Self-exclusions up 12% among UK’s younger players

By Filip Colovic, Last updated Sep 13, 2024

The latest data from GAMSTOP reveals a notable increase in the number of self-exclusions among UK players aged 16-24. Moreover, 50% of new registrants were below the age of 35, which also brought down the age of the average user.

GAMSTOP has seen an increase in the number of sign-ups across the board, with a total of 49,494 new users in H1 2024, which constituted a 3% increase compared to the previous year.

Overall, GAMSTOP grew to include a total of 482,815 people in its self-exclusion scheme, with an average of 1,904 individuals registering each week in H1 this year. The service also recorded an all-time high in the number of sign-ups per month, with a total of 8,686 people registering in April 2024. Moreover, the majority (71%) of new sign-ups were male, and a whopping 49% of new users chose to self-exclude for a period of 5 years, which is the maximum supported by GAMSTOP. 

These numbers are mostly in line with the statistics from 2023, which also saw a significant year-on-year increase in the total number of registered individuals (9.5%), a significant increase in sign-ups among the younger population aged 16-24 (31%), and the majority of users (55%) opted for the longest possible self-exclusion period of 5 years.

The company’s CEO, Fiona Palmer, acknowledged the positive trend, and speculated that it hints at growing awareness and a more proactive approach to tackling gambling-related issues in the UK. Palmer had previously spoken about the importance of educating younger players, and had announced that GAMSTOP would continue its outreach efforts throughout 2024. 

All casinos licensed by the UK Gambling Commission have been required to participate in GAMSTOP since March 2020, but illegal operators remain a sharp thorn in GAMSTOP’s side. Many illegal operators market their services as “not on GAMSTOP,” thus specifically targeting vulnerable individuals. 

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