Gamstop sees spike in under 25s self-excluding from gambling

The self-exclusion provider sees this age group as most at risk.

UK.- The UK based self-exclusion provider Gamstop has noted a surge in self-exclusion requests from under-25s. It says the number of under 25s using its service rose by 31 per cent in the second half of last year.

Those aged 16-24 represented 24 per cent of new Gamstop registrants in the period. The provider suggests that this represents a shift towards younger players seeking self-exclusion. It identifies this age group as the most at risk of developing problem gambling.

The overall number of self-exclusion registrations rose by 14 per cent in the second half of 2024. Gamstop attributed this to big summer sports events, including the UEFA Euro Championships and the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. Some 532,484 people have registered with Gamstop since it launched in April 2018 – that’s over 1 per cent of the UK adult population.

In its latest report, Gamstop has provided details on regional registrations for the first time in a bid to show where problem gambling may be of greatest concern. Hull postcodes top the list with the highest percentage of registrations (1.5 per cent of the local population), followed by Teesside and Sunderland (1.4 per cent) and then Doncaster and Blackpool.

New Self-exclusion auto-renewal

Some 48 per cent of new registrants in the period chose the maximum self-exclusion duration of five years, suggesting increased interest in long-term self-exclusion. As a result, Gamstop has introduced a “five-year auto-renewal” option, which allows players to extend self-exclusion further. 

Gamstop CEO Fiona Palmer said: “The increase in the number of under-25s registering for GAMSTOP has become an accelerating trend, with a 31 per cent year-on-year increase in the second half of 2024, following a 12% increase in the first half of the year.”