Gamstop sees record increase in registrations in 2023

The British gambling self-exclusion scheme has reported a 9.5 per cent increase in users.

UK.- The self-exclusion service Gamstop has reported the number of new registrations rose by 9.5 per cent year-on-year in 2023. It received 92,000 new sign-ups, beating the previous record of 84,000 new registrations set in 2022.

The month with the highest number of sign-ups was May. More than half of new registrants (55 per cent) through the year as a whole chose the maximum exclusion period of five years over the options of six months or one year.

There was a 31 per cent year-on-year increase in the number of 16 to 24-year-olds signing up in the second half of the year, accounting for 21 per cent of new registrations. That’s a rise from 17 per cent in 2022.

Gamstop was launched in April 2018 as the free national self-exclusion scheme for gambling in Britain. Since then, 433,357 consumers have registered with the scheme.

Gamstop chief executive Fiona Palmer said: “We are continuing to see a year-on-year increase in the number of registrants, which shows the importance of self-exclusion for anyone struggling with their gambling, alongside other blocking tools and support.

“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.

“The prevalence of young adults among Gamstop’s registrants shows the importance of educating younger consumers and we will continue our outreach to this age group in 2024, working collaboratively with like-minded organisations and harnessing the support of our football club partners”.

Last August, Gamstop reported a 12 per cent increase in registrations in the first half of the year. It reported that over 48,000 people had signed up to the self-exclusion system in the six months ending June 30.