Gambling Blockers: Gamban, BetBlocker and Bank Blocks

Gambling blockers make gambling harder to reach at moments when your resolve is lowest. Blocking software stops gambling websites and apps on your devices, self-exclusion registers ask licensed operators to shut you out, bank blocks stop card payments to gambling companies, and phone settings can stop app downloads and purchases. None of them is airtight. Used together, and alongside support, they give urges time to pass. For help beyond tools, see How to Stop Gambling: Practical, Evidence-Based Steps.

What blockers do

Blocking software

BetBlocker

BetBlocker says it is free ("Absolutely nothing. Ever.") and has no ads. It is run by a non-profit registered in the US, and it lists iOS among its supported platforms. You choose how long a restriction lasts, from 1 day to 5 years, or schedule when it switches on. The site is open about the limits:

• You can extend a restriction but you cannot shorten it or remove sites once it is active.
• Support will not turn off an active restriction for you.
• Its list of gambling information and advertising sites is long but not complete, and it does not block by keyword.
• Some versions use a VPN setting, which can affect other things on your device.
• When a restriction period ends and you choose to turn it off, it stays in place for one more week (a cooling-off week) before it lifts.

Gamban

Gamban offers a 7-day free trial, according to its site, and it says it blocks tens of thousands of gambling websites and apps worldwide. Check its pricing page for the paid plans and which devices a licence covers. GAMSTOP says Gamban and BetBlocker are both free for UK residents. If you are not in the UK, check Gamban's pricing page.

Other tools

GAMSTOP also lists social media controls (muting or blocking gambling accounts and reducing gambling posts and ads), ad blockers, and deleting gambling apps and unsubscribing from gambling emails.

Self-exclusion registers

In the UK, GAMSTOP is a free register for online gambling. If you live in the UK (Great Britain or Northern Ireland) you can register for 6 months, 1 year, 5 years or 5 years with auto-renewal. The block applies to online gambling companies licensed in Great Britain, and it can take up to 24 hours to start. GAMSTOP also runs a separate service for betting shops, and other schemes block land-based casinos, arcades and bingo premises. Other countries have their own programmes. See Gambling Self-Exclusion: How It Works and How to Sign Up for how they work and what they do not cover.

Bank blocks

The NHS suggests asking your bank to block payments to gambling sites and apps. Whether, how and how quickly this is possible depends on your bank. Ask what they offer, for example gambling merchant blocks or spending limits. Be aware that a block does not stop you from using a different card or account, so many people also hand control of cards to a trusted person for a time.

iPhone steps

Apple's Screen Time settings can help. The menu names can differ between iOS versions, so check Apple's own support pages if yours looks different.

1. Turn on Screen Time in Settings and set a Screen Time passcode. The passcode only works as a barrier if someone you trust sets it and keeps it, rather than you.
2. In Content & Privacy Restrictions, look under the iTunes & App Store Purchases options. You can set installing apps, deleting apps and in-app purchases to not allowed. Apple's own page describes this under App Store settings and restrictions. On newer versions, Apple's purchase-blocking page puts In-app Purchases under Screen Time, Apps & Websites, App Store.
3. In the same area, Web Content lets you limit adult websites and add specific sites you never want to open.
4. Remove saved cards from your Apple ID payment methods, from Safari autofill and from wallet and app settings.
5. Delete gambling apps, and delete casino-style apps that use virtual coins if you find they trigger urges. Turn off notifications from any app you keep.
6. Use App Limits if you want a time cap on categories such as games.

We have not tested every step on every iOS version. If something does not match what you see, use Apple Support's search with the words "Screen Time" and "in-app purchases".

Limits of blockers

• A determined person can often find a way round a block, which is why blockers are best set up while you are calm and with a passcode held by someone else.
• Blockers cover known sites and apps. New sites appear, and offshore or unlicensed sites may not be covered.
• Self-exclusion registers cover only participating, licensed operators, and may not cover social casino or free-to-play apps, which are not licensed gambling. Check the register's own scope.
• Blockers do not remove the urge. They give you time. See Gambling Urges: How to Cope Until They Pass.

Combine with support

Blocking works best as one part of a plan: a helpline or counsellor, a trusted person who knows, a money plan (see Gambling and Debt: Where to Get Money Help) and a way to handle urges. If you take only one step today, make it a call or chat with someone. See Gambling Helplines by Country (Checked Oct 2026).