Independent Report Deems GAMSTOP Self-Exclusion Tool Effective

According to an independent evaluation of the GAMSTOP service from one of the global leaders in market research, Ipsos, 78% of all of GAMSTOP’s users believed the tool delivered them the results they had expected. 

80% of Users Would Recommend the Tool

The company that specializes in delivering “reliable information and true understanding of Society, Markets and People” has also revealed that around 80% of the total 4,650 respondents surveyed would open-heartedly recommend the tool to others while 73% labeled their experience with the service as satisfying. 

The same figure reached a remarkable 85% in terms of users who no longer actively gamble. The study also discovered 75% of respondents chose to no longer engage in online gambling while 48% gave up all forms of gambling. 

Ipsos also found that, since registering, three out of four users felt more in control of their gambling. 

Even more, over 72% of respondents said they felt safer from gambling harm, with notable improvements in their mental and physical health due to reduced financial strain. 

500,000 Registrations in Six Years

Since its inception in 2018, GAMSTOP has reached an important milestone with 500,000 registrations recorded earlier in September. 

In 2023, GAMSTOP recorded 92,086 new registrations, marking the highest number reached in a single year. 

Currently, more than 440,000 people are actively self-excluding from online gambling through the service. 

April 2024 saw a record number of new registrations, with 8,686 individuals signing up in a single month.

According to the same Ipsos report, the main reason for registering with GAMSTOP is to quit gambling entirely, with 55% of users stating this as their motivation. 

More than half (55%) said they wanted to regain control of their lives, and 51% were looking to cut down on gambling expenses. 

GAMSTOP offers exclusion periods of six months, one year, or five years, with longer exclusion periods linked to higher success rates in quitting gambling for good.

While many users acknowledged that GAMSTOP doesn’t eliminate the urge to gamble, they consider it an effective tool for preventing harmful behavior. 

One user with a five-year exclusion said, “GAMSTOP literally did what it said on the tin, it stopped me from being able to register with gambling websites, which was the major issue.”

Recommendations for GAMSTOP

The Ipsos report recommended three main recommendations. One of them was for the service to offer a longer or lifetime exclusion period. 

Another recommendation referred to enhancing communication with users whose minimum exclusion period has ended. 

Ipsos also believes GAMSTOP stakeholders should do more to raise awareness with the help of social media ads aimed at young audiences.

“Gratifying” to Know Most Users Feel GAMSTOP Has Helped Them 

GAMSTOP chief executive officer Fiona Palmer took the opportunity to emphasize that the majority of users believe the service is highly effective in cutting gambling-related harm while expressing commitment to bringing further improvements.

“It is gratifying to know that most of our users feel GAMSTOP has helped them significantly reduce gambling-related harm,” she said, adding that the fact that six out of 10 surveyed users said they relied on GAMSTOP “as their sole means of support” makes them fully “aware of the responsibility that this brings with it.”

In August, Palmer said that while they were pleased about the increased visibility of their self-exclusion services, they were also concerned regarding the rise in the number of younger players making GAMSTOP accounts. 

Ipsos also recommended the government, the Gambling Commission, and other stakeholders get more involved in thwarting black market activity promoted by unlicensed operators claiming to be “not on GAMSTOP,” using tighter regulations and more social media ad restrictions.