GAMSTOP annual report confirms it’s the handrail before the fall
The UK’s online gambling self-exclusion scheme has passed a sobering milestone. As reported by Gambling Insider, GAMSTOP has confirmed that over 560,000 people have now signed up to block themselves from gambling sites since 2018. That figure equates to over 1 percent of the UK’s adult population. And it is still climbing.
“We have made significant progress in our mission to safeguard people from the harms of gambling addiction,” said outgoing Chair Jenny Watson CBE in her final statement. “Our success is measured not only by the numbers but by the stories of transformation and recovery.”
The scale of self-exclusion, confirmed in GAMSTOP’s 2025 annual report, shows how deep the demand for protection runs. The actual numbers far exceed initial predictions. Vulnerable players aren’t just seeking help. They are actively taking steps to remove gambling from their lives. Watson called GAMSTOP a “world-leading technology provider in the gambling harm support sector.”
Younger users drive the surge
Younger adults are leading the latest surge. In the second half of 2024 alone, there was a 31 percent increase in the number of under-25s self-excluding compared to the same period a year earlier. This age group now makes up 24 percent of all new registrants.
Fiona Palmer, CEO of GAMSTOP, said: “The increase in the number of under-25s registering for GAMSTOP has become an accelerating trend. There is a clear need for targeted messaging and support, which is why we continue to collaborate with GamCare, reaching out to students.”
However, the real danger is that younger users, shut out of regulated sites, start turning to underground operators. As explored in a recent SiGMA News exclusive, The growing threat of black market gambling in the UK, offshore operators have targeted excluded players through loopholes and digital misdirection.
North East leads the way
Regional breakdowns in the report show that the highest registration levels are in the North East. Hull has the highest per capita rate of any UK city at 1.5 percent. Teesside and Sunderland follow closely with 1.4 percent.
Palmer added that, as commissioners of gambling harm prevention prepare to change how RET (Research, Education and Treatment) is funded, GAMSTOP’s data will become even more critical.
“We have made a commitment to them to do this going forward,” she said. “Our priority remains delivering a clear, technically robust exclusion solution to those who need it most.”
Evaluation backs the impact
Ipsos’ independent evaluation of the service in 2024 found that 75% of GAMSTOP users said they no longer gambled online, and 78% said the scheme had delivered the results they hoped for.
The five-year exclusion period is now the most commonly selected option, and GAMSTOP recently introduced an auto-renewal feature to prevent unintended reactivation after that time expires.
A signal for the wider sector
Yet, in a sector often criticised for slow action, GAMSTOP’s latest numbers prove otherwise. The problem isn’t a lack of self-awareness among players. It’s that the industry hasn’t always offered them a usable lifeline.
This growth also underscores a worrying truth. Eroded trust drives players away. A recent SiGMA News article based on the findings of the DEAL ME OUT Black Market Evaluation Report 2025, When trust fades in British gambling, the black market waits shows just how quickly offshore brands fill the void left by regulated operators.
Not just a service
GAMSTOP has become one of the clearest signals that many players want a way out. They don’t need nudges or sloganeering awareness campaigns. They need barriers and locks.
It also reminds us of what happens when those barriers are missing. An exclusive SiGMA News article, The black market is filling the gambling space with a silent surge, revealed the ease with which determined players can bypass UK rules if the will is there and the protection isn’t strong enough.
Watson ends her tenure on a high, but she also leaves the industry with a challenge. What comes next isn’t about PR. It’s about making sure there is always a safer place to land.
Because for over 560,000 people, . It’s the last handrail before the fall.
