GamStop vs NoGambling.app: UK Self-Exclusion + Daily Recovery
Disclosure: we make NoGambling.app, so we are not a neutral source. GamStop facts here come from gamstop.co.uk and the Gambling Commission, checked November 2026. Rules can change, so check GamStop's site before you rely on them.
GamStop vs NoGambling.app — in short
GamStop is a UK self-exclusion register, not an app. Once registered, every UKGC-licensed gambling site has to refuse your account for your chosen period (6 months, 1 year, or 5 years). It is a free national self-exclusion scheme (run by National Online Self Exclusion Scheme Ltd), and licensed operators must take part as a condition of their licence. NoGambling.app is an iOS recovery app covering the daily work GamStop does not touch: tracker, panic button, savings dashboard, community. If you live in the UK, the right answer is to stack both. GamStop cuts off supply. NoGambling.app handles demand.
GamStop is not an app — and that matters
GamStop is a self-exclusion register run by The National Online Self Exclusion Scheme Limited. It is open to anyone living in the UK. You sign up once on gamstop.co.uk and choose a period (6 months, 1 year, or 5 years, with an auto-renewing 5-year option). Every UKGC-licensed online operator must be part of GamStop as a condition of its licence. GamStop says an exclusion generally starts within 24 hours, though it does not guarantee that. You cannot cancel early.
It also does not end by itself. GamStop says that when your period is up, the exclusion stays in place for up to seven more years unless you ask for it to be removed, and it will not contact you to say the period has ended.
That is powerful. It is also partial. GamStop does not cover offshore or unlicensed operators, so a blocker on your devices can add a second layer. GamStop is also not an app. It has no tracker and no urge tool.
At a glance
| GamStop | NoGambling.app | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | UK self-exclusion register | iOS recovery app |
| Jurisdiction | UK only (UKGC-licensed sites) | Global (App Store) |
| Pricing | Free (national scheme) | Free to try, then monthly / yearly / lifetime |
| Blocks offshore sites? | No | Partly: popular gambling sites for your device region, in Safari on iPhone |
| Exclusion period | 6 mo / 1 yr / 5 yr | Ongoing, user-driven |
| Clean-day tracker | No | Real-time counter |
| Panic button | No | 6-step urge flow |
| Savings dashboard | No | Estimate from the monthly spend you enter |
| Community | No | Peer feed |
| Binding on operators | Yes (a licence condition) | No |
| Platforms | Web | iOS |
What GamStop does really well
GamStop binds the companies themselves. The Gambling Commission requires licensed online operators to take part, and GamStop's participating list includes bet365, Paddy Power, Sky Bet and William Hill (checked November 2026). One free registration applies across all of them for the period you selected.
Where GamStop shines
- Binding: taking part is a licence condition for UKGC-licensed online operators.
- Completely free national self-exclusion scheme.
- Once registered, you cannot cancel before the period ends.
- One registration covers every UK-licensed site simultaneously.
- Suitable as the foundation of a UK recovery plan.
Where GamStop falls short
- Does not cover offshore or unlicensed operators.
- Not an app, so no tracking and no urge tools.
- Only open to people living in the UK.
- It does not give you support when an urge hits.
- Once registered, the rest is on you.
What NoGambling.app does differently
GamStop closes accounts at UKGC-licensed sites. NoGambling.app is for the rest of the day: urges, boredom, a debt plan, and a community feed. It cannot do what GamStop does, so UK readers can use both.
Real-time clean counter and daily promise
A live count of your gambling-free time, paired with a promise you can make once a day. GamStop does not track this.
6-step panic button
Six steps: a mirror moment with your streak and debt, 4-4-4 breathing, a motivation card (in your own words if you wrote a "Your why"), naming the urge, urge-wave education, and a drafted text you can send to someone you trust. Built for the moment at 11pm on a Friday when an urge lands. It does not contact a helpline for you. If you need a person right now, call or text the National Problem Gambling Helpline at 1-800-MY-RESET (1-800-697-3738) in the US, or call GamCare on 0808 8020 133 in the UK.
Savings and debt dashboard
A snowball debt plan and an estimate of money not gambled (your monthly spend divided by 30, times your streak days). The app has no bank link and does not track real payments.
Community feed
Moderated peer support. GamStop is registration-and-done; NoGambling.app is people-and-ongoing.
Relapse flow
If you log a relapse, a 4-step flow asks what happened and how you feel, then resets the app. Your streak and savings estimate go to zero, your promises and urge history are deleted, and daily and behavioral milestones reset. Your journal and debt plan stay.
Who should register with GamStop?
- You live in the UK.
- You gamble primarily on UK-licensed sites.
- You want an exclusion from licensed online sites that you cannot cancel early.
- You are willing to commit to at least 6 months with no cancellation.
Who should install NoGambling.app?
- You are in the UK and want daily recovery tools on top of GamStop.
- You are outside the UK and GamStop is not an option.
- You want a panic button, a savings estimate, a community feed and a relapse flow in one iOS app.
- You want help with urges whatever kind of gambling they are about.
Non-UK readers: GamStop is not an option. NoGambling.app plus a blocker (BetBlocker free, or Gamban paid) is one option, though neither binds gambling companies the way GamStop does.
Frequently asked questions
Is GamStop free?
Yes. GamStop is run by The National Online Self Exclusion Scheme Limited and costs nothing to register.
Does GamStop work outside the UK?
No. GamStop only binds UK Gambling Commission-licensed operators. It does not cover offshore or unlicensed sites and is not available to non-UK residents.
Can I use GamStop and NoGambling.app together?
Yes. GamStop applies at UK-licensed online sites; NoGambling.app handles daily recovery work.
What are GamStop's exclusion periods?
6 months, 1 year, or 5 years, with an auto-renewing 5-year option. Once you register, you cannot cancel before the period ends. When it ends, the exclusion stays in place for up to seven more years unless you ask GamStop to remove it.
Is NoGambling.app available in the UK?
Yes, on the UK App Store (checked November 2026). iOS only.
Stack GamStop with a daily recovery app
Register with GamStop. Then install NoGambling.app for a tracker, panic button, savings estimate, and community feed.
Get NoGambling.app on the App Store → iOS 15.1 or later · Free to try · Lifetime purchase option · No email needed to start