Gamstop Reports 25% Increase in Self-Exclusion Registrations in H1 of 2021

Leading British self-exclusion service Gamstop has published its first bi-annual review for this year.

The report shows a significant increase in the number of self-exclusion registrations during the first six months of 2021 when compared to the number of players who signed up to the scheme between January and June last year.

According to the latest data released by the organization, 40,000 people registered with the service in the first half of this year, indicating a 25% rise in self-exclusions year-on-year. The report further revealed a record number of registrations in March.

The figure brings the total number of people who have an active registration with the free national online self-exclusion program to over 218,000.

The bi-annual reviews seek to provide insight into trends on the platform as well as help the organization to have a better understanding of gambling behaviors across the country.

Breaking Down the Numbers

Of the 40,000 new users registered in H1 of 2021, 70% were male while 30% were female. The data also shows that the majority of those who signed up with the service were between 18 and 34 years of age, at 59% of the registrations.

Also, the organization has said that 58% of those who chose to use the program to restrain their gambling behavior went for the maximum exclusion duration of five years.

Gamstop also teamed up with independent research firm Sonnet to analyze the socio-economic groups and ethnicities of bettors registered with the platform. The survey, which featured 3,300 players with an active self-exclusion, found that 48% of the users lived in households with a pre-tax income exceeding £32,000 per year while 29% earned more than £48,000 per annum.

Also, 75% of the respondents were actively employed and working either full-time or part time, and 63% did not have children in their households.

When it comes to ethnicity, 89% of those who participated in the survey were white, representing an overwhelming majority of the registrants. Only 3% of the respondents were Asian, while those who said they were black or of mixed race represented 2% and 1%, respectively.

Gamstop to Continue Promoting Safer Gambling

In its statement about the latest bi-annual review, Gamstop said that it is pleased that more UK players are finding the platform helpful and are willing to use it to restrict their gambling behavior.

The organization went on to say that it would continue to reach out to bettors across the country with the aim of raising awareness about practical measures that they can use to reduce problem gambling, as well as help them access safer gambling tools.

‘’While it is encouraging to see that consumers are continuing to find Gamstop and use it as a crucial safety net in their recovery, this new review reinforces the importance of continuing to raise awareness of practical tools that are available to those struggling with gambling-related harm,’’ said Gamstop Chief Executive Fiona Palmer.

‘’Our evaluation results demonstrate that gambling-related harm is an issue that affects people from all walks of life, irrespective of income, location, or gender. It is imperative that we continue to reach people from across the UK, and to give them access to tools that can aid them in their recovery or form an important preventive measure.’’