Gamban vs GamStop: What's the Difference — and Which Should You Use?
Gamban vs GamStop — in short
They are not competitors. They work at different layers. Gamban is a paid app you install that blocks gambling sites and apps on your devices, anywhere in the world (£4.99/month or £29.99/year as of November 2026, 7-day free trial). GamStop is the UK's free national self-exclusion register: sign up once and every online gambling company licensed in Great Britain must refuse you service for 6 months, 1 year, or 5 years. If you're in the UK, the honest answer is: use both, then add a recovery layer (tracking, crisis tools, community) that neither provides.
At a glance
| Gamban | GamStop | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Blocking software you install on your devices | National self-exclusion register you join once |
| How it works | Blocks over 190,000 websites and 5,000 apps at the device level (its own count) | UK-licensed operators must check the register and refuse you service |
| Cost | £4.99/month or £29.99/year (as of November 2026) | Free |
| Free trial | 7 days | Not needed — always free |
| Who can use it | Anyone, worldwide | UK residents |
| Where it applies | Devices where it's installed (up to 15 per account) | Any device — the block lives with the operator, not your phone |
| Platforms | iOS, Android, macOS, Windows | Not an app — register online once |
| Covers non-UK-licensed sites | Yes, if on the block list | No — UK-licensed operators only |
| Covers in-person gambling | No | No (separate schemes exist) |
| Duration | While the subscription is active | 6 months, 1 year, or 5 years (5 years can auto-renew); can't be lifted early |
| Can it lapse by accident | Yes — if the trial or subscription ends | No — stays on until the period ends, and until you ask for removal |
| Recovery tools (tracker, panic button, community) | Day and money tracker, Discord; no panic button | No |
What is GamStop?
GamStop is the UK's free national online self-exclusion scheme. You register once at gamstop.co.uk with your details and choose a period: 6 months, 1 year, or 5 years, with an option for 5 years that renews by itself. Every online gambling company licensed in Great Britain then has to check the register and refuse you access: no logging in and no new accounts. They must also take reasonable steps not to send you marketing. GamStop says it can take up to 24 hours for the block to work.
Two properties make GamStop unusually strong. First, it costs you nothing, and it's run by a not-for-profit. Second, it's a one-way door: once registered, you cannot cancel before your minimum period ends, and after that the exclusion carries on for up to seven more years unless you ask GamStop to remove it. The decision your best moment makes cannot be undone by your worst one.
Its limits are structural, not flaws: GamStop only binds operators licensed in Great Britain, only covers online gambling, and only works for UK residents. We compare it with our own app in GamStop vs NoGambling.app.
What is Gamban?
Gamban is blocking software. Install it on your phone, tablet, or computer and it blocks access to gambling sites and apps. Its About page lists over 190,000 websites and over 5,000 apps (checked November 2026). It works worldwide, on iOS, Android, macOS, and Windows, and one account covers up to 15 devices. It's deliberately hard to uninstall on impulse.
As of November 2026, Gamban costs £4.99 per month or £29.99 per year ($6.99 or $41.99 on the US App Store), with a 7-day free trial. It used to be free for UK users through the TalkBanStop partnership with GamCare. That scheme ended on 31 March 2026, though Gamban remains free for residents of Wales. Full pricing breakdown: how much does Gamban cost? Head-to-head with our app: Gamban vs NoGambling.app.
The real difference: device level vs operator level
Here is the cleanest way to hold the distinction in your head:
- GamStop stops the casino from serving you. The block lives in the operator's systems. It works on any device, anywhere — but only for companies licensed in Great Britain.
- Gamban stops your device from reaching the casino. The block lives on your phone or laptop. It covers sites regardless of where they're licensed — but only on devices where it's installed and the subscription is active.
Each covers the other's blind spot. GamStop can't reach sites licensed outside the UK; Gamban can't protect a device it isn't installed on, and it switches off if the subscription lapses. To be clear: those gaps are not routes to look for — if part of you is already scanning this paragraph for an exit, that's precisely the part of you these tools exist to outvote. The gaps are the argument for layering more protection, not less.
What each one does not cover
Most comparisons stop at the feature list. The gaps matter more, because they're what decides whether you need a second layer:
| Not covered by | GamStop | Gamban |
|---|---|---|
| Sites licensed outside Great Britain | Not covered | Covered |
| A device you didn't install it on | Covered — it's account-level | Not covered |
| If the subscription lapses | Unaffected — free and permanent for the term | Blocking stops |
| Betting shops and land-based casinos | Not covered | Not covered |
| Lottery and scratch cards bought over a counter | Not covered | Not covered |
| The urge itself | Not covered | Not covered |
Two gaps are worth acting on separately. For retail betting shops and casinos, the UK has dedicated schemes: Gamstop Betting Shops (formerly MOSES, free on 0800 294 2060) for bookmakers and SENSE for land-based casinos. GamStop's online register and Gamban don't replace them. For lottery and scratch cards, the counter purchase isn't reachable by any software at all; that one needs physical defences, which we cover in how to stop buying scratch-offs.
How to register with GamStop, step by step
GamStop says it takes a few minutes, and it's the single highest-value action on this page for anyone in the UK. Do it now rather than after you finish reading:
- Go to gamstop.co.uk and start the registration. It's free — if anything asks you to pay, you're on the wrong site.
- Have your details ready: name, date of birth, address and postcode, email, and mobile number.
- Enter every email address and mobile number you've ever used for a gambling account. This is the step people rush and then regret. GamStop matches your exclusion against operator records using these details — an old email you forgot about is an account that may not get matched.
- Choose your minimum period: six months, one year, or five years. Pick the longest you can bring yourself to pick. This is a decision your calmer self is making on behalf of your 1am self. Five years can also be set to renew by itself.
- Confirm, and give it up to 24 hours to propagate across operators.
Two things worth knowing before you register. First, you can't cancel early: once the period starts, it runs. Second, it doesn't simply switch off when the term ends: the exclusion stays in place until you actively contact GamStop to lift it, and there's a cooling-off period of at least 24 hours before access returns. So the block doesn't switch off by itself the morning your year is up. One more thing: registering doesn't return money in your gambling accounts, so contact those companies directly about any withdrawable funds.
Cost: a free register vs a paid blocker
GamStop is free, forever. There is no premium tier and no renewal fee. If you're a UK resident and you do only one thing after reading this page, registering with GamStop is the highest-protection-per-minute move available.
Gamban is subscription-only: £4.99/month or £29.99/year as of November 2026, after a 7-day free trial. Since TalkBanStop ended in March 2026, there's no longer a free route for users in England and Scotland (Wales residents still get it free). Worth knowing: when a Gamban subscription or trial ends, the blocking stops, so if you take the trial, decide what happens on day eight before day seven.
So which should you use?
If you're in the UK: both. Gamban's own help pages recommend layering self-exclusion, blocking software, and support, and GamStop says it works best combined with other tools. Register with GamStop today (free, a few minutes, can't lapse), then add device-level blocking on top.
If you're outside the UK: GamStop isn't available to you. Use a device-level blocker (Gamban, or the free non-profit BetBlocker), check whether your country or state runs its own self-exclusion program, and ask your bank about gambling transaction blocks.
Where NoGambling.app fits
Full disclosure: this site is run by the team behind NoGambling.app, so read this section knowing that. Here's the honest positioning: NoGambling.app is not a network-level blocker and it is not a self-exclusion register. It doesn't replace either tool above, and we won't pretend it does.
What it is: the recovery layer. Once GamStop has locked your accounts and Gamban has walled off your devices, you're still left with the actual work — the 11pm urge, the money to rebuild, the identity shift from "gambler trying to stop" to "person who doesn't gamble." That's what NoGambling.app is built for:
- Real-time streak tracker and a daily promise loop — visible proof the quit is working.
- Panic button — a paced crisis flow with 4-4-4 breathing for the moments a wall can't help with.
- Savings estimate and debt snowball plan: an estimate of the money you haven't gambled and an order for paying down debts. It has no bank link.
- One switch that blocks betting apps (iOS 16 or later) and popular gambling sites in your country in Safari, plus a peer community, milestones, and a progress timeline.
- Anonymous, no email needed. iOS only (15.1+, app blocking needs iOS 16+), 4.9★ on the App Store, free to try, and a one-time Lifetime Deal, so unlike a subscription blocker, it can never lapse by accident.
The strongest 2026 setup for a UK quitter, in order: GamStop (free) → Gamban or BetBlocker on every device → NoGambling.app for the daily recovery work. Three layers, three different failure modes covered. For more options, see our 6 best Gamban alternatives ranking.
Resources & helplines
- UK — GamStop: free self-exclusion at gamstop.co.uk. GamCare / National Gambling Helpline: 0808 8020 133, free, 24/7, phone and live chat.
- US — National Problem Gambling Helpline: call or text 1-800-MY-RESET (1-800-697-3738), free and confidential, 24/7. Most states also run their own self-exclusion programs.
- Gamblers Anonymous — free meetings, in person and online, worldwide.
Frequently asked questions
How do I register with GamStop?
Go to gamstop.co.uk. It's free, GamStop says it takes a few minutes, and if anything asks you to pay you're on the wrong site. Have your name, date of birth, address and postcode, email and mobile ready. Enter every email address and mobile number you've ever used for a gambling account, because that's how GamStop matches your exclusion against operator records. Then choose six months, one year, or five years, and allow up to 24 hours for it to take effect.
Does GamStop cover betting shops and the lottery?
GamStop's online register doesn't. It covers online operators licensed in Great Britain only. For betting shops there's a separate scheme called Gamstop Betting Shops (formerly MOSES), and for land-based casinos there's SENSE. Lottery tickets and scratch cards bought over a counter aren't reachable by any software or register. That gap needs physical defences, covered in how to stop buying scratch-offs.
What is the difference between Gamban and GamStop?
Gamban is blocking software you install on your devices. It stops your phone, tablet, and computer from opening gambling sites and apps, anywhere in the world. GamStop is the UK's free national self-exclusion register: you sign up once and every online gambling company licensed in Great Britain must refuse you service. One works at the device level, the other at the operator level, so they work well together.
Is GamStop free?
Yes, completely. GamStop is free to join and is run by a not-for-profit. Gamban is a paid subscription: £4.99 per month or £29.99 per year as of November 2026, with a 7-day free trial.
Do I need both Gamban and GamStop?
If you live in the UK and gamble online, using both is the strongest setup. GamStop locks you out of every UK-licensed operator at the account level, and Gamban blocks gambling sites and apps at the device level — including ones GamStop does not reach. Even Gamban's own website recommends layering protections, because no single tool is perfect. Add a recovery app for the daily work of quitting and you have all three layers.
Does GamStop block all gambling sites?
No. GamStop only covers online operators licensed in Great Britain, and it does not apply to in-person gambling. That is not a gap to go looking for — it is the reason to add more protection on top: a device-level blocker like Gamban or BetBlocker, gambling blocks offered by your bank, and a recovery app. The goal is more walls between you and the bet, not fewer.
Can I cancel GamStop early?
No, and that is by design. Once registered, your exclusion cannot be lifted before your chosen minimum period — 6 months, 1 year, or 5 years — has ended. Even after it expires, the exclusion stays in place until you actively contact GamStop and ask for it to be removed. That one-way door is exactly what makes it powerful: your worst moment cannot undo the decision your best moment made.
Is Gamban still free through GamCare or TalkBanStop?
Mostly no. The TalkBanStop partnership, which handed out free Gamban licences through GamCare's National Gambling Helpline from late 2020, ended on 31 March 2026. Gamban is now a paid subscription in England and Scotland, but remains free for residents of Wales. GamStop and BetBlocker are still free for everyone in the UK, and GamCare's helpline (0808 8020 133) remains free and open 24/7.
Walls up? Now do the recovery work
NoGambling.app is the third layer: streak tracker, panic button, savings & debt dashboard, peer community. Free to try, then monthly / yearly or a one-time lifetime purchase. iOS only, anonymous.
Download on the App Store → iOS 15.1 or later · 4.9★ · Free to try & Anonymous · Lifetime purchase option