Gambling blocking software
Gambling blocking software is an app or setting that stops gambling websites and apps from opening on your devices. Installed on your phone, tablet and computer, it puts a wall between an urge and a bet, and it covers sites that other tools such as GAMSTOP can’t reach.
By the BonusKing editorial team. Last checked .
Key takeaways
- Blocking software filters gambling websites and apps on the devices where it’s installed, including sites outside the GAMSTOP scheme.
- Dedicated apps such as Gamban are designed to be hard to remove; built-in phone and router filters are weaker but free.
- Halifax and Lloyds customers can get Gamban through their bank, according to the Gambling Commission’s list.
- Software protects devices, not money, so pair it with a bank gambling block and GAMSTOP.
- What it blocks
- Gambling websites and apps on the device
- Where it works
- Only on devices where it’s installed
- Gamban via your bank
- Offered through Halifax and Lloyds
- Best paired with
- GAMSTOP and a bank gambling block
- Free helpline
- 0808 8020 133, 24/7
What gambling blocking software does
Most online gambling happens on a phone, often late at night and often within seconds of an urge. Gambling blocking software works at that exact point. When you, or an app on your device, try to reach a gambling website, the software spots it and stops the page or app from loading. Instead of a casino lobby you see an error or a message explaining that the site is blocked.
It’s different from the other main barriers. A bank gambling block stops card payments. GAMSTOP stops operators licensed in Great Britain from letting you gamble with them. Blocking software doesn’t care who licenses a site or how you’d pay. If it’s on the block list, it doesn’t open on that device.
That last point matters more than it might seem. Unlicensed offshore sites sit outside GAMSTOP and offer none of the protections of UK regulation, and some people find them exactly when they’re trying hardest to stop. A good blocker catches those too, as long as the site is on its list.
How gambling blocking software works
Products differ in detail, but most rely on one or more of these methods. You don’t need to understand them to use a blocker, though knowing them helps you pick one that suits your devices.
- Block lists. The software keeps a list of gambling domains and checks every web address against it. The quality of the list decides how much gets through, so a maintained list matters more than any other feature.
- Filtering at the network level. Some tools route your internet traffic through a filter on the device, so the block works in every browser and every app, not just one.
- App blocking. On phones, a blocker can stop gambling apps from opening, or stop them being installed from the app store.
- Tamper protection. Better tools make uninstalling deliberately awkward, for example by needing a waiting period or a password held by someone else.
No blocker catches every site the moment it launches. New domains appear constantly, which is why combining software with other barriers works better than relying on one.
Types of gambling blocking tools compared
There are broadly four kinds of tool. Dedicated apps do the most work for you; built-in settings cost nothing but are easier to switch off.
| Type | What it covers | Cost | How easy to undo |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dedicated gambling blocker (such as Gamban) | Gambling sites and apps on each device where it’s installed | Check the provider; may be available through your bank | Designed to be hard to remove |
| Phone screen-time or content settings | Websites and apps on that phone, using lists you set | Free, built into the phone | Easy unless someone else holds the passcode |
| Home router or broadband filter | Every device on your home Wi-Fi | Often free with your broadband | Doesn’t apply on mobile data or other Wi-Fi |
| Browser extension | One browser on one device | Varies | Very easy: switch browsers and it’s gone |
If you can only do one thing, a dedicated gambling blocker on your phone usually gives the best protection for the effort. Router filters are a useful extra at home, especially in a household where more than one person wants help, but they stop working the moment a phone switches to mobile data.
Gamban and getting blocking software through your bank
Gamban is one of the best-known dedicated tools. It describes itself as software that helps you quit online gambling by blocking access on your devices; details of current pricing and supported devices are on Gamban’s own website (opens in a new tab). We haven’t listed a price because it can change.
Some people can get it without paying directly. The Gambling Commission’s page on blocking gambling transactions (opens in a new tab) lists Halifax and Lloyds as offering access to Gamban licences. If you bank with either, look in the bank’s gambling support pages or ask its support team. The free National Gambling Helpline, run by GamCare on 0808 8020 133, can also talk through blocking options with you.
How to set up gambling blocking software
The job is only finished when every device you could gamble on is covered. Work through this list in one sitting if you can, because a half-protected setup is easy to slip past.
- List every device you use: phone, tablet, laptop, work computer, games console with a browser, and any old phone in a drawer.
- Choose a blocker that supports those devices, and install it on each one. Follow the provider’s set-up guide exactly, especially any step that asks for extra phone permissions.
- Test it by trying to open a gambling site you know. You should see a block message rather than the site.
- Delete any gambling apps already installed, and sign out of saved gambling accounts in your browser.
- Turn on your phone’s app-store restrictions so gambling apps can’t be reinstalled.
- If you can, ask someone you trust to set and keep any password or passcode the blocker uses.
- Add a router filter at home as a second layer, and register with GAMSTOP as a third.
Making gambling blocking software harder to undo
Any software can be removed by someone determined enough. The aim isn’t to make that impossible, it’s to make it slow and awkward enough that the urge passes first. A few habits make a big difference.
- Let someone else hold the password for screen-time settings, so changing them means asking.
- Choose the strictest uninstall setting the product offers, even if it feels over the top today.
- Avoid installing VPN apps you don’t need, since they can sometimes route around filters.
- Write down why you set the blocker up and keep it somewhere you’ll see it if you’re tempted to remove it.
- If you catch yourself searching for ways round your blocker, treat that as a cue to call the helpline rather than a puzzle to solve.
If removing blockers has become a pattern, it can help to look at the bigger picture. Our page on chasing losses explains why the urge to win back money is so strong, and gambling and mental health covers how stress and low mood feed into it.
What gambling blocking software can’t do
Blocking software protects devices. It doesn’t protect money or places. Being clear about that helps you fill the gaps.
| Gap | Why the software misses it | What covers it |
|---|---|---|
| Devices without the blocker | Software only works where it’s installed | Install on every device; a router filter at home |
| Betting shops, arcades and casinos | Land-based gambling doesn’t use your device | Land-based self-exclusion schemes, which are separate from GAMSTOP |
| Sending money to someone else to gamble | No gambling site is visited on your device | A bank block plus honest support from someone you trust |
| Card payments on another person’s device | The block isn’t on their device | A bank gambling block on your cards |
| Brand-new gambling domains | Not yet on the block list | GAMSTOP for licensed sites; keep the blocker updated |
Seen this way, blocking software is one strong layer among several. People who use it alongside self-exclusion and a payment block close almost every easy route at once.
Blocking software, GAMSTOP and bank blocks together
GAMSTOP is the free national self-exclusion scheme for gambling websites and apps licensed in Great Britain. You choose 6 months to 5 years, it can’t be cancelled early, and it stays in place after the period ends until you ask for it to be removed. All online operators have had to take part since 31 March 2020. Its own site at gamstop.co.uk (opens in a new tab) explains registration.
GAMSTOP stops licensed operators letting you in. Blocking software stops sites loading at all, including unlicensed ones. A bank block stops your card paying any of them. Each one covers a gap in the others, which is why support services commonly suggest all three.
Operators also offer account tools such as deposit limits, reality checks and time-outs. These are good for keeping play in check, but they apply to one account at a time, so they’re not a substitute for wider blocking if you want to stop.
Blocking gambling on family and shared devices
If you’re worried about someone else, you can’t install software on an adult’s own phone without them, and trying to do it secretly tends to damage trust. You can, however, add a filter to your home broadband, which covers shared devices on your Wi-Fi, and you can offer to help them set up a blocker on their own phone.
For children and teenagers, parental controls and router filters are sensible regardless of any worries, because gambling is for adults only and age verification is required before anyone can deposit or gamble. Our page on gambling and young people has more on spotting early signs and talking about it.
Next steps once your blocking software is in place
A blocker is a tool, not a cure. It gives you space; what you do with that space is where change happens. Many people find it helpful to talk to someone at the same time as setting up barriers.
- Check the blocker is working on every device by testing a known gambling site.
- Register with GAMSTOP and switch on your bank’s gambling block.
- Speak to the National Gambling Helpline on 0808 8020 133, or use its live chat or WhatsApp.
- If you want treatment, look at NHS gambling clinics, which take self-referrals in England.
- Revisit your settings every few months, and add any new device straight away.
Our guide to gambling support UK lists the free services in one place, and the safer gambling hub links every tool on this site.
18+. Every casino game has a built-in house edge, so over time you should expect to lose what you stake. Set a budget before you play and stop when it’s gone: safer gambling tools and support. Free, confidential help: National Gambling Helpline 0808 8020 133.
Frequently asked questions
Is gambling blocking software free?
Some options are free and some are paid. Built-in phone screen-time settings and many broadband filters cost nothing. Dedicated tools such as Gamban set their own pricing, which can change, so check the provider’s website. Halifax and Lloyds are listed by the Gambling Commission as offering Gamban licences to customers, which may mean you can get it through your bank. The guide to bank gambling blocks explains the other free tools banks offer.
Does gambling blocking software block sites that aren’t on GAMSTOP?
Yes, that’s one of its main strengths. GAMSTOP only covers operators licensed in Great Britain, while blocking software works from its own list of gambling domains, so it can stop offshore sites too, provided they’re on the list. Unlicensed sites offer none of the protections UK players rely on, so it’s worth blocking them. See our guide to checking a casino licence for why licensing matters.
Can I uninstall gambling blocking software if I change my mind?
It depends on the product, and better blockers deliberately make removal slow. Some use waiting periods or need a password, which gives an urge time to fade. Built-in phone settings are easier to change unless someone else holds the passcode. If you want a barrier that truly can’t be reversed for a set time, add GAMSTOP self-exclusion, which can’t be cancelled early once it starts.
Does blocking software work on mobile data as well as Wi-Fi?
Software installed on the device works on any connection, including mobile data, because it filters traffic on the phone itself. A router or broadband filter is different: it only covers devices connected to your home Wi-Fi and stops working when the phone switches to mobile data or another network. That’s why a blocker on the phone matters most. Our safer gambling checklist lists the layers worth combining.
Will blocking software stop me gambling in betting shops?
No, blocking software only affects the devices where it’s installed, so it has no effect on betting shops, arcades or land-based casinos. GAMSTOP is online only too. Land-based gambling has its own self-exclusion schemes, which are separate. If you also gamble in person, it can help to ask a support service about local options. Read how to self-exclude for the different routes.
Can I put gambling blocking software on my partner’s phone?
Not without their agreement, and doing it secretly usually backfires. An adult’s phone is theirs to control. What you can do is talk openly, offer to help them install a blocker, and add a filter to your home broadband to cover shared devices. Our guide on talking to someone about gambling has practical ways to start that conversation without it turning into an argument.
Is blocking software enough on its own to stop gambling?
For some people it helps a great deal, but most do better combining it with other barriers and support. Software protects devices, not money, so a bank gambling block covers card payments, and GAMSTOP covers licensed sites. Talking to the National Gambling Helpline or an NHS clinic addresses the reasons behind gambling. Our gambling support UK page lists free options you can contact today.
Does a VPN get around gambling blocking software?
It can with some tools, which is why it’s sensible not to keep VPN apps you don’t need. Dedicated blockers vary in how they handle this, so check the provider’s guidance. Rather than testing the limits of your own blocker, treat any urge to get round it as a signal to reach out for support. If chasing a loss is behind the urge, this explainer on chasing losses sets out what’s happening.