Self-exclusion scheme Gamstop announced that 84,000 registered with the service in 2022, a record total since the service’s launch in 2018.
This means that a total of 341,365 people are now self-excluding from participating in online gambling activities with the platform.
In July, Gamstop announced that it had reached 300,000 users. The organisation also launched a campaign promoting self-exclusion in December.
Gamstop said that of new users in the last six months, 30% have been women, and 48% have chosen to exclude themselves for five years – the longest possible timeframe. This compares with 24% of users who decided to self-exclude for a year.
Gamstop users continue to be registered by the platform when their exclusion expires, unless they request to be removed.
While Gamstop CEO Fiona Palmer did not single out a single factor that contributed to the rise in registrations, the former Sky Betting and Gaming head of compliance said that it was “likely” that the economic climate and cost of living crisis are influencing the decisions people are making about their lifestyle.
“In 2022 we saw more than 80,000 new registrations, which is a positive step towards supporting even more people,” she said.
“However, as we see an increase in the number of those with gambling problems, it’s important we continue to raise awareness amongst friends and family of those who most need it, and that we continue to work with bank blocking and other support services to provide a comprehensive solution”.
Seasonal variations
Gamstop reported that all age groups tended to use the scheme, with 40% of users typically in the 25-34 age bracket. This contrasts with around one quarter who were aged 35-44 and just below one fifth of individuals aged between 18-24.
Since the platform’s launch, seasonal variations in the data have been observed in the registration patterns, with the highest volumes typically occurring during the winter months.
This trend changed in 2022, with the highest number of registrations happening on a single day taking place on 1 July, with more than 371 people enrolling in the scheme.
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