Guides

Gambling blocker apps compared

There is no single best tool. The right one depends on which devices you bet on and whether you want blocking, a pause, or both. Prices change, so check each site before you decide.

Tool Cost What it does
BetBlocker Free, run by a charity Blocks gambling sites and apps on your devices for a period you set.
Gamban Paid, with a free trial at times Blocks gambling sites and apps across devices, with support and progress tracking.
GamBlock Paid Blocks gambling sites and apps, with managed exclusion for some plans.
DNS filters (for example NextDNS) Free tier, paid plans Filter whole categories of sites, including gambling, for every app on a phone or network.
Screen Time and Digital Wellbeing Free Restrict sites and apps on a single phone.
Hold The Bet Free, no account A 30 second pause card with your own number and reason, one tap text to a person, and a guide to blocking betting sites on your phone.
GAMSTOP and BetStop Free National self exclusion registers for licensed operators in the UK and Australia.

What to use when

  • You bet from your phone only: the built in controls plus a DNS filter, or BetBlocker.
  • You bet on a phone and a computer: a blocker that covers both, such as BetBlocker or Gamban.
  • You block everything and still reach for it: add a pause and a person. This is the gap blockers leave, and it is what a card with your own number and reason is for.
  • You live in the UK or Australia: register with GAMSTOP or BetStop on top of any app.

What none of them can do alone

A blocker stops a site loading. It does not stop you texting a bookmaker, using a friend's phone, or reaching for the next bet an hour later. Pair a blocker with something that works at the moment of the urge.

Free. No account. Takes two questions.

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