GAMSTOP Sees Surge in Under-25s Using Self-Exclusion
GAMSTOP, the UK’s self-exclusion scheme for online gambling, reports a significant rise in young users, with a 31% year-on-year increase in under-25s during the second half of 2024.
Youth Registrations Increase
Recent data shows that 24% of people self-excluding are between 16 and 24. This marks a shift from the previous period.
The examined period included major sporting events like the Olympics and the European Football Championship.
Regional Breakdown of Self-Exclusion
GAMSTOP analyzed data to provide a regional breakdown of self-excluding individuals. Hull has the highest proportion of GAMSTOP registrants, at 1.5% of the area’s population.
Teesside and Sunderland follow, with 1.4%. Doncaster and Blackpool round out the top five.
Overall Registrations Rise
Between April 2018 and the end of 2024, 532,484 people registered with GAMSTOP. This is over one percent of the total adult UK population.
July through December 2024 saw a 14% increase compared to 2023. This goes against the trend of more people self-excluding in the first half of the year.
CEO’s Perspective
Fiona Palmer, CEO of GAMSTOP, commented:
“The increase in the number of under-25s registering for GAMSTOP has become an accelerating trend, with a 31 percent year-on-year increase in the second half of 2024, following a 12 percent increase in the first half of the year.”
Palmer continued:
“There is a clear need for targeted education and support aimed at this group which is why we continue to put so much emphasis on collaborating with Ygam and Gamcare reaching out to students. We go to where they are to ensure they are aware of tools, such as self-exclusion, which can help to prevent gambling harm.”
New Exclusion Options
GAMSTOP recently introduced a ‘5 years with auto-renewal’ exclusion. This is aimed at vulnerable customers looking to extend their abstinence from gambling.
Users can also self-exclude for six months, a year, or up to five years. The feature was introduced due to user feedback.
Raising Awareness
Discussing the regionalized data, Palmer said:
“GAMSTOP allows vulnerable consumers to take a break from gambling, and we want to raise awareness of the service amongst those who need it most.”
She concluded:
“Our detailed regional data has highlighted the postcodes where self-exclusion has been most widely adopted, and we hope this will help local authorities and other bodies to target appropriate support in the areas where the need is greatest.”
