early. Schemes run at operator, national or venue level, with national schemes listed by country below.
How self-exclusion works
Self-exclusion is a voluntary instruction to block gambling access for a chosen period. It is a protective barrier, not a betting system, and it does not change the maths of any game. For the wider set of player-protection tools, start with the responsible gambling guide.
With one operator
At operator level, you ask a gambling company to exclude you. The block normally covers the accounts and products that company controls, such as its website or app, and you usually request it from account settings or customer support.
A single-operator block is quick but narrow. It will not automatically stop you at other licensed companies, at venues run by separate businesses, or at unlicensed sites. For warning signs that suggest a stronger block may be needed, see signs of a gambling problem.
Through a national scheme
Through a national scheme, a registration is checked by the licensed operators that fall within that scheme. This is broader than asking a single site to close an account because covered operators work from the same exclusion record.
The exact coverage depends on law: some schemes cover online gambling, some cover venues, and some split casinos, betting shops and online accounts into separate systems. National schemes are also where minimum periods matter, because early removal is normally blocked by design.
At venues
Venue-level exclusion covers premises rather than only an online account. This can include land-based casinos, betting shops, gaming halls or other licensed premises, depending on country. The venue or scheme may ask for identifying details and a photograph so staff can refuse entry.
Venue exclusions are weaker if you travel to a different jurisdiction or use online accounts that are not covered. They still help because they turn an urge to enter a venue into a point where staff should intervene.
How long it lasts and what the operator must do
Periods vary by scheme. GAMSTOP lists six months, one year, five years or five years with auto-renewal; Spelpaus lists 10 days, 1 month, 3 months, 6 months or until further notice, with the until-further-notice option locked for 12 months; Spillemyndigheden lists ROFUS options of 24 hours, 1, 3 or 6 months, or final exclusion; Kansspelautoriteit says Cruks can run from six months to 99 years. When the minimum period ends, check the scheme rules before trying to return.
Some exclusions end, some continue until a removal request is accepted, and final or lifetime entries are designed to be hard to reverse. The UK Gambling Commission says that, for Great Britain, when a customer self-excludes a gambling business must:
- Close the customer's account.
- Return any money in the account.
- Remove the customer's name and details from marketing databases.
The details depend on the country, the licence and the scheme you used.
Self-exclusion, time-outs and deposit limits
Self-exclusion is a block on access. A time-out is a shorter pause. A deposit limit is not a ban: it caps how much money can be moved into an account, and is covered in more detail in our guide to deposit limits, loss limits and reality checks.
Tool | What it does | Typical length | Can you end it early? |
|---|---|---|---|
Self-exclusion | Blocks gambling access through an operator, national scheme or venue scheme. | Scheme periods can be months, years, indefinite or lifetime; GAMSTOP and Cruks both include six-month options. | No, not during the selected minimum period. |
Time-out | Pauses gambling access for a shorter cooling-off period. | Norsk Tipping examples are 1 day, 7 days, 30 days, 180 days or a chosen end date up to one year. | No, while the chosen pause is active. |
Deposit limit | Caps deposits or losses instead of blocking gambling access. | Day, week or month | Lowering applies at once; raising needs a waiting period |
National self-exclusion schemes by country
The table below lists the national or state-level schemes with regulator-published details. Coverage matters more than the name: an online-only scheme will not necessarily stop venue gambling, and a venue scheme will not necessarily stop online accounts.
No row matches your search.
Country | Scheme | Covers | Minimum period | Run by |
|---|---|---|---|---|
United Kingdom | GAMSTOP; SENSE; Gamstop Betting Shops / MOSES | Licensed gambling websites and apps for UK residents; all licensed, land-based casinos in Great Britain; MOSES is free and covers multiple land-based bookmakers in Great Britain | GAMSTOP is free; GAMSTOP choices are six months, one year, five years or five years with auto-renewal | GAMSTOP; SENSE; Gamstop Betting Shops / MOSES |
Germany | OASIS | Operators must check OASIS to stop excluded people participating | Free; minimum three months | Gemeinsame Glücksspielbehörde der Länder |
Sweden | Spelpaus | Free service covering all gambling companies licensed in Sweden | 10 days; 1, 3 or 6 months; until further notice, locked for 12 months | |
Denmark | ROFUS | Online gambling, physical casinos and betting in physical shops | 24 hours; monthly options of 1, 3 or 6 months; final exclusion | Spillemyndigheden |
Netherlands | Cruks | Gambling stop through Cruks | Minimum six months; selectable from six months to 99 years | |
Spain | RGIAJ | National self-prohibition register | Six months; indefinite until cancelled | Dirección General de Ordenación del Juego |
Italy | Registro Unico Autoesclusi, RUA | All remote gambling concessionaires | 30 days; 60 days; 90 days; indefinite | Agenzia delle Dogane e dei Monopoli |
France | ANJ voluntary gambling interdiction | Casinos or gaming clubs and ANJ-approved online sites | Minimum three years | Autorité Nationale des Jeux |
Slovakia | Register vylúčených osôb | All natural persons excluded from gambling participation | Removal request only after more than six months | Úrad pre reguláciu hazardných hier |
Czechia | Rejstřík vyloučených osob, RVO | Operator account registration route and panic button from 1 July 2024 | Indefinite RVO registration; 48-hour panic button | Ministry of Finance of the Czech Republic |
United States, state level | New Jersey; Pennsylvania | New Jersey: Atlantic City casinos and internet gaming; Pennsylvania: casinos, internet-based gambling, video gaming terminals and fantasy sports wagering | New Jersey removal after selected one-year or five-year period; Pennsylvania iGaming: one year, five years or lifetime | New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement; Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board |
Canada, Ontario | BetGuard | All regulated online gambling in Ontario | – |
Country notes
Use these notes to choose the right route before registering. If the scheme does not cover the type of gambling you use, add the missing venue, operator or payment block separately.
United Kingdom
GAMSTOP says its online scheme is free, covers licensed gambling websites and apps for UK residents, and lets users choose six months, one year, five years or five years with auto-renewal. SENSE covers all licensed, land-based casinos in Great Britain. Gamstop Betting Shops, formerly MOSES, is a free service covering multiple land-based bookmakers in Great Britain.
Germany
Gemeinsame Glücksspielbehörde der Länder says OASIS self-exclusion can be requested free of charge for at least three months. Operators must check OASIS to ensure excluded people do not participate. That makes OASIS an operator-screened register rather than a private note on one account. Do not treat it as a short time-out, because the minimum period is part of the protection.
Sweden, Denmark and the Netherlands
Spelpaus / Swedish Gambling Authority says Spelpaus is free, covers all gambling companies licensed in Sweden, and offers 10 days, 1 month, 3 months, 6 months or until further notice, with the final option locked for 12 months. Spillemyndigheden says ROFUS covers online gambling, physical casinos and betting in physical shops. Kansspelautoriteit says Cruks blocks gambling for at least six months.
Spain, Italy and France
Dirección General de Ordenación del Juego says Spain's national RGIAJ self-prohibition has a six-month minimum active period and is indefinite until cancelled. Agenzia delle Dogane e dei Monopoli says Italy's RUA covers all remote gambling concessionaires, with remote self-exclusion periods of 30, 60 or 90 days, or indefinite. Autorité Nationale des Jeux says French voluntary interdiction has a minimum duration of three years.
Slovakia and Czechia
Úrad pre reguláciu hazardných hier says Slovakia's Register of Excluded Persons records natural persons excluded from gambling participation, and a self-excluded person can ask to be removed only after more than six months. The Ministry of Finance of the Czech Republic says that from 1 July 2024 every operator must allow RVO registration from the user account or offer a 48-hour panic button.
United States
The United States examples here are state programmes, so do not assume one state list applies elsewhere. The New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement says New Jersey self-exclusion began for Atlantic City casinos in 2001 and expanded to internet gaming in 2013. The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board says Pennsylvania programmes cover casinos, internet-based gambling, video gaming terminals and fantasy sports wagering.
Canada
iGaming Ontario says all regulated Ontario igaming operators participate in the centralised BetGuard self-exclusion tool. Treat Ontario as separate from venue schemes or programmes in other provinces. Before registering elsewhere in Canada, use the regulator for the province where the gambling account or venue is licensed, and do not assume Ontario coverage follows you.
Australia and New Zealand
In Australia, BetStop is the national self-exclusion register for online wagering; check its current periods on the BetStop site before registering. The New Zealand Department of Internal Affairs says venue exclusion orders can be issued for up to two years, so New Zealand venue bans should be treated as time-limited orders tied to premises.
Self-excluding step by step
Use this order whether the scheme is online, national or venue-based; for wider practical support, see how to stop gambling.
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Pick the scheme. Choose the level that matches the gambling you need to block: operator account, national online scheme, betting-shop scheme, casino-venue scheme or state register.
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Have your details ready. Use accurate ID, address, email and phone details so operators can match the exclusion to your accounts and prevent duplicate registrations being missed.
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Choose the period. Pick a period you can live with, because minimum periods normally cannot be shortened after confirmation.
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Confirm and keep the confirmation. Save the email, reference number or screenshot. You may need it if an operator later says it cannot find your record.
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Add blocking software and a bank block. These extra barriers can reduce access to sites outside the scheme and make impulsive deposits harder.
What self-exclusion cannot block
Self-exclusion is only as wide as the scheme. A block tied to a licensed national market does not automatically stop unlicensed sites, offshore operators, crypto casinos, social-casino products or gambling accounts in another country.
Venue bans do not automatically block a separate online account unless the same scheme or law connects them. The weak point is the edge of the scheme: that is where a blocked account can become a search for a different route.
Use practical barriers around the exclusion. Blocking software can make gambling sites harder to reach. Bank gambling blocks can stop many card payments to gambling merchants. Ask trusted people to remove saved payment details if that is safe for you.
These tools do not replace treatment or support, but they reduce frictionless access. If you want a structured plan, the guide to gambling self-assessment can help you organise what to discuss with a support service.
If a casino lets you play while excluded
If a licensed operator lets you play while the relevant exclusion should have blocked you, treat it as a complaint about a failed control.
The UK Gambling Commission requires British operators to close the account, return money in the account and remove marketing details after self-exclusion; the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement requires an internet gaming operator to refund any remaining account balance for a self-excluded internet patron. Keep your complaint factual.
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Complain to the operator in writing. Include the account details, exclusion confirmation, dates, screenshots and transaction records.
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Take it to the regulator if the operator does not resolve it or if the failure suggests the exclusion system was not checked.
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Use a dispute-resolution route only where your regulator, licence rules or scheme directs you to one for that type of complaint.
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Ask about return of the remaining balance and about any refund review where the rules allow it.
Where to get help
For support options by country, use our gambling helplines and support services by country. If gambling feels hard to control, self-exclusion can be part of a wider plan, not a test of willpower.
Frequently asked questions
Can I cancel self-exclusion early?
Usually no. Most schemes lock the chosen minimum period, and removal, where allowed, starts with a self-exclusion removal request after that period. The New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement allows removal requests only after the selected one-year or five-year minimum, and URHH in Slovakia says removal can be requested only after more than six months.
Does GAMSTOP cover all online casinos?
No. GAMSTOP says it covers licensed gambling websites and apps for UK residents. It does not cover gambling sites outside that UK-licensed scheme, so add blocking software and payment blocks if you are worried about looking elsewhere.
Does self-exclusion work across countries?
Usually no. National schemes follow their own licensing systems: Spelpaus covers companies licensed in Sweden, while Spillemyndigheden says ROFUS covers online gambling, physical casinos and betting in physical shops in Denmark. Treat each country as a separate check unless the regulator clearly says otherwise.
What happens to my balance when I self-exclude?
In Great Britain, the UK Gambling Commission says the gambling business must return any money in the account after self-exclusion. In New Jersey, the Division of Gaming Enforcement says an internet gaming operator must refund the remaining account balance for a self-excluded internet patron. That is different from a guaranteed refund of all past deposits.