Should the US adopt the UK’s gambling self-exclusion system?

The increase in popularity of online gambling, stateside, has been obvious for some months now, with April marking a 32.5% surge in revenue. 

This has brought about an increase in unregulated casinos, which in turn has led to an escalation in crackdowns by the state regulators. 

It’s difficult to determine if the clampdown by state regulators is a sustainable solution to protecting players. If it’s not, it begs the question, what is? 

The UK has had success with their GamStop initiative, which was designed to provide a responsible gambling tool to curb problem gambling and protect vulnerable players. Could this be an example for the US?

A surge in US online gambling: Facts and figures 

The American Gaming Association outlines statistics on the growth of gambling by looking at each individual state. 

The biggest rise was in Kentucky, which had a consumer spending of $112.12 in 2023 and $278.10 in 2024. This is an increase of 148%. 

Statewide, the US has seen an increase in online gambling by 7.5% between 2023 and 2024. 

Pennsylvania’s iGaming revenue has increased from roughly 2.5 million dollars in 2021 to around 4.6 million dollars in 2024, representing an enormous increase which has taken place over the last decade. 

This rise in revenue from online gambling was seen as an opportunity too good to pass up, and subsequently has led to the birth of sweepstake casinos. 

At the moment, these casinos are a constant target for the state law makers, but they keep reappearing. 

What is currently keeping US players safe?

At the moment, the US has the National Voluntary Self-Exclusion Program (NVSEP). However, this initiative is only active in 6 states: 

• California 

• Colorado 

• Iowa

• Michigan 

• Nebraska 

• New Mexico 

The program is slightly different depending on the state, as it is with most laws. 

Nebraska and New Mexico only offer self-exclusion from fantasy sports operators, and California’s self-exclusion is only for land-based casinos. 

The company offers peer support services and claims to have over 100,000 Americans using their tools. However, from the website, it is unclear whether these services are provided free of charge or not. 

The dangers of unregulated gambling

Encouraged by the surge in popularity of online casinos, unregulated and offshore sites have attempted to tap into the US market.

This has led to many online gamblers in the US inadvertently playing at unlicensed and unregulated sites, putting them at risk. The risks faced by playing at unregulated sites include: 

• No customer support.

• Rigged or unfair games. 

• No protection from identity theft or fraud.

• No guarantee of payouts.

Because gambling regulations differ from state to state where online gambling is legal, it makes a federal responsible gambling tool difficult to achieve. 

GamStop is also able to cover more bases, whereas only three states are currently offering exclusion from online gambling with NVSEP. 

The UKGC and GamStop: A case study

GamStop is a website available to the UK public. The scheme only requires you to register once, and you will be excluded from every site with a UKGC license for a predetermined period (either six months, one year or five years).        

The initiative launched in 2018 and currently has over 550,000 customers who have registered to be blocked. 

Participants also gain access to a variety of links and websites that will help them with the process. These websites include:

• Gamblers Anonymous 

• National problem gambling clinic 

• SENSE (self-exclusion tool for land casinos) 

From this significant pool of people, 75% felt more in control of their gambling afterwards. 

Last year, GamStop revealed a 30% increase in the number of 16 - 24 year olds registering. This suggests that despite a rise in addiction, there is also a rise in people seeking help, showing how important these resources are. 

The positives of GamStop

Has it all been rosy or have there been some concerns - we take a closer look. 

There are mostly positive reviews for Gamstop. One user on X writes: 

“Ended up registering with GamStop which completely broke the habit”. 

Another claims: 

“I’m currently on GAMSTOP which has been working 100%”

A safety net with holes

Whilst GamStop is designed to protect vulnerable players, let’s not pretend that it doesn’t have noticeable gaps that weaken its effectiveness. 

One major issue seems to be that some players have been able to work around the GamStop exclusion, simply by changing some of their details. One player moved house and was able to access all gambling sites again. 

Another major issue is that participation is mandatory only for UK-licensed operators, meaning offshore casinos can simply opt out. 

Many of these unregulated or foreign sites actively market themselves as “Not on GamStop”, often through social media ads and affiliate sites. This kind of advertising undermines the programme’s purpose, effectively inviting self-excluded players to sidestep restrictions and continue gambling. 

Research by the UK Gambling Commission in 2022 found that nearly half of self-excluded players had tried to access non-GamStop sites, with some reporting significant financial losses as a result.

The mix of aggressive offshore marketing and players finding ways around the system shows that, while GamStop is a helpful safety net, it still has big gaps that can be exploited.

Would a GamStop-style program work in the US?  

Introducing a nationwide self-exclusion scheme in the US could be challenging. 

Gambling regulations are set at the state level, meaning a federal agreement would require lengthy negotiations. And this doesn’t even take into account legal obstacles. 

Even if a consensus were reached, developing and rolling out a centralised programme across dozens of different regulatory frameworks would be complex. 

There’s also the challenge of enforcement. Without strong measures to block unregulated and offshore operators, determined players could still find ways around the system (like what happens in the UK). 

There is no doubt that a country-wide responsible gambling tool would help a lot of people, however, there are quite a few other aspects to make it work. 

To succeed, a US version would need to: 

• Establish cooperation between all state regulators. 

• Include strong measures against unlicensed gambling sites.

• Create an inclusive platform accessible to every player, regardless of state or operator. 

A tool like this could make a real difference in reducing gambling harm, but the US would need to address these legal, commercial, and enforcement challenges for it to work effectively.