How to Block Betting Sites on iPhone (Complete 2026 Guide)

Why blocking alone is never enough

Blocking makes gambling harder to reach, but it does not stop the urge. When one lands at 11pm on a Friday, the block is in place and the urge is still running, so you also need something to do with it. That is why this guide pairs blocks with support for the urge itself.

Step 1 — Set up iOS Screen Time with a passcode you do not know

Screen Time is built into iOS. It is free. Most people have never turned it on for themselves.

1. Open Settings → Screen Time. Turn it on if it is off.
2. Tap Lock Screen Time Settings. On iOS 27 it is under Passcode & Management, and on older iOS it is called Use Screen Time Passcode.
3. Have a trusted person (partner, sponsor, friend) pick and type the four-digit passcode, so you never learn it.
4. At the Screen Time Passcode Recovery step, have them enter their own Apple Account. Recovery resets the passcode through whichever account is entered, so it should not be yours.

The passcode must be entered before these settings can change. If you hold it, a bad moment at 2am can undo the block. If someone else holds it, you have to ask them first, and that gives you time. Menu names here are from Apple's iOS 26 and iOS 27 guides (checked November 2026). Apple renames them between versions, so if one looks different, use the search bar in Settings.

Step 2 — Block gambling websites in Safari

1. Settings → Screen Time → Content & Privacy Restrictions → toggle on (Apple's steps).
2. Tap App Store, Media, Web & Games (Content Restrictions on older iOS) → Web Content → Limit Adult Websites.
3. Under "Never Allow," tap Add Website and enter every gambling domain you know of:
   • US sports betting: draftkings.com, fanduel.com, sportsbook.caesars.com, betmgm.com, sportsbook.fanatics.com, hardrock.bet, betrivers.com.
   • UK bookmakers: bet365.com, williamhill.com, paddypower.com, ladbrokes.com, coral.co.uk, skybet.com.
   • Casino: bovada.lv, bitstarz.com, 888casino.com.
   • Poker: pokerstars.com, ggpoker.com.
   • Your own list — add the ones you actually use.

Apple's guide does not say which browsers this covers, so try a blocked site in any other browser on your phone. If it opens, delete that browser and block new installs in Step 3. Betting apps like DraftKings' own app are also covered in Step 3.

Step 3 — Remove betting apps

Screen Time has no per-app "Don't Allow" switch for apps you download from the App Store; its Allowed Apps list only covers Apple's own apps. What works instead is an age-rating limit plus an install lock:

1. Delete every betting app (DraftKings, FanDuel, Bet365, PokerStars, etc.).
2. Settings → Screen Time → Content & Privacy Restrictions → App Store, Media, Web & Games (Content Restrictions on older iOS) → Apps → choose 13+ (12+ on iOS 18 and earlier). Apple gives real-money gambling apps its top age rating, so they are hidden and cannot be opened. This also hides any other app rated above your limit, so check that nothing you need disappears.
3. Back in Content & Privacy Restrictions → iTunes & App Store Purchases → Installing Apps → Don't Allow. New installs then need the Screen Time passcode, which you do not have.

Simpler alternative: in NoGambling.app, one switch blocks the betting apps you choose and the most popular gambling sites in your country, so you are not relying on age ratings. It needs iOS 16 or later. Websites are blocked in Safari, and "your country" follows your iPhone's Region setting. You can switch it off yourself, so it works best with the passcode steps above.

Step 4 — Add a dedicated blocker (catches the sites you forgot)

Screen Time's "Never Allow" list is manual, so you only block domains you add. A dedicated gambling blocker keeps its own long list, which can include offshore sites and sites you have never heard of. Two options (both checked November 2026):

• BetBlocker (free). US non-profit. Runs on Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS and Fire OS. Its site says it blocks over 1.3 million gambling sites. BetBlocker vs NoGambling.app →
• Gamban (£4.99 a month or £29.99 a year, with a 7-day free trial). A paid blocker built only for gambling sites and apps, and it runs on iPhone. Gamban vs NoGambling.app →

Step 5 — Add the recovery layer Screen Time cannot provide

Blocking only makes gambling harder to reach. You still need tools for the daily work of recovery: the urge at 11pm, the money you are trying to rebuild, and other people going through the same thing.

Install NoGambling.app (free to try, iOS) alongside the blocker:

• 6-step panic button: when the urge lands, it walks you through a mirror moment with your streak and debt, 4-4-4 breathing, a motivation card (your own words if you wrote them), naming the urge, a short lesson on how urges fade, and a drafted text you can send to someone you trust. How the panic button works →
• Real-time clean counter and daily promise — visible proof that something is working. Daily promise feature →
• Savings estimate and debt payoff plan: an estimate of money not gambled, based on the monthly amount you enter, and a plan for paying debts down. Savings tracker feature →
• Community feed: posts from other people trying to stop. Posting needs an email and shows a username. Community feature →

Free to try. No email needed to start.

What about DNS-level blocking?

Network-level blockers (changing DNS to a gambling-aware provider, or using a custom router) take more setup, and most people can start without them. If you are technical and want an extra layer, look at a DNS service with a gambling filter, such as NextDNS.

Is a Screen Time block foolproof?

No. Any block on a phone can be undone with enough effort, so treat it as one layer that buys you time. If you notice yourself looking for a way back in, stop and open the NoGambling.app panic button, or call or text the National Problem Gambling Helpline at 1-800-MY-RESET (1-800-697-3738). Urges rise, peak and fade with time, even when it does not feel like it. How long that takes varies.

Quick checklist

1. Screen Time on. Passcode set by someone else.
2. Web Content → "Never Allow" with your domain list.
3. Betting apps deleted, app age rating limited to 13+ (12+ on iOS 18 and earlier) and Installing Apps set to Don't Allow, or NoGambling.app's blocking switched on with your betting apps chosen.
4. BetBlocker (free) or Gamban (paid) installed for a much longer site list.
5. NoGambling.app (free to try, iOS) installed for tracker, panic button, savings estimate, community feed.