GamCare, GAMSTOP and BetBlocker do three different jobs. GamCare gives free advice, support and counselling through the National Gambling Helpline. GAMSTOP is a national self-exclusion scheme that blocks UK-licensed gambling operators. BetBlocker is free software that blocks gambling sites across your devices, including offshore ones. They work best together.
If gambling is causing you harm, free and confidential help is available now. Call the National Gambling Helpline on 0808 8020 133 or chat to GamCare (gamcare.org.uk). To block gambling sites across your devices, BetBlocker (betblocker.org) is free. To self-exclude from UK-licensed operators in one step, register with GAMSTOP (gamstop.co.uk).
The short version
People often treat these three as alternatives. They are not. Each covers a gap the others leave open. GAMSTOP stops you signing in to UK-licensed sites, but it cannot touch sites that hold no UK licence. BetBlocker blocks gambling sites on your own devices, including offshore ones, but it does not give you a person to talk to. GamCare gives you that person, and the wider support behind them, but it does not block anything by itself. Used together, they cover advice, self-exclusion and device-level blocking at once.
| GamCare | GAMSTOP | BetBlocker | |
|---|---|---|---|
| What it is | A charity that runs the National Gambling Helpline | The national online self-exclusion scheme | Free blocking software run by a charity |
| What it does | Free advice, support and counselling | Blocks UK-licensed operators in one request | Blocks gambling sites and apps on your devices |
| Reaches offshore sites? | Advice covers any situation | No. UK-licensed operators only | Yes. Blocks offshore sites too |
| Needs your details? | Confidential, you choose what to share | Yes, to match you across operators | No. Anonymous, no sign-up |
| Cost | Free | Free | Free |
| How long | Ongoing support | 6 months, 1 year or 5 years | From 24 hours up to 5 years |
GamCare: advice, support and the Helpline
GamCare is a charity. Its best-known service is the National Gambling Helpline, which you can reach free on 0808 8020 133. The Helpline is open 24 hours a day, every day of the year. You can speak to a trained adviser by phone, by live chat or through WhatsApp. The support is confidential, and you choose how much you want to share.
What you get is a person, not a form. Advisers listen, talk through what is happening, and point you towards further help where you want it. That can include free treatment through the National Gambling Treatment Service, which runs face to face, online and by phone across England, Scotland and Wales. GamCare also runs peer support, a forum and group chatrooms, so you are not relying on a single conversation.
What GamCare does not do is block anything. It will not stop a deposit or close an account for you. Think of it as the place you start when you want to understand your options, or when you simply need to tell someone what is going on. For a fuller picture of the help available, see our guide to gambling help and support in the UK.
When GamCare is the right first call
Call GamCare when you are not sure what to do, when the worry is affecting your sleep or your relationships, or when someone you love is gambling and you do not know how to help. You do not need to be in crisis to call. Many people ring simply to think out loud with someone who will not judge them.
GAMSTOP: national self-exclusion from UK-licensed sites
GAMSTOP is the UK’s national online self-exclusion scheme. You register once, for free, and your details are added to a central database. Every operator licensed by the UK Gambling Commission must check that database and refuse to let you log in or open an account for the length of your exclusion. It has been a mandatory condition of every Gambling Commission licence since 31 March 2020.
You choose how long to be excluded: six months, one year, or five years. Once it is active, you cannot shorten it. That is deliberate. Being unable to undo the decision in a weak moment is part of what makes the scheme work. When the period ends, the block stays in place until you take active steps to remove it, with a cooling-off gap built in.
One request covers every UK-licensed online operator at once, which is its real strength. You do not have to exclude site by site. To understand exactly how registration works and what it does and does not cover, read our explainer on what GAMSTOP is and how it works.
What GAMSTOP does not reach
This is the part that catches people out. GAMSTOP only binds operators that hold a UK Gambling Commission licence. It does nothing to block sites that are licensed offshore and not registered with the scheme. If a casino is based outside the UK and chooses not to take UK rules, GAMSTOP cannot stop you reaching it. It also does not cover land-based betting shops or arcades, which run their own separate self-exclusion schemes.
So a person who has registered with GAMSTOP can still, in practice, reach an offshore site. That is exactly the gap BetBlocker is built to close, and it is why the two are often used side by side. If you self-excluded and a UK-licensed operator still let you deposit, that history can matter. Our team can give you a free, confidential read of where you stand through a free eligibility check.
BetBlocker: blocking gambling sites on your devices
BetBlocker is free software run by a registered charity. You install it on a device and it blocks access to gambling websites and apps. Unlike GAMSTOP, it is not limited to UK-licensed operators. It blocks offshore gambling sites too, which is what makes it useful for someone who wants to put a wall between themselves and sites that GAMSTOP cannot reach.
Setup takes a couple of minutes and asks for nothing personal. You do not give a name, an email address or a card. That anonymity matters, because for many people the act of handing over details is itself a barrier to asking for help. You can install it on as many devices as you like, and it runs on Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS, Android and Fire OS.
When you set it up, you choose how long the block lasts. Periods run from as little as 24 hours up to five years. A short block can help you get through a difficult evening. A long one supports a firmer decision to stop. Because you set the duration at the start and cannot simply switch it off on a whim, it adds friction at the exact moment friction helps.
What BetBlocker does not do
BetBlocker blocks sites on the devices you install it on. It is not a register that operators check, so it does not stop a determined person reaching a site on a device that has no blocker, such as a friend’s phone or a new computer. It also offers no advice or counselling. It is a tool, not a conversation. For that reason it works best alongside GamCare and GAMSTOP rather than on its own.
Why they work best together
Each tool has a hole the others fill. GAMSTOP shuts the front door on UK-licensed operators. BetBlocker covers the side door that offshore sites use, across every device you put it on. GamCare gives you the support to keep going when the urge is strong, and the route into treatment if you need it. Run all three and you have advice, a national self-exclusion, and device-level blocking working at the same time.
A practical order looks like this. Register with GAMSTOP first, so every UK-licensed site is closed to you in one step. Install BetBlocker on your phone, your laptop and any other device you use, so offshore sites are blocked too. Then save the Helpline number, 0808 8020 133, somewhere you will see it, so support is one tap away on a hard day. None of this costs anything.
If you have already taken some of these steps and still ended up gambling, that is not a personal failure. It often points to a gap one tool alone could not cover, and sometimes to an operator that should have stopped you and did not. Where a UK-licensed operator let you carry on after you had self-excluded, or allowed losses far beyond what you could afford, you may be able to look at whether funds can be recovered. Our overview of gambling help and support sets out the wider picture, and a free check can tell you honestly whether a recovery route is open to you.
Common questions, answered plainly
Does GAMSTOP block offshore casinos? No. It only reaches operators licensed by the UK Gambling Commission. To block offshore sites, you need BetBlocker on your devices. Is BetBlocker the same as GAMSTOP? No. GAMSTOP is a national register that operators must check. BetBlocker is software on your own devices. They do different jobs and are stronger together. Is any of this expensive? No. GamCare, GAMSTOP and BetBlocker are all free.
If you only do one thing today, call GamCare. A short conversation can help you decide which of these steps fits your situation, and the adviser can talk you through setting up the other two. The point of all three is the same: to put distance between you and gambling, and to make sure you do not have to manage it alone.
If gambling is causing you harm, free and confidential help is available now. Call the National Gambling Helpline on 0808 8020 133 or chat to GamCare (gamcare.org.uk). To block gambling sites across your devices, BetBlocker (betblocker.org) is free.
Sources
- GamCare, National Gambling Helpline service and hours (gamcare.org.uk). Used for the Helpline number, 24/7 availability, contact channels and the support and treatment services described.
- GAMSTOP (gamstop.co.uk) and the Gambling Commission (gamblingcommission.gov.uk). Used for the scheme’s scope, the mandatory licence condition since 31 March 2020, and the exclusion periods.
- BetBlocker (betblocker.org). Used for the charity status, cross-device and offshore blocking, anonymity, supported platforms and block durations.
- National Online Self-Exclusion Scheme Limited, GAMSTOP scheme information. Used to confirm GAMSTOP covers UK-licensed operators only and is funded by the gambling industry while remaining free to register.
General information, not legal advice. Clinton & Co Advisors is a trading name of Ramays TA/Clinton and Co Limited. We are not solicitors or a law firm. We connect clients with regulated legal partners.