Summary
- In early 2025, the number of registrations for GAMSTOP continues to rise significantly.
- The self-exclusion program has made significant progress with young people.
- The program has undergone several significant changes in recent months.
Registrations for GAMSTOP, the national self-exclusion program in the United Kingdom, are continually reaching new records throughout 2025, with numbers rising exponentially each month.
GAMSTOP sees a huge increase in young gamblers’ registrations
GAMSTOP reported that most new registrations were from individuals aged 16-24, with self-exclusions in this age group rising 44% compared to the previous year. This increase was observed in the first half of 2025 alone. The program shared additional details about these self-exclusions, noting that four in ten individuals opted to exclude themselves for a minimum of six months. In total, around 600,000 people in the United Kingdom have used the service to self-exclude from gambling, a group GAMSTOP identifies as vulnerable consumers. In April 2025, 10,281 individuals registered with the program, the first time it has surpassed 10,000 registrations in a single month, highlighting growing awareness and usage. Fiona Palmer, CEO of GAMSTOP, commented on the recent data, stating, Our findings show a notable rise in younger individuals using GAMSTOP to manage their gambling habits, contributing to record registration numbers in 2025. Many are opting for six-month exclusions, indicating that GAMSTOP serves as a resource for taking a break from gambling. Palmer acknowledged that some of the growth in young consumers' registrations results from GAMSTOP's targeted efforts to engage this demographic and offer self-exclusion opportunities. She emphasized that GAMSTOP should be used in conjunction with other measures to combat gambling-related harm.
Despite progress, issues continue to persist
GAMSTOP has introduced a new five-year self-exclusion option that includes an auto-renewal feature, requiring individuals who opt for self-exclusion to remove themselves from the list once the period ends. This initiative is celebrated as a more effective and reliable way to prevent gambling-related harm compared to allowing exclusion periods to lapse. While GAMSTOP has been intensifying its efforts, some offshore websites have targeted GAMSTOP-registered individuals through websites not on GAMSTOP search engine optimization strategies. Nevertheless, the self-exclusion program has successfully reached a growing number of people and has made significant strides among young people, who are at the highest risk of developing addictive behaviors or suffering from gambling-related issues.
