Blocking Software and Bank Gambling Blocks Explained

Blocking tools put an obstacle between you and gambling at the moment temptation strikes. Some work on your phone or computer, and others work on your bank card. This guide explains how they work, what they miss and what is available in the UK, US, Ireland, Canada and Australia.

No tool is a cure, and none can be perfect. They are most useful as one layer in a wider plan that includes support, self-exclusion and a budget.

Blocking software

Blocking software is installed on a device and stops gambling websites and apps from opening. Two names come up most often.

• BetBlocker. A free tool from a UK registered charity. It can be installed on as many devices as you own, and you choose how long the block lasts, from 24 hours to 5 years. Once the period is set, it generally cannot be switched off until it ends. It blocks sites from its own list, so unlisted sites can slip through.
• Gamban. A paid product in many markets. It blocks gambling sites and apps and also some high-risk financial speculation services, and you cannot customise what it blocks. In the UK it has been offered free through a GamCare-linked scheme, but pricing and eligibility can change, so check the provider’s own site. The NHS mentions it among practical steps for people struggling with gambling.

Both work per device. A block on your phone does nothing for a tablet or a work laptop that does not have the software installed.

Bank gambling blocks

A bank block works on card payments. When you pay, the bank checks a merchant category code, which describes the type of business. If the code says gambling and you have turned the block on, the payment should be declined. This approach was reviewed in a 2020 University of Bristol report on bank card gambling blockers.

Its findings, which are several years old, include:

• Eight UK providers offered blocks to customers then: Barclays, HSBC, Lloyds Banking Group, RBS Group, Santander, Cashplus, Monzo and Starling. Some offered them only on certain card products.
• The researchers estimated that these providers covered about 60% of personal current accounts.
• Over a third of blockers could be switched on and off at will, which the report called a “light switch rather than a lock”. It recommended a time-released lock.
• Many customers did not know blockers existed.

Bank offers change, so ask your own bank what it provides now. Our guide to talking to your bank explains what to ask for.

What blocks cannot stop

• Miscoded merchants. If a gambling company uses the wrong category code, the bank may not catch it.
• Other payment routes. E-wallets, bank transfers, cash, prepaid vouchers and other people’s cards can bypass a card block.
• Unlicensed or offshore sites. A list-based tool may not know every site. See why unlicensed sites are risky.
• Other devices. Any device without the app is open.
• Gambling-like features. Gamban, for example, does not block loot boxes, gambling adverts or sports information sites.
• Wrongly blocked payments. Because blocks work by category code, they can sometimes stop a legitimate purchase.
• Switching off. The easier it is to turn off, the less protection it gives.

Building layers: an illustrative plan

This example is for illustration only. Suppose someone decides to stop online betting and wants more than willpower. They might:

• Install a blocker on their phone, laptop and tablet for 12 months.
• Ask their bank to add a gambling block and, if possible, a delay before it can be lifted.
• Register for national or operator self-exclusion.
• Delete saved cards and unsubscribe from marketing.
• Ask the bank about arrangements it approves, such as a delay on changes or a joint-account review, chosen freely, with easy access to money for essentials kept in place. Sharing cards or PINs, or handing over savings, is a personal decision to talk through with the bank or an adviser first, not a standard step.
• Book a call with a helpline or counsellor.

Each layer closes a gap that another leaves open, and together they make acting on an urge slower and harder. Pair them with tools from urges and relapse prevention.

Rules by country

• United Kingdom: GAMSTOP covers licensed online gambling operators for 6 months, 1 year or 5 years (the 5-year option can auto-renew where offered) and cannot be ended early. Lottery-only licences without instant-win games can fall outside its scope, so draw-only or charity lottery play is not automatically blocked. Credit cards have been banned for gambling since April 2020. Several UK banks offer card blocks. National Gambling Helpline (Great Britain): 0808 8020 133.
• United States: Self-exclusion is state by state. We could not confirm a standard bank-block offer across the country, so ask your bank or card issuer whether it offers merchant category blocks. Helpline: 1-800-522-4700.
• Ireland: AIB, Bank of Ireland and PTSB say they can block cards for gambling websites if a customer asks, and each has a dedicated phone line. There is no national self-exclusion register live yet, so exclusion is operator by operator.
• Canada: Provinces run their own self-exclusion programmes. Ask your bank whether it offers gambling blocks, as we could not confirm a standard offer.
• Australia: BetStop is the national register for licensed online wagering. Credit cards and digital currency have been banned for licensed online wagering since June 2024. Major banks including Commonwealth Bank, Westpac and NAB have offered opt-in gambling blocks, and details differ by bank.

The bottom line

Blocking tools add friction, and friction helps when an urge is strong. Software stops sites on a device, bank blocks stop card payments to gambling merchants, and both have gaps. Use them as layers alongside self-exclusion, support and a budget or limit tracker, and ask for a time-delayed lock where one exists. If gambling is already causing harm, speak to a helpline as well.

Sources

• A Blueprint for Bank Card Gambling Blockers (bristol.ac.uk)
• Gambling addiction (nhs.uk)
• Common Commitment of Care for Problem Gambling (irishbankingcultureboard.ie)
• BetBlocker app listing (apps.apple.com)
• Gamban knowledge base (kb.gamban.com)

18+ only (21 in most US states, 19 in most Canadian provinces for casino and betting). Gambling can be addictive. Free, confidential help is available: Great Britain: England and Scotland 0808 8020 133, Wales 0808 2819 265 (free, 24 hours), and GAMSTOP (gamstop.co.uk); US: National Problem Gambling Helpline 1-800-MY-RESET (the older 1-800-522-4700 also works); Australia: Gambling Help Online 1800 858 858 and BetStop (betstop.gov.au); Ontario, Canada: ConnexOntario 1-866-531-2600; Ireland: speak to your GP or the HSE. Never gamble money you need for living costs.