Gambling blocking software explained (BetBlocker, Gamban — and how they differ from self-exclusion registers)

Last updated: 2026-07-29 · Written by Elena Kovač

A self-exclusion register like GAMSTOP works by asking licensed operators to reject a name — it's a request sent to the industry, not a technical block, and it only covers sites that are licensed and participating. Device-level blocking software works completely differently: it installs on a phone or computer and blocks gambling websites and apps directly at the network or browser level, regardless of whether the site holds a license, is based offshore, or participates in any exclusion scheme at all.

How device-level blocking actually works

Software like BetBlocker and Gamban runs on the device itself rather than relying on an operator checking a shared list. Gamban uses secure DNS-based filtering to intercept and block gambling domains and apps before they load; BetBlocker maintains a database of over 327,500 gambling websites, updated weekly, and blocks access to all of them once installed and activated. Because the block happens on the device, creating a new account under a different email or name makes no difference — the software isn't checking who's logging in, it's blocking the site itself from loading at all.

Why this covers ground that self-exclusion registers miss

A national register only reaches operators licensed in that jurisdiction and only stops them from opening or continuing an account for a listed name — it does nothing to a site with no license there, an offshore operator, or someone accessing a friend's device or a public browser where no exclusion is in place. Device-level software has no such gap: it blocks the site itself regardless of licensing status, which is the main reason recovery-focused resources point to it as a complement to registers rather than a replacement — see safer gambling tools explained for how the two approaches fit together.

Cost, coverage, and what makes it hard to bypass

Both BetBlocker and Gamban are free — BetBlocker is run by a UK-registered charity and funded through the gambling dispute resolution sector rather than user fees, and can be set to run for as little as a few days or as long as five years. Gamban runs on Windows, macOS, Android and iOS, so the same protection extends across every device a person uses rather than being tied to one browser or app. The genuine trade-off between products is uninstall difficulty — some blocking software is deliberately hard to remove before a chosen period ends, while others can be uninstalled easily, which matters if the whole point is removing the option to gamble impulsively during a vulnerable moment.

Where it fits alongside other tools

Blocking software works best paired with deposit limits, cooling-off periods, and national self-exclusion where available, rather than used alone — each tool closes a different gap, and none of them substitutes for support from a problem gambling helpline when gambling has become genuinely difficult to control. A device blocker stops access; it doesn't address why someone wants that access in the first place, which is the role support services and counseling are built for.

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