Self-Exclusion Schemes and Safer Gambling: What the Science Says

20 October 2026

Multi-operator self-exclusion schemes are an increasingly important tool in efforts to promote safer gambling. But while evaluation studies show positive short-term impacts for individual users, awareness and uptake gaps mean that many at-risk gamblers are not yet benefiting. "Intuitively, the potential is clear," said Gambling Commission CEO Andrew Rhodes. "But the reality today is that self-exclusion alone won’t solve the problem, because not enough at-risk people are using it."

What are the schemes?

Multi-operator self-exclusion lets a person make one request to exclude themselves from several gambling outlets. The main UK schemes are GAMSTOP (online gambling), SENSE (casinos), BISES (bingo), and BACTA SmartEXCLUSION (arcade gambling centres). The minimum exclusion period is six months.

What works, in the short term

The Gambling Commission’s 2021 evaluation of the multi-operator schemes found encouraging results. "We conclude that multi-operator self-exclusion is generally effective in implementing self-exclusion, although impacts are short-term," the report concludes. In a 2022 study, 3,203 gamblers who had self-excluded from one online casino showed that those who excluded themselves for longer (over 90 days) did not relapse, while most who picked shorter exclusions (up to 38 days) did return after the break was over.

Self-exclusion also works when used alongside other tools. GAMSTOP encourages users to combine their self-exclusion with behavioural blocking software, and many UK gambling operators let customers block their accounts to specific card issuers or for short periods (often called break periods or "time-outs"). Statistics on take-up are patchy, but in 2022 less than 12% of UK gamblers reported using any financial limits or time-outs.

Awareness and uptake are low

"But there’s a tension," said Northumbria University gambling researcher Jason Land. "The impact studies are based on people who did self-exclude, but in the broader population, awareness and use is much, much lower. A 2023 study found that only 39% of at-risk gamblers reported any kind of restriction at all." This problem is not limited to self-exclusion. The 2022 Gambling Commission audit of behavioral protection tools reported that uptake in online gambling was low, with financial limits and time-outs each used by only 11% of online gamblers.

Enforcement gaps allow breaches

After signing up for self-exclusion, a user is supposed to be refused entry to the premise or blocked from their account. But evidence suggests compliance may still be inconsistent or inadequate. An undercover 2023 BBC investigation found that 9 out of 14 Adult Gaming Centres in Portsmouth did not identify an undercover gambler they should have excluded, sparking a Gambling Commission probe. This was not an isolated incident: a 2022 Gambling Commission evaluation found inconsistent staff training at gambling venues and a lack of tools to identify breaches, especially for non-card-based gambling.

What researchers recommend, and the policy dilemma

A 2023 study of over 500 European gamblers found that 33% expressed a general interest in self-exclusion, but barriers to use included the emotional stress of stopping gambling, the perceived need to access money, and what they saw as too few exclusion options. This suggests a need to "reinforce the message that using self-exclusion will necessitate a change of lifestyle, and to reassure users that support will be available," the authors wrote.

More controversially, some researchers advocate expanding Gamstop to US markets. Academics at the University of California, San Francisco, recently argued that greater sharing of data across international borders is needed to identify problematic gambling habits and track vulnerable users. Lisa Kraft, a spokesperson for GAMSTOP, was skeptical. "There are lots of very strong concerns about releasing gambling data overseas," she said. "Broadly speaking, GAMSTOP is designed to protect the public, and we take data privacy very seriously."