How do I block gambling sites?

How do I block gambling sites? The quick answer

Install a gambling blocker on each device, then back it up with account-level and money-level blocks. That's the short version. The longer version matters because people who want to stop gambling often find a way around a single barrier when an urge hits late at night.

Think of it as layers. A blocker stops the website loading. Self-exclusion closes the door at the casino itself. A card block makes depositing harder. A trusted person holding the passwords makes undoing all of it slower. Each layer buys time, and time is often what breaks an urge.

If you're blocking gambling sites because you're worried about your gambling, you're already doing something positive. For the bigger picture, see how do I stop gambling, or return to our questions hub for related answers.

The layers that block gambling sites, compared

No single row is enough on its own. The gaps in one layer are what the next layer covers, which is why the steps below combine them.

How to block gambling sites step by step

1. List your devices. Phone, tablet, laptop, work computer, games console with a browser. Every one with internet access is a way in.
2. Install a gambling blocker on each device. Dedicated tools such as Gamban are built for this and keep their lists of gambling sites up to date.
3. Add your phone's built-in content restrictions. Most phones and computers let you block named websites in their parental-control or screen-time settings. Use them as a backup layer.
4. Hand over the passcode. Ask a partner, friend or family member to set the restriction passcode so you can't change it in the moment.
5. Self-exclude from every casino account you have. Contact support at each site and ask for self-exclusion or permanent closure. Our self-exclusion guide explains what to ask for.
6. Join a state self-exclusion list if you live in a state that runs one. This blocks state-licensed operators there.
7. Talk to your bank. Ask whether it can block gambling transactions on your cards, and remove saved card details from any gambling accounts.
8. Deal with crypto. If you've deposited with Bitcoin or other coins, consider deleting exchange apps or asking someone to hold access for a while.
9. Save the helpline. Put 1-800-MY-RESET (1-800-697-3738) in your contacts for the moment an urge gets strong.

Gambling blocking software: Gamban and BetBlocker

Blocking apps are the backbone of any plan to block gambling sites, because they target gambling content specifically rather than relying on a list you write yourself.

Gamban

According to Gamban's pricing page (opens in a new tab), the service costs $6.99 per month billed monthly or $41.99 per year billed annually, with a 7-day free trial before the charge begins. Gamban lists features including gambling site and app blocking, progress monitoring, layered self-exclusion, resources and on-demand technical support, with apps on the Apple App Store and Google Play. Our Gamban guide covers setup in more depth.

BetBlocker

BetBlocker is another blocking tool many people use. We weren't able to verify its current price or feature list, so check its official site before relying on it. Our BetBlocker page and the wider blocking software guide compare the main options.

Blockers can usually be removed by someone determined to remove them. That isn't a reason to skip them. It's a reason to add a trusted person who holds the password, and to pair the software with self-exclusion.

Blocking yourself at the casino: self-exclusion

Software stops a site loading on your device, but your account still exists. Self-exclusion tells the casino to close or freeze your account so you can't play there even from another device. It's worth doing at every site where you have an account.

Offshore casinos set their own rules for this, because no US state licenses or regulates them. A few examples from the casinos' own pages and third-party reviews:

Where tools aren't listed, you can still ask support to close your account permanently. Our page on self-exclusion at offshore casinos explains how to word the request, and the tool pages for SlotoCash and Silver Oak set out what each casino publishes.

State self-exclusion lists and the US legal picture

Real-money online casinos are licensed in seven states: New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Michigan, West Virginia, Delaware, Connecticut and Rhode Island. In those states and others with licensed sports betting or lotteries, state programs let you exclude yourself from the operators the state licenses.

Examples include the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement self-exclusion program (opens in a new tab), the Illinois Gaming Board self-exclusion program (opens in a new tab), Indiana's Internet Self-Restriction Program and Virginia's Voluntary Exclusion Program. A national option, the National Voluntary Self-Exclusion Program at nvsep.org, is also listed by the NCPG helpline as a resource.

The limit is important. State lists bind the operators each state licenses, and offshore casinos aren't among them. That's why blocking software and account-level self-exclusion still matter if you've played at offshore sites. Our state self-exclusion lists page and player protections offshore vs licensed explain the difference.

Can you block gambling at your bank?

Sometimes. Card networks tag gambling transactions with merchant category code 7995, and third-party payment sources report that some banks decline these transactions or block them by default. Whether your bank offers a self-service gambling block isn't something we could verify for any named US bank, so call yours and ask directly.

The legal backdrop is the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (opens in a new tab), which bars gambling businesses from accepting cards, transfers and checks in connection with unlawful internet gambling. That's one reason cards often fail at offshore sites anyway. Our answer to can banks block gambling and the guide to credit card gambling blocks go further.

Crypto is the big gap. Bank blocks don't stop Bitcoin or other coins sent from a wallet, and crypto payments generally can't be reversed. If crypto has been part of your gambling, read crypto and problem gambling.

How do I block gambling sites that still get through?

• A site still loads. Check the blocker is installed and running on that specific device and browser, and report the site to the blocker's support.
• You keep removing the blocker. Hand the password to someone you trust, and add casino self-exclusion so the account itself is closed.
• New casinos keep appearing in ads or emails. Unsubscribe, mark them as spam and avoid unofficial mirror sites, which can pop up under new addresses.
• A casino won't close your account. Keep a written record of your request; our guide to filing a casino complaint covers next steps.
• The urge is stronger than the blocks. That's a sign to add human support: Gamblers Anonymous, counseling or a call to the helpline.

Beyond blocking gambling sites: getting support

Blocks control access; they don't address why gambling became hard to stop. Pairing them with support makes them far more likely to hold.

The National Problem Gambling Helpline at 1-800-MY-RESET (1-800-697-3738) is free, confidential and open 24/7, with call, text and chat through the National Council on Problem Gambling (opens in a new tab). Our explainer on what 1-800-MY-RESET is covers what to expect, and what is Gamblers Anonymous explains peer meetings.

If you're in crisis or thinking about suicide, call or text 988. In an emergency, call 911.

21+ (18+ where allowed). Every casino game has a built-in house edge, so over time you should expect to lose what you stake. Set a budget before you play and stop when it’s gone: responsible gambling tools and free help. Gambling problem? Call or text 1-800-MY-RESET (1-800-697-3738).