Which scheme covers which venue
A multi-operator scheme lets you make a single request to self-exclude from the same type of land-based gambling within your area [1]. The Commission's social responsibility code makes this a licence condition for non-remote betting, bingo and casino licences (with an exception for betting on tracks) and for adult gaming centres. These licensees must offer a customer who self-excludes the chance to do the same at other licensees' premises in the locality, through one or more available multi-operator schemes [2].
| Venue | Scheme | How to register |
|---|---|---|
| Betting shops | GAMSTOP Betting Shops, also known as MOSES | By phone, on 0800 294 2060. Not by email. |
| Bingo premises | BISES, run by the Bingo Association | In person at a licensed bingo premises, or by phoning the premises. |
| Adult gaming centres, motorway service areas, holiday parks | SmartEXCLUSION, on technology from Boomerang Digital | In person at a participating venue, or by phoning 01482 441 142 and choosing option 1. |
| Arcades, motorway service areas, family entertainment centres | The BACTA scheme | In person at the premises. For advice, phone 01482 441 142 and choose option 1. |
| Casinos | SENSE | Through the scheme's website, at a casino venue or with an email form. |
Source: Gambling Commission list of free multi-operator and national self-exclusion schemes (page last updated 7 September 2026), the GAMSTOP Betting Shops terms and the SmartEXCLUSION page.
The Commission lists the betting-shop scheme under the GAMSTOP name [1]. This guide covers betting shops in detail, then the other venue schemes in brief.
How the betting-shop scheme works
GAMSTOP Betting Shops launched in 2016 as MOSES. It is a free service for people who want to self-exclude from multiple land-based bookmakers in Great Britain, run by a not-for-profit company, the Multi-Operator Self-Exclusion Scheme Ltd [3]. Its terms say you may also see it called Gamstop Betting Shops or MOSES [4].
- Phone 0800 294 2060. You are asked which areas you visit or are likely to visit, taking into account where you live, work and socialise. The team uses a mapping tool to find the betting shops there and adds them to your exclusion [5]. You cannot self-exclude by emailing [4].
- Send photo ID and a photo. You provide a copy of your passport or driver's licence and a clear, up-to-date photograph of your face, by post or by email. The team keeps the ID and says it will not be used for other purposes [5].
- Wait for it to take effect. The exclusion does not start until the photograph is received and the ID checks are complete, and it may take up to 10 working days from completion [4].
- Add shops later. You can add more betting shops to your exclusion at any time by phoning the team [5].
If you go into a shop on your list and staff identify you, you are asked to leave. If you refuse, the shop team will refuse to serve you [4]. The Commission's code requires licensees to keep a register of people who have self-excluded, hold photo ID and a signature, train staff, and remove excluded people found in the gambling area [6].
- Accounts you name on the call. If you give details of online, telephone or betting-shop accounts with a named operator or its group companies, those accounts are closed for the period and any remaining funds are returned. The exclusion is applied by the usernames, account numbers and email addresses you give on the call [4].
- No new accounts. During the exclusion you may not open new online, telephone or betting-shop accounts with the named operators or their group companies [4].
- Facial recognition. Where you have consented, some operators may use it in the named premises or their other premises to help you keep to your exclusion. You can withdraw consent by phoning the scheme, and your exclusion stays in place [4].
Bingo premises, arcades and casinos
Bingo. For BISES you contact your local bingo club or licensed bingo premises and are interviewed so you understand the consequences. If you go ahead you complete and sign a digital form and supply a digital image of yourself; the Bingo Association says exclusions cannot be processed without the image. You can attend in person, or phone or contact the premises through its website to arrange it without visiting [7].
Arcades and adult gaming centres. The Commission lists SmartEXCLUSION for adult gaming centres, motorway service areas and holiday parks, and the BACTA scheme for adult gaming centres, high street arcades, motorway service areas and family entertainment centres with age-controlled sections. For BACTA you self-exclude in person at the premises [1]. SmartEXCLUSION says it gives venues your image and name so they can identify you, and that your exclusion stays active for the agreed period [8].
Casinos. The Commission lists SENSE as the scheme for licensed land-based casinos. It points to the scheme's website for how to apply [1].
How long it lasts, and whether you can cancel
In the betting-shop scheme you are excluded for a fixed term of 12 months, and you cannot leave the scheme before it ends [5]. The terms say you cannot revoke, cancel or withdraw the exclusion before its stated expiry date [4]. If you are asking how to cancel a self-exclusion early, for this scheme the answer in its own terms is that you cannot.
| Step | What the terms say |
|---|---|
| The 12 months end | You stay excluded for a further 6 months unless you renew or opt to return to gambling. |
| During those 6 months | You can phone the scheme to discuss your options. With your agreement, the exclusion can be extended for a further 12 months. |
| You opt to return | There is a 24-hour cooling-off period before the scheme processes your request, and up to 10 working days for all the named operators to be told. |
| Your accounts | You contact each operator's customer service to reactivate accounts, with a further 24-hour cooling-off period. An operator may refuse if you have other active self-exclusions with it. |
Source: GAMSTOP Betting Shops terms and conditions, section on the end of self-exclusion.
For gambling venues in general, the Commission's good-practice code says the minimum period offered should be not less than 6 nor more than 12 months. It also says an exclusion should be extendable on request for further periods of at least 6 months, and should stay in place for 6 months after the period ends unless the customer takes positive action to gamble again. Someone who asks to start again in that time should have a day to cool off, and must ask by phone or in person [9].
That code is good practice, not a licence condition. The BISES and SmartEXCLUSION pages we read do not state a minimum period or an early-exit route, so ask the scheme or the venue before you register [7] [8].
How it relates to GAMSTOP
The Commission lists GAMSTOP Online and GAMSTOP Betting Shops as separate schemes. GAMSTOP Online covers gambling websites and apps run by businesses licensed in Great Britain, while GAMSTOP Betting Shops covers shops, and is joined by phone [1]. GAMSTOP says many people who use GAMSTOP Online also use GAMSTOP Betting Shops [10].
Our guide to how GAMSTOP works covers the online scheme's four period options and what happens when yours ends. The Bingo Association says it cannot help with online bingo, and points people to the operator or to GAMSTOP [7].
If gambling is a problem
Self-exclusion is one tool among several. Safer gambling and help lists the National Gambling Helpline and other support. The Commission's code also tells licensees to signpost you to counselling and support services when they administer a self-exclusion [6].
Sources
The numbers in the text point to these pages. Each was opened on the date shown.
- Gambling Commission, Free multi operator and national self-exclusion schemes (page last updated 7 September 2026). Read 27 October 2026.
- Gambling Commission, LCCP 3.5.6 Multi-operator non-remote SR code. Read 27 October 2026.
- Multi-Operator Self-Exclusion Scheme Ltd, GAMSTOP Betting Shops: home page. Read 27 October 2026.
- Multi-Operator Self-Exclusion Scheme Ltd, GAMSTOP Betting Shops: terms and conditions (December 2025). Read 27 October 2026.
- Multi-Operator Self-Exclusion Scheme Ltd, GAMSTOP Betting Shops: how the scheme works. Read 27 October 2026.
- Gambling Commission, LCCP 3.5.1 Self exclusion, non-remote and trading rooms SR code. Read 27 October 2026.
- Bingo Association, Bingo Industry Self-Exclusion Scheme (BISES). Read 27 October 2026.
- Boomerang Digital, SmartEXCLUSION. Read 27 October 2026.
- Gambling Commission, LCCP 3.5.2 Self-exclusion, non-remote ordinary code. Read 27 October 2026.
- GAMSTOP, Control your gambling (home page). Read 27 October 2026.
About this guide
Published by Avenmark Media. A separate pass re-opened every source above and checked each claim against it, on . A second, independent check compared a sample of the claims with the same sources. How we research and correct our pages.
Found a mistake? Email [email protected]. We correct the page, change its updated date and say what changed.