Gambling addiction is a serious and growing public health crisis in Great Britain. According to the 2025 survey by Gambling Commission (GSGB), around 2.7% of British adults — roughly 1.4 million people — now meet the threshold for “problem gambling.” 

Many more are “at risk”: the same survey estimates ~3.1% (≈ 1.6 million adults) fall into a moderate-risk category, and millions more are adversely affected by someone else’s gambling (family, friends, dependents). 

Demand for help is rising: a 2024 support survey by GambleAware shows that about 30% of adults who gamble and are experiencing any level of gambling-related problems now want treatment, support or advice — nearly double the rate from 2020. 

Despite the scale of harm, the existing system to self-exclude from land-based gambling venues remains fragmented, inconsistent, and difficult to use — placing unnecessary burdens on those trying to protect themselves. 

A modern, unified, and accessible system would make self-exclusion a real (and realistic) option for many more people — potentially preventing significant harm, reducing pressure on social and health services, and saving lives.

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The Problem: Why current self-exclusion is not enough

• Fragmented coverage — The national self-exclusion scheme GAMSTOP only covers online gambling (websites/apps), not land-based venues. 

• Multiple schemes for land-based venues — Casinos, betting shops, bingo halls, arcades each rely on different sector-based or operator-based programmes (e.g. SENSE Self Exclusion Ltd. for casinos; Multi‑Operator Self Exclusion Scheme Ltd. (MOSES) for betting shops; separate schemes for arcades and bingo) — meaning someone must register with each one individually.

• Having to ring a helpline and list every shop address — Under the current MOSES system for betting shops, many people must phone the service and provide the full address of each individual bookmaker they want to self-exclude from. This is exhausting, impractical, and impossible for some — especially in cities with dozens of shops. 

• In-person and ID/photo requirements — For many land-based venues, a person must physically attend the premises, speak with staff/manager, and provide passport-style photos and/or official photo-ID for registration. 

• Barriers for vulnerable individuals — For people already struggling with gambling addiction (or other vulnerabilities), having to enter gambling venues just to self-exclude can be traumatic, impractical or even impossible. That undermines the effectiveness and purpose of “self-exclusion.”

• No unified enforcement or cross-sector oversight — With multiple independent schemes, there’s no guarantee every venue will consistently check self-exclusion lists; nor is there a single body ensuring compliance across all types of gambling venues.

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What we are asking for:

We call on the UK Government (Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport), the Gambling Commission, and all licensed gambling operators in Great Britain to:

1. Establish a statutory, unified national self-exclusion register covering all land-based gambling venues (bookmakers, casinos, bingo halls, arcades / adult gaming centres) as well as any future licensed gambling premises.

2. Enable remote self-exclusion registration (online or by phone) with robust but accessible identity verification — and remove the requirement for individuals to physically visit each venue, show passport-style photos, or hand over physical ID in person.

3. Mandate participation from all licensed operators in the national scheme, as a condition of their licence, and require operators to check the register before permitting entry.

4. Ensure consistent minimum standards across sectors (e.g. exclusion periods, ability to extend/renew bans, privacy protections, and support signposting) to guarantee that self-exclusion truly works for vulnerable people.

5. Oblige operators to signpost excluded persons to support services (e.g. counselling, helplines, financial advice), and require regular audits by the Gambling Commission to enforce compliance.

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Why these reforms matter

• A unified national register makes self-exclusion simple, clear — and viable for many more people.

• Remote registration removes barriers and reduces risk or re-exposure to gambling environments, making exclusion accessible to those in most need.

• Statutory and cross-sector requirements guarantee consistent coverage and enforcement, rather than relying on a patchwork of voluntary or sector-specific schemes.

• Clear standards, privacy protections and support signposting make the system humane, effective, and aligned with public-health goals.

In short — this isn’t about stopping everyone from gambling. It’s about giving people who recognise they have a problem a fair, realistic, dignified tool to protect themselves and rebuild their lives.