Gamstop Hits Record Self-Exclusions Before 2026 World Cup

Gamstop recorded its highest ever monthly total of self-exclusion sign-ups in May 2026, registering 12,236 people in a single month as the run-up to the 2026 FIFA World Cup drove a surge in demand for the UK national self-exclusion scheme. Registrations across the first half of 2026 rose 16 percent year on year, and sign-ups among people under 25 jumped 26 percent, according to figures released by The Gamstop Group.

The data lands at a sensitive moment for the British gambling industry. A major international football tournament typically triggers a spike in both betting activity and requests to self-exclude, and Gamstop has warned that the biggest wave of sign-ups may still be coming once the World Cup ends and casual bettors try to stop.

What are the key numbers behind Gamstop's record?

Gamstop's May 2026 figure of 12,236 registrations is the highest monthly total since the scheme launched in April 2018. The headline data points from The Gamstop Group are as follows.

• 12,236 sign-ups in May 2026, an all-time high for a single month (The Gamstop Group, July 2026).
• 16 percent year-on-year growth in total registrations across the first half of 2026, comparing H1 2026 with H1 2025.
• 26 percent year-on-year rise in registrations among people under 25, who now make up nearly one in three of all new self-exclusions.
• More than seven in 10 new registrations came from men.

How does May 2026 compare with a year earlier?

May 2026 sits well above the previous benchmark of May 2025, when Gamstop registered 10,344 sign-ups in what was then a record month. The latest total represents an increase of roughly 18 percent on that figure, and it continues a clear upward trend in how many British consumers are choosing to block themselves from every licensed online gambling site at once.

Metric	H1 2025	H1 2026
Record single month	10,344 (May 2025)	12,236 (May 2026)
Total registrations, year on year	Up 19 percent	Up 16 percent
Under-25 registrations, year on year	Up 44 percent (ages 16 to 24)	Up 26 percent

The growth rate has cooled slightly from the exceptional 19 percent recorded in the first half of 2025, but the absolute numbers keep climbing, which suggests the tool is becoming a more established part of how UK players manage their gambling rather than a one-off reaction.

Why is the World Cup driving self-exclusion sign-ups?

Major football tournaments pull large numbers of occasional bettors into the market, and Gamstop expects that surge to translate into more self-exclusions as the 2026 World Cup progresses. The 2026 edition, co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico and expanded to 48 teams, is the largest World Cup ever staged, giving operators an unusually long calendar of marketable fixtures.

Matt Burgiss, Head of External Affairs at The Gamstop Group, said the concern is what happens once the final whistle blows.

"There is a real risk that people have increased their gambling during the World Cup and once the tournament is over, they might find it more difficult to stop."

Gamstop has said it expects July 2026 sign-ups to exceed even the May record, noting that self-exclusion demand often peaks immediately after a big tournament or the moment a home nation is knocked out.

What does Gamstop actually do?

Gamstop is a free service that lets a person block themselves from all online gambling websites and apps licensed in Great Britain with a single registration. Every operator holding a British licence is required by the Gambling Commission to integrate with the scheme, so one sign-up applies across every regulated site rather than site by site.

Users choose an exclusion period of six months, one year or five years. Once the period is set it cannot be lifted early, and it does not deactivate automatically. When it expires the person has to take a deliberate step to reactivate their accounts, which builds in a cooling-off buffer by design.

Why does the rise among under-25s matter most?

The sharpest concern in the new data is the age profile. Registrations among under-25s rose 26 percent year on year, and this group now accounts for close to one in three of all new self-exclusions. Younger people are heavily targeted by in-play betting, casino content and social media promotion, and a rising share choosing to lock themselves out points to real harm rather than casual caution.

The pattern mirrors 2025, when Gamstop reported that sign-ups among 16 to 24 year olds climbed 44 percent in the first half of the year. Two consecutive years of double-digit growth among the youngest cohort is one of the clearest warning signs in the UK responsible gambling picture.

What has Gamstop's leadership said?

Fiona Palmer, Chief Executive of The Gamstop Group, framed the record as evidence that consumers increasingly see self-exclusion as a practical tool rather than a last resort.

"The fact that self-exclusion has again increased significantly year on year shows that users are continuing to find it an invaluable tool."

Palmer has previously described Gamstop as a preventative measure that gives people "breathing space to take back control," positioning it alongside deposit limits and time-outs rather than as a step taken only in crisis.

How does this fit the wider UK gambling debate?

The record comes as UK policymakers tighten rules on gambling advertising and sponsorship. The government has consulted on restricting unlicensed operators from sponsoring British sport, and the sector is still absorbing the statutory levy on operators that funds research, prevention and treatment of gambling harm. A rising self-exclusion count feeds directly into the argument that tournament-time marketing pushes vulnerable users past their limits.

For operators, the numbers cut two ways. A high sign-up count can be read as the safer-gambling infrastructure working as intended, catching people before deeper harm. It can equally be read by regulators and campaigners as a symptom of how much gambling activity the World Cup unleashes in the first place.

What happens after a self-exclusion ends?

Gamstop's data hints at a looming pressure point. Many people who exclude during a tournament choose the minimum six-month term, which means a cohort registering now will reach the end of their exclusion in early 2027. That is the moment operators are permitted to contact them again and reopen accounts, and it is historically when some users relapse.

Responsible gambling groups argue that the reactivation window is where extra friction and support should sit, so that a person leaving self-exclusion is not immediately met with fresh bonus offers.

Is a rising self-exclusion figure good news or bad news?

It is both, and that tension is the point. Higher registrations show awareness of the tool is growing and that people at risk are able to find and use it, which is a functioning safety net. At the same time, a record number of Britons blocking themselves from every licensed site during a football tournament underlines how strongly major sporting events drive gambling participation, and how many people feel they need a hard stop to control it.

What should the industry watch next?

The next data release covering July 2026 will show whether Gamstop's prediction of a post-World-Cup peak holds. If July surpasses the May record, it will confirm that tournament marketing and the emotional swings of a home nation's campaign are the single biggest short-term driver of self-exclusion in the UK. Operators, the Gambling Commission and treatment providers will all be watching that number closely.

Frequently asked questions

How many people signed up to Gamstop in May 2026?

Gamstop registered 12,236 self-exclusions in May 2026, the highest monthly total since the scheme launched in April 2018.

How much have Gamstop registrations grown in 2026?

Total registrations rose 16 percent year on year in the first half of 2026, and registrations among people under 25 rose 26 percent over the same period.

Why are self-exclusions rising during the World Cup?

Major football tournaments draw more people into betting, and Gamstop has warned that some increase their gambling during the World Cup and then struggle to stop, driving more people to self-exclude before and after the event.

Can a Gamstop self-exclusion be cancelled early?

No. Once a person selects a six-month, one-year or five-year exclusion it cannot be lifted before the term ends, and accounts do not reopen automatically when it expires.

Does Gamstop cover every UK gambling site?

Yes. Every operator licensed by the Gambling Commission to offer online gambling in Great Britain must integrate with Gamstop, so a single registration applies across all of them.

Updated July 2026. Figures reported by SBC News and The Gamstop Group. If you or someone you know is affected by gambling, free confidential support is available through the National Gambling Helpline on 0808 8020 133. This is trade news for a professional audience and is intended for readers aged 18 and over.