Responsible Gambling — Help, Tools and Self-Exclusion

This website reviews offshore gambling sites that sit outside the UK Gambling Commission system, and that makes this page more important than anything else we publish: offshore sites are not covered by GamStop, do not run UKGC-mandated affordability checks, and offer weaker safety nets than UK-licensed operators.

Recognising the Warning Signs

Problem gambling rarely announces itself. These are the signs clinicians and support charities ask about — if more than one feels familiar, treat that as a signal worth acting on:

• Betting more than you planned, or chasing losses with bigger stakes to "get back level".
• Gambling with money needed for rent, bills, food or debt repayments.
• Hiding gambling activity from family or partners, or lying about losses.
• Feeling restless or irritable when you try to cut down.
• Borrowing money, selling possessions or using credit to fund play.
• Gambling to escape stress, low mood or anxiety rather than for fun.

Self-Exclusion: GamStop and Beyond

GamStop is the UK's free national online self-exclusion scheme. One registration blocks your access to every website and app licensed by the UK Gambling Commission. You choose an exclusion of six months, one year or five years, and — this matters — it cannot be cancelled early under any circumstances. When the period ends, the block stays in place until you actively ask for it to be removed, with a 24-hour cooling-off period.

Be honest with yourself about one thing: the offshore sites reviewed on this website are not connected to GamStop. If you registered with GamStop because gambling was harming you, using a non-GamStop site defeats the protection you chose for yourself. In that situation, please close this website and use the tools below instead.

Blocking tools that cover offshore sites too

• Gamban — blocking software for phones and computers that blocks tens of thousands of gambling sites and apps worldwide, including offshore casinos and bookmakers. Free licences are available through GamCare.
• Bank gambling blocks — most major UK banks (Monzo, Starling, Barclays, NatWest, Lloyds, HSBC and others) offer a free gambling block on debit cards, typically with a 48–72-hour cooling-off period before it can be lifted. This stops card payments to gambling merchants, including many offshore ones.
• Operator-level exclusion — every reputable site, offshore included, lets you close or self-exclude your individual account via support. Do this in writing and keep a copy.

Practical Limits That Actually Work

• Deposit limits: set them at the cashier on day one, before you play — not after a losing session. Decide a monthly entertainment budget first and divide it down to a weekly figure.
• Time limits: set an alarm before you start a session; stop when it rings regardless of position.
• Never gamble on credit: UK-licensed operators have been banned from accepting credit cards since 14 April 2020 precisely because credit-funded gambling causes disproportionate harm. Some offshore sites still accept credit cards — do not use them for gambling, ever.
• Don't store winnings in a gambling balance: withdraw them. Money sitting in a casino wallet gets staked.

Where to Get Help (All Free and Confidential)

Under 18?

It is illegal to gamble online in Great Britain under the age of 18, and every site we review requires age verification. If you are under 18 and gambling, or worried about a young person who is, BigDeal (GamCare's young people's service) offers dedicated, confidential support.