More than 84,000 people in the UK registered with GAMSTOP in 2022. It was the highest annual figure recorded by the country’s self-exclusion service since its launch in 2018. Overall, there are now 341,365 Brits who have signed up for GAMSTOP over the past four years.
Record Increase Could be Driven by Inflation
GAMSTOP allows players to exclude themselves from all online gambling sites for a certain period. The process enables them to reduce their online gambling activity and protect them from gambling harm.
GAMSTOP CEO Fiona Palmer has welcomed the record increase in registrations, which she said is a positive step towards providing support for even more people. Palmer said they cannot single out one factor for the rise in numbers but the ongoing inflation and present economic situation could be one of the main reasons why more and more people have decided to use the service.
Gambling Awareness Campaign Must Continue
While most of those registered with GAMSTOP are men, the self-exclusion service saw a record increase in the number of women signing up in August 2022, with female users making up 34% of the new registrations recorded during the month.
Palmer said that while the rise in registrations is seen as good news, the figures also show that more and more people in the UK are experiencing gambling problems, which emphasizes the need to continue to raise awareness about the issue.
