Self exclusion, by country and state
Self exclusion asks betting companies to close your accounts and refuse new ones for a set time. In the UK it is GamStop, in Australia BetStop, and in the US it is mostly state by state, plus each sportsbook's own form. It does not cover everything, such as some apps and offshore sites, so pair it with a phone block.
If tonight is hard: call or text 988 (US/Canada) or 1-800-MY-RESET (US), 24/7. If you are in danger, call your local emergency number.
Guides on this topic
- How to self exclude from every sportsbook, in one nightThe fastest way to lock yourself out of every betting app and site you use, with the self exclusion page for each book and what to do while you wait.
- How to join your state's self exclusion list for bettingMany states with legal sports betting run their own self exclusion list for licensed books. Where to find yours, what it covers, and what it does not.
- GamStop in the UK: what self exclusion covers and missesHow GamStop works, how long you can exclude for, which gambling sites it covers, and what to do about the ones it does not, written for anyone in the UK.
- BetStop in Australia: what self exclusion covers and missesHow BetStop, Australia's national self exclusion register, works, what it covers, what it leaves out such as pokies venues, and what to do about the gaps.
- Does self exclusion cover prediction market apps?State self exclusion lists are built for licensed sportsbooks and casinos. What that means for prediction market apps, and what to do about it tonight.
- Self exclusion or a blocker app: which should you do first?Self exclusion closes your accounts. A blocker stops the sites loading. What each one does, and a simple order if you are setting both up tonight.
- Gambling helplines by country, verifiedThe real gambling helpline numbers for the US, Canada, the UK, Australia and everywhere else, each one checked, plus what happens when you call.
- Text a gambling helpline instead of callingText a gambling helpline instead of calling. Several gambling and crisis lines take texts: which ones, what to send, and what to expect.
- Fantasy sports and prediction market bets: the same urgeDaily fantasy, prop apps and event contracts can feel different from a sportsbook, but the pull and the plan are the same.
- Prediction market apps feel like investing. Is it betting?Contracts, positions, green and red lines. If a prediction app has the same pull as a sportsbook, how to tell, and what to do about it tonight.
- Betting on elections and events from your phone: a planElections, awards, headlines and big games can all be turned into a Yes or No bet. A plan for the urge when the news itself becomes the bet.
- How to stop gambling without paying for itHow to stop gambling without paying: the free blockers, self exclusion registers, helplines and apps, and how to set them up tonight.
Questions
- Is there one self exclusion list for every sportsbook in the US?
- Not yet. Most states run their own list, and each sportsbook also has its own form. The guides below show the order to do them in, in one night.
- Does self exclusion cover prediction market apps?
- Often not, because many are regulated differently. Check the app's own limits page and add a phone block for those apps.
- Is self exclusion free?
- Yes. GamStop, BetStop, state lists and sportsbook forms cost nothing to join.
Hold The Bet opens a pause before the bet: your own reason, a 30 second breath, one tap to text someone. Free, no account.
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