Self-exclusion: how an official register works
Self-exclusion lets you ban yourself from online gambling. You sign up once to the official self-exclusion register of your country or state. That single registration blocks your access to every gambling operator licensed there.
Find your country or state in the directory of self-exclusion registers and follow the link to its official register. Each country sheet also gives the free helplines of that country and, where one exists, the official place to complain about an online casino.
The length of the exclusion depends on the register. The official page of each register gives its length and its rules.
Self-exclusion covers only the gambling operators licensed in that country or state. Sites with no licence there stay open, keep advertising to you and still take your deposits. Gambling blocks from your bank and blocking software on your devices cover the rest, as the 10-step guide explains.
Talking to someone helps. This directory is free, and so are the helplines listed on each country sheet. You can call them about your own gambling or about someone close to you.
Online casino streams and crash games: what to know
Casinos give influencers demo accounts loaded with play money. Paid promotion is common in casino streaming. If the site they promote has no licence in your country, you risk losing access to your money: they will hold it back with endless ID checks.
Some funny videos keep repeating a casino's name, even though it has nothing to do with the topic. They reach people who came for something else entirely. They promise nothing, but they can make you remember the brand without realising it, even in countries where online casinos are illegal or where that brand has no licence.
Promoting online casinos should also mean helping players understand the risks, including the risk of addiction. Some website owners promote online casinos that break the law in your country. Others make the risks clear. Unfortunately, it is hard for players to know which websites they can trust.
In Aviator and games like it, the server sets the crash point before you bet. No strategy can change that. These games are built so the house keeps a small share of every round. The longer you play, the more you lose. That is how the product works. Your losses come from the design of the game.
Online casino myths, checked
stoprisk.org assessment · False
Claim: A machine that has gone a long time between payouts is due to pay soon.
Every spin is independent. A random number generator has no memory of previous results, so after a long losing run, the chance of a win stays exactly the same. This belief is known as the gambler's fallacy.
Source: Gambling Commission
stoprisk.org assessment · False
Claim: You can win back your losses with one big bet.
Every regulated casino game pays back less than 100% on average, so raising the stake raises the expected loss. Chasing losses is listed among the diagnostic criteria for gambling disorder in the DSM-5.
stoprisk.org assessment · Mostly false
Claim: Signing up to a national self-exclusion register blocks every casino site.
A national register covers only casinos licensed in that country. Sites licensed elsewhere have no legal duty to check it, and they keep advertising to you after you sign up. Blocking software on your devices and gambling blocks from your bank cover the rest.
Source: GAMSTOP
stoprisk.org assessment · Mostly false
Claim: Licensed online casinos rig their games so players always lose.
Games at licensed casinos are tested by accredited laboratories, and the casino's built-in advantage is published. Unlicensed sites face no such testing.
Source: Gambling Commission