Gamstop self-exclusions reach 300,000 since launch

In the first six months of 2022, a total of 43,500 people signed up for the scheme, meaning there were an average of more than 7,000 registrations per month.

This is a 9% increase from the same period last year.

Gamstop said that normally the winter months feature the highest number of registrations, but there were more people who joined in the second quarter of 2022 than the final quarter of 2021, a change in the trend.

The organisation released the report following another delay to the UK gambling white paper, the document that will point the way for legislative reform by seeking to update the country’s 2005 Gambling Act. Initially set to be released last year, it is now expected during the autumn.

Gamstop CEO Fiona Palmer said that more should be done to protect those at risk of harm.

“Our most recent data suggests gambling-related harm remains a serious problem and it is widely accepted that action is needed to protect those most at risk,” she said. “We are now recording an average of more than 7,000 new registrants each month, which is almost a double-digit increase year-on-year.”

Palmer added that both increased harm and increased awareness may play into the growth in registrations.

“Although we cannot be certain about the reasons for this, our internal analysis implies that higher volumes of self-exclusion are evidence of a sustained prevalence of gambling-related harm, as well as a greater awareness of Gamstop,” Palmer said.

“We look forward to seeing the government’s recommendations for reforming the gambling laws in the forthcoming white paper, now expected this autumn.”