What is Self-exclusion?
Self-exclusion is a voluntary arrangement in which a person asks to be barred from gambling with an operator, or across a whole market, for a set period.
During the exclusion, operators must close or block the person's account, refuse new accounts and stop sending marketing. Under UK rules, operators must offer self-exclusion for a minimum of six months, and an exclusion stays in place after the chosen period ends until the customer takes positive action to return.
National schemes extend exclusion across all licensed operators at once. Examples include GamStop for online gambling in Great Britain, Cruks in the Netherlands and Spelpaus in Sweden. Land-based schemes also exist, such as multi-operator self-exclusion schemes for betting shops and casinos.
Self-exclusion is distinct from a short time-out, which pauses gambling for a period of days or weeks. Evidence suggests self-exclusion helps many users, although breaches occur when people turn to unlicensed sites.
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