[Harrogate, July 2025] GAMSTOP, the national self-exclusion scheme for online gambling, has reported a 19% increase in registrations in 2025, with monthly registrations breaking all previous records twice in successive months.
The increase in registrations has been driven by younger consumers, aged 16-24, with self-exclusions increasing by 44% year-on-year in the first six months of the year. Four out of ten are choosing to exclude for the minimum six-month period, up from 36% in the previous year which could mean they are using GAMSTOP as a flexible, preventative tool to manage their gambling, though more research is needed to understand patterns of behaviour.
With self-exclusion at record levels, the Gamstop Group has announced its new chair will be Chris Pond, who replaces the outgoing Chair Jenny Watson CBE in September after her seven-year stint. Mr Pond is highly experienced in financial services and has worked across the public, private and non-profit sectors.
He is currently Chair of the Money and Mental Health Advisory Board and the Financial Services Consumer Panel at the Financial Conduct Authority. He has previously chaired the Financial Inclusion Commission, served as the CEO of two national charities and was a Work and Pensions Minister during his eight years as a Member of Parliament.
Since GAMSTOP’S inception in April 2018, nearly 600,000 vulnerable consumers have registered for the service and self-exclusion is continuing to increase at record rates. In April 2025, a record 10,281 consumers registered with GAMSTOP – the first time the monthly figure had ever topped 10,000 –and Monday April 7th, two days after the Grand National, was the busiest ever day with 437 registrations. However, the monthly record was eclipsed in May, with 10,344 new registrations.
The 2025 data reveals a growing preference for six-month exclusions across all age groups, a 29% year-on-year increase. However, the maximum five-year exclusion remains the most popular amongst all age groups, except under-25s and currently accounts for nearly one in two of all exclusions (47%). Since 2018, 53% of all registrations have been for the maximum five-year period.
GAMSTOP introduced a new ‘5 years with auto-renewal’ exclusion in December 2024 for vulnerable consumers looking to extend their exclusion from gambling websites and apps. The new 5 -year auto-renewal option was developed in direct response to feedback from users and the take-up has been high, with nearly half of those registering for a five-year exclusion choosing this option.
New registrations - H1 2025
|
16-24 |
25-34 |
35-44 |
45-54 |
55+ |
|
|
6 months |
39% |
27% |
23% |
21% |
22% |
|
1 year |
26% |
26% |
23% |
22% |
22% |
|
5 years |
35% |
47% |
54% |
57% |
56% |
Registrations - all time
|
16-24 |
25-34 |
35-44 |
45-54 |
55+ |
|
|
6 months |
33% |
23% |
20% |
20% |
20% |
|
1 year |
26% |
23% |
22% |
21% |
22% |
|
5 years |
41% |
54% |
58% |
59% |
58% |
Fiona Palmer, CEO of GAMSTOP, said:
“Our data shows a significant spike in the number of younger consumers who are GAMstopping to manage their gambling, and this has driven the record registrations in 2025. They are increasingly choosing six-month exclusions, which suggests that GAMSTOP is being used as a tool to allow them a break from gambling.
We have worked very hard to increase awareness of GAMSTOP amongst younger consumers and to destigmatise the use of self-exclusion. We want them to realise that GAMSTOP can be used as a preventative tool alongside other solutions, giving them breathing space to take back control”.
