How To Block online casinos In UK

Players and punters from all over the world, including the UK, tend to prefer online betting sites more than real-life casino floors. The reasons are obvious: ease of access, lots of immediate choices, and plenty of chances to win without leaving home. While the vibe at brick-and-mortar venues is something that true casino lovers cherish, the vast opportunities that the world of online casinos offers can be a serious alternative.

Nowadays, everyone has access to the internet, and they only need a handheld mobile device or a regular PC to engage in online gambling activities. This is both a blessing and a curse, as the easy access and often limitless settings can provide the best environment for developing a gambling addiction. This is where online casino blocking comes in handy. If you are curious to find out how to block online casinos, this review is for you.

Gambling addiction symptoms are something that must be taken seriously, although many people neglect it and things go out of hand too easily for them to realize. Blocking access to online casinos is one of the primary methods to use when you need to confront gambling addiction issues when they are still in their initial phase.

Trying to resist wagering one more time would almost always be an ineffective strategy. Nobody would be able to apply self-control when they are already past the point where they can’t make correct and realistic assessments of the situation and all the factors that should otherwise tell them they have a problem. As a result, massive losses are generated, and users often go into debt.

Given all the above, it’s crucial to learn all the top ways to block online casinos. Instead of amassing a huge debt and trying to resurface without real results, online casino blocking should be the way to go. In today’s review, you will learn how online casino blocking works, what are the best software solutions and programs to use when you need to block online casinos, and you’ll learn all about the benefits of blocking online casinos.

How Does Online Casino Blocking Work?

Online casino blocking, as noted above, is often a much needed precaution that can be the difference between an addiction and a safe, healthy attitude toward online gaming and betting. The good news is that there are plenty of ways to block online casino sites. In this section, we’ll cover some of the most popular ways to achieve this effect. The most popular ways by far are to block online casinos using casino blocking software or join a self-exclusion platform.

Block Online Casinos On Your Desktop and Mobile Web Browsers

Using website blockers is one popular way to restrict access to betting sites. This is a simple, yet effective method to block all online casinos that you prefer not to visit by adding settings to your web browser. By doing this, it would be impossible for you to open any website related to gambling or gaming. Once you choose the sites you don’t want to visit, an error message will pop up every time you try to enter either of them. However, this is not the best idea to implement, as there are more reliable ways to block casino sites online, as you could be tempted to remove the settings and allow access to the sites once again.

It’s important to remember all the casino websites you have visited and created an account. You will need to sign out from all of them and possibly delete your user account details, just to make sure you won’t be able to access the profile you created even if you are able to load the site. In some cases, installing a VPN can help you block gambling websites, and in other cases, removing one would be the solution, in case you used it to have access to certain casino platforms online.

Avoid Temptation by Blocking Online Casino Content and Promotions

Another efficient and easy-to-implement method that will help you block online casinos is to simply stay away from temptation. This means that you can filter the content coming your way in many possible ways. For instance, you could remove all social media suggested posts, ads, groups, individual profiles, and company pages that might act as a trigger to your gambling addiction symptoms. It’s not that easy to get rid of all such triggers, but it’s perfectly doable, although it would take some time to clean all such content. This measure works best if you don’t have your banking cards near you all the time, as you might be tempted to use them for what seems to you as one last gamble. When you’re bored and tempted to wager on sports or bet on a live dealer table, it’s easy to spend money you’re not supposed to on gambling.

Replace Gambling with a Different Activity

You can try to block online betting sites in many different ways, but there would most often be a void that needs to be filled. In such cases, the best way to block online casinos is to replace them with another kind of activity that will bring excitement and possibly replace the feeling you would seek by trying to join online casinos.

One proven way to do this is to take a break from gambling by replacing them with trivia game platforms, online puzzles, quiz websites, and more. Such platforms can keep your mind busy and bring entertainment your way.

If none of the above helps to a great extent, you can always resort to professional help. There are specialists dealing with all kinds of addiction that could help you feel complete after you have blocked all online casinos you used to visit and you are tempted to join them again.

Uninstall All Gambling Apps

Trying to install an ad blocker on your smartphone’s mobile web browser might help restrict access to certain online casinos, but there is another way to remove access to betting platforms that you should try first: remove gambling apps. Many online betting sites boast proprietary mobile apps. They are handy pieces of software that allow you to dive into the world of gambling and gaming with a single tap on the screen, without the need for loading a website in the browser and typing your user and password every time. The ease of access is the primary reason to remove all gambling apps from your mobile phone.

To remove an app, you can’t just tap on the app icon and delete it. This would only eliminate the shortcut on your mobile device’s screen. What you need to do is go to the settings menu of the device and find the app manager. From there, you need to mark all casino and sports betting apps and select each of them individually before you tap on the “uninstall” button. By doing this, you will make sure you won’t have immediate access to any online casino site. It works best combined with blocking websites on your web browser: by using both methods, you would eliminate the two most common ways to access online betting sites.

Find Professional Support

If you’re not convinced that all the above methods would be of good use in your particular case, it always pays off to seek professional help, as noted above. There are steps to take if you want to avoid this, though. For instance, you can choose to remove some of the people in your circle. If your friends show similar gambling addiction symptoms, you will be better off distancing yourself from them, even if it is for a while. Additionally, you need to spend more time with the closest people to you, as long as they are supportive of your efforts to overcome these issues. Chances are, only your closest family members and friends would know about this. Having someone to rely on during such a recovery is invaluable and can speed up the process to a significant extent.

Join Self-Exclusion Programs and Platforms

If all the methods listed above are not helping as much as you’d like and you’re always tempted to undo all of the decisions you’ve made following the advice we shared so far, not all is lost. There is still a way to make sure you will be safe from entering online betting sites even if you really want to: join a self-exclusion program.

Individuals with serious addiction problems often choose such a solution as their last resort, and it works because it was designed with a simple, but effective idea in mind – to help users block themselves from accessing multiple casino sites by making a single decision.

The self-exclusion platform or program you choose needs to have a wide scope, meaning that you will be safe from entering as many online gambling sites as possible. But there is an alternative: you can do this individually. If you are part of a casino platform, you can request to have your account removed permanently. Since you can only have a single user profile at any online betting site, you won’t be able to register another. To self-exclude from any given online casino, you need to contact customer support and explain what the situation is about. Once they confirm your request and fulfill it, you will be denied access to the particular betting site. UK-registered betting sites always provide a self-exclusion option because they are required by local regulators such as the United Kingdom Gambling Commission (UKGC). This brings us to the best solution of them all – to join a program that will help you lose access to all local betting sites at once. One of the best solutions by far is GamStop.

GamStop is surely the most popular way to self-exclude from multiple online betting sites at once if you are residing in the UK. Not all betting sites available in the UK are covered by this platform, though. Only the ones registered locally and regulated by UK authorities shape its scope. Online casinos not on GamStop can still be accessed from the UK.

GamStop is a multi-operator self-exclusion platform that users from the UK and Northern Ireland can use to restrict themselves from entering as many betting sites as possible. It is one of the ways to block online casinos that always have the best effect on gambling addiction symptoms.

Depending on your decision or the severity of the situation, you can choose an appropriate period to self-exclude from gambling. It could be between six months and five years. Keep in mind that enforcing this measure is permanent for the chosen period, and there is no way to cancel your subscription or delete your GamStop account.

Creating such an account doesn’t cost anything. All you need to do is to provide your name, birth date, current and previous address, email, and phone number. Once your self-exclusion period expires, the ban on all UK-based bookies will not expire, and the system would still block online casino sites. To remove the ban, you will need to confirm it, as it will not be lifted automatically.

Types of Online Casino Blocking Software

Except for the ways to block UK casino sites listed above, you can choose another popular method that needs special attention: online casino blocking software. In this section, we will cover the types of online casino sites blocking software and suggest the best solution to go for if you want to see results fast.

There are a couple of online casino blocking software types:

• Gambling-specific solutions: This type only works with gambling sites and makes sure you are not allowed to enter them.
• General solution: This software type has a wider scope of things and includes other sites that need restrictions based on various reasons, such as parenting control or sensitive content.

The most popular online casino blocking software in the UK is Gamban. Similar to GamStop, it’s completely free to use thanks to a collaboration between GamStop and another charity program dedicated to gambling addiction prevention and removal – GamCare.

Using Gamban is very simple. The software works by blocking all gaming sites it has in its scope. The latter is very wide, and once you start using the software, you will be automatically restricted from accessing thousands of UK betting sites on GamStop.

Gamban works without any compromises, and it’s also very hard to remove. In fact, once downloaded and installed, it cannot be uninstalled like any other app or extension, which speaks of the software’s determination to do its job.

Gamban’s scope is unprecedented. Once you install this software, you will automatically block not only UK-registered gambling and casino sites and apps, but also thousands of similar entities from across the globe. In total, Gamban blocks over 60,000 casino and betting sites and apps. It works equally well on PC, Android, and iOS. It’s easy to download and install, and in case there are issues, you can contact the available 24/7 customer support via live chat. There is a 7-day free trial you can take advantage of as well.

How to Block Online Casinos on PC

Blocking online casinos on PC can be done in either of the ways listed above, but most players simply use specific software. Obviously, Gamban is a great choice, given all its perks listed above, but there are alternatives to consider, such as Gamblock, BetBlocker, BetQuir, Netnanny, and more.

How to Block Online Casinos on Mac

Almost all the software solutions used to block online casinos on your browser that are applicable to any desktop PC can be used on Mac as well, because they have compatible versions designed for this machine. The list of possible online casino blockers for Mac includes Gamban, BetBlocker, Netnanny, BetQuit, Goodbye Gambling, and more.

How to Block Online Casinos on Mobile

Blocking online casinos on your mobile device (whether it’s an Android or iOS device) is as easy as doing it on your desktop PC. There are universal apps that have specific versions designed to work with different operating systems, such as Gamban, BetBlocker, and BetQuit. The relevant versions of these software products are available on Google Play Store and App Store.

Can I Use Online Banking to Block Online Casinos?

You can use online banking to block online casinos, although not all banks and banking apps would allow this. The easiest way to prohibit online casinos and prevent yourself from spending money at one is to freeze your account using your banking app. Sometimes, it’s even possible to use online banking to block payments to specific betting sites, which solves being unable to gamble online.

These precautions may not be possible due to some banks’ policies, but most banking institutions would allow you to do both using your online app.

Will Blocking Software Help Me Stop Gambling?

Using online casino blocking software could help you prevent your gambling addiction from getting worse or even remove any symptoms. Still, it is often not enough to help you battle such conditions, but it’s one of the best ways to help you control your behaviour and restrict your urge to wager money on sports or casino games.

The best way to tackle the problem using any of the tools we shared above is to combine them. This could amplify their effect and show better results. For example, you can use an online casino blocker in combination with a self-exclusion program, which would result in a wide array of blocked UK and international betting sites.

Going into debt is easy when you have a gambling problem, which is why relying on online casino blocking software is often not enough to prevent you from losing money if you happen to succumb to your gambling cravings.

Can I Block Gambling Sites Using My Router?

You can use your internet router to block gambling sites. All you need to do is follow a few simple steps. Keep in mind that the procedure might be slightly different, depending on the model and type of the router. Most times, it goes like this:

Step 1: Enter the router’s IP address in the URL space in your preferred web browser

Step 2: Add the username and password you’ve chosen to enter the settings menu of the router

Step 3: Go to the URL/Web Filter settings sub-menu

Step 4: Type the URL addresses of the online casinos you want to block

Step 5: Save all changes and proceed with restarting the router

From that moment on, all gambling sites you added will no longer be accessible, as long as you use the same router. You can do the same in case you change the router and keep this functionality if it’s of good use to you.

Pros of Blocking Online Casinos

The pros of blocking online casinos are obvious, but the most important one is the simple fact that blocking online casinos in the UK can help you regain control of your gambling addiction. Not only that, but doing so would be beneficial for your finances. Gambling addiction almost always equals debt, and this is something you must sort out as soon as possible.

Cons of Blocking Online Casinos

The cons of blocking casino games are apparent as well, mainly considering the fact you will no longer be able to enjoy casino games. It’s a sacrifice that must be made for a higher cause. Being able to get rid of your gambling addiction and habits will help you enjoy casino games more from the moment you become ready to enter the world of online gambling again, as soon you regain control of your addiction symptoms, of course.

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