GAMSTOP registrations inch up 10% on annual basis

GAMSTOP, a tool that allows consumers in the United Kingdom to exclude from gambling activities both in land-based and online settings free of charge, has shared news about the rate of participation in the service, with the national self-exclusion scheme reporting a 10% increase in registrations on annual basis from 2022 to 2023, Casino Guru News learned in an email press release.

The scheme saw 92,000 people exclude from gambling activities in 2023 alone, with May setting a new record, and beating a previous one from March, for the single-highest month in terms of new registrations, with some 8,591 people, GAMSTOP reported in the press release. Between April 2018 to December 2023, the scheme saw 433,357 enrolled and seeking to shield themselves from gambling harms and excessive gambling.

There have been some notable trends as well that are worth looking into the scheme said, with a 31% year-on-year growth for teenage and young adult self-exclusions, covering the age range from 16 to 24-year-olds.

GAMSTOP Fiona Palmer issued a statement commenting on the efforts made to help build a more responsible gambling industry, and said that annual numbers for self-excluded people continue to grow, indicating that the scheme works and that it is an important part of the overall efforts to help people struggling with gambling.

"We want to continue raising awareness of GAMSTOP to anyone who might benefit from self-exclusion and to the friends and families of anyone affected by gambling," Palmer noted. However, she also noted that there is a worrying concern of seeing more young adults self-exclude, which indicated a higher degree of participation among those groups.

She noted that it’s important to continue educating younger consumers about the dangers of gambling and to work actively to reach out to these vulnerable consumer groups who can benefit the most from self-exclusion as well in 2024.

GAMSTOP’s registrations mostly see people choose the longest period of self-exclusion, which is five years, with 55% of all people who enrol agreeing to this. A total of 84,000 people were excluded in 2022.

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