Self-Exclusion in Ireland: Tools That Actually Work

Self-exclusion and staying in control in Ireland

Ireland has no national self-exclusion scheme. There is no single sign-up that blocks you from every gambling site at once, and if you have read about one, it was not describing Ireland. The National Gambling Exclusion Register exists in law, but it has not been switched on.

What does exist is a set of tools that work well together: excluding yourself with each operator you hold an account with, a gambling block on your bank card, blocking software on your devices, and deposit limits, which licensed operators are now obliged to offer you.

If you would rather talk to someone before doing anything, the National Gambling Helpline is free and confidential on 1800 936 725, 24 hours a day. You do not need to be in crisis to call it, and you do not need to have made any decisions first.

The short version

• There is no national register yet. It is provided for in the Gambling Regulation Act 2024 and the GRAI is building it. No launch date has been confirmed.

• Self-exclusion is done operator by operator. You ask each site or shop separately, which means it only covers the accounts you can remember.

• Bank gambling blocks are the widest net currently available. AIB, Bank of Ireland, PTSB, EBS and Revolut all offer one, and switching it off takes a cooling-off period.

• Blocking software stops the site loading rather than stopping the payment, so it catches things a bank block misses.

• Deposit limits are now an obligation. Since 5 February 2026, licensed operators must let you set limits on what you gamble online.

• Layers matter more than any one tool. Each has a gap. Together they cover most of each other's.

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Why there is no national scheme yet

The Gambling Regulation Act 2024 provides for a National Gambling Exclusion Register: a single list you could join once, which every operator licensed by the Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland would have to check. Once you were on it, a licensed operator could not let you register, could not accept a gambling payment from you, and could not send you anything encouraging you to gamble.

That is the design. It is not yet the reality.

Citizens Information lists the Register under upcoming supports rather than current ones, alongside the ban on inducements and the restrictions on advertising. The measures that did commence on 5 February 2026 are a different and shorter set: the ban on paying for gambling by credit card, the ban on children gambling or being employed by licensees, the ban on ATMs in gambling venues, and the requirement that operators let you set limits on what you gamble online.

The GRAI has said it is designing and developing the Register and that licensees will have to connect to it. Beyond that, no date has been confirmed, and the obligations depend on further regulations before they take effect.

There is a second limit worth understanding now rather than later. Even when the Register does launch, it will bind GRAI licensees. Online bookmakers have held GRAI licences since 1 July 2026. Online casinos do not, because remote gaming licences are not expected to open until 2027 or 2028. A register covering every licensed operator will therefore cover Irish bookmakers first, and not the casino sites a lot of people actually play on.

We set out the licensing sequence and what has actually commenced separately.

Self-exclusion, operator by operator

This is the main route available today, and it is more effective than its reputation suggests. It is also more work.

Self-exclusion is a formal request to an operator to stop you using its products for a set period. GamblingCare, which runs the National Gambling Helpline, sets out the usual shape of it. A short break runs from 1 to 30 days and lifts automatically at the end. A longer break runs for six months, one year, three years or five years, and you have to contact the operator yourself to start using the account again. A lifetime exclusion means the account cannot be reopened.

The periods and the process vary between operators. Online, you can usually request it through the site itself, or by email, live chat or phone. In a betting shop it is generally a paper form and a photograph, so that staff can recognise you.

Two things make the difference between an exclusion that holds and one that does not.

Write down every account first. Operator-level exclusion only covers the operators you actually ask. An account opened years ago for a free bet, a site used once during a big meeting at Galway or Cheltenham, an app you have forgotten is on an old phone: all of them stay open unless you deal with them. Going through your email for registration confirmations and your bank statements for gambling payments is a slow hour, and it is the hour that decides whether the rest of this works.

Remove the way back in. GamblingCare's advice is to delete the apps, shortcuts and bookmarks once an exclusion is set up. Excluding yourself and leaving the icon on your home screen leaves the decision to be made again every time you unlock your phone.

It is worth knowing that closing an account is a separate step from excluding yourself. Since 5 February 2026, licensed operators have had obligations around closing accounts and returning any money left in them. A closed account can usually be opened again, though. An exclusion is a commitment the operator has to hold for the period you chose.

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Bank gambling blocks

A bank gambling block is the broadest tool most people can switch on today, because it works across every gambling merchant at once rather than one account at a time.

AIB, Bank of Ireland, PTSB, EBS and Revolut all offer one. The block sits on your card and refuses transactions that are coded as gambling, which covers both online sites and physical venues. The GRAI keeps practical guidance on blocking tools on its own site, including how to set a block up with each bank.

Several banks let you switch it on yourself in the app. Others go through a support line. The GRAI lists an AIB Additional Support Helpline on 0818 227 056 and an EBS line on 0818 300 107, both 9am to 5pm on weekdays, and a PTSB Enhanced Customer Support team on 0818 818 721. PTSB's block is set in the app, as is Revolut's, which sits under the security settings. These details do change, so check the GRAI page or your own banking app for the current route.

Two features are what make these worth having. They are opt-in, so nothing happens unless you choose it. And removing one triggers a mandatory cooling-off period rather than taking effect immediately, which puts a delay exactly where a delay helps most. Revolut's own guidance for Ireland says the block takes effect straight away once enabled and cannot be bypassed.

What a bank block does not do. These blocks work on card rails, using merchant category codes. They do not stop bank transfers, they do not stop payments made through some third-party apps, and they cannot catch a merchant that classifies itself under a non-gambling code. A bank block is a strong layer. It is not a complete seal, and it is worth knowing that before you rely on it as one.

The three pillar banks operate theirs under the Common Commitment of Care for Problem Gambling, a framework launched with the Irish Banking Culture Board in September 2025 and supported by the GRAI, which also commits them to trained staff, dedicated support lines and signposting to GamblingCare and MABS. Research behind it found that around 90% of gambling in Ireland happens online, and about 99% of those transactions are made on a debit card. That is why the tool is built around cards.

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Blocking software on your devices

Where a bank block stops the payment, blocking software stops the site loading in the first place. The two fail in different ways, which is exactly why they are worth running together.

Gamban is the product GamblingCare lists among its online support resources. It blocks gambling sites and apps across Windows, Mac, iOS and Android, and one licence covers all your devices. It is a paid subscription with a short free trial, and GamblingCare directs people to Gamban's own site for current features and pricing.

Extern Problem Gambling has also developed a Stop Gambling App, built out of its counselling team's experience of what actually helps people who are trying to stop. The GRAI signposts it alongside the commercial blockers.

Most phones and laptops also have content restrictions built into the operating system that can block gambling categories without any extra software. It is a blunter tool, but it costs nothing and takes a couple of minutes.

One honest caveat. No blocker is airtight, and someone determined to get around one usually can. That is not an argument for skipping it. The purpose of a blocker is not to make gambling impossible forever; it is to put friction in the way at the moment the urge arrives, so that the decision has to be made deliberately rather than in a few seconds.

Deposit and spend limits

Limits are the one control tool in this article that Irish law now requires. The obligation on operators to let you set limits on how much you gamble online commenced on 5 February 2026 and is one of the four measures Citizens Information lists as being in force.

A limit does a different job from an exclusion. An exclusion is a wall. A limit is a ceiling you set for yourself while carrying on, which suits someone who wants to stay in control rather than stop altogether.

The usual qualifier applies, and it matters here. The obligation binds licensees. Online bookmakers have held GRAI licences since 1 July 2026, so it applies to them. Online casinos hold no Irish licence, so where a casino offers limits it does so under its own regulator or as its own policy. Most do offer them. It is just worth knowing which one is doing the work.

Set a limit at a point when you are not playing, and set it lower than feels comfortable. Many operators make reductions take effect immediately and apply a delay to increases, but that is the operator's own design rather than an Irish requirement, so check how yours handles it before you rely on the delay.

Putting the layers together

Every tool here has a gap. Operator exclusion covers only the accounts you remember. A bank block covers cards but not transfers. Blocking software covers the device you installed it on. A limit still leaves you playing. Used on its own, any one of them can be worked around without much effort.

Used together, they cover most of each other's weak points. A workable order:

1. Talk to someone first if you can. The helpline on 1800 936 725 is free, confidential and answered around the clock, and it can point you at counselling as well as tools.

2. List every gambling account you hold. Email and bank statements are the fastest way to find the ones you have forgotten.

3. Self-exclude with each one, choosing a period long enough that you will not be unpicking it in a fortnight.

4. Switch on the gambling block on every card and account you hold, not just the one you usually pay with.

5. Install blocking software on every device, including the ones easy to overlook: the work laptop, the old tablet, a spare phone.

6. Get the money side supported. MABS gives free, confidential and independent money advice on 0818 07 2000, and handing day-to-day banking to someone you trust is a common and sensible step rather than a drastic one.

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What changes when the Register arrives

Whenever it launches, the National Gambling Exclusion Register becomes the most useful single tool in this area, because it removes the biggest weakness of everything above. One sign-up would cover every GRAI licensee, rather than depending on your own memory of your own accounts.

Two things are worth carrying into that day.

It will cover licensed operators only. Until remote gaming licensing opens across 2027 and 2028, online casinos will not be on it, so the gap this article describes will narrow rather than close.

And bank blocks and blocking software will still be worth having. They cover things a register cannot reach, including unlicensed sites operating outside the Irish system entirely.

We will rewrite this page when the Register goes live, because at that point the honest answer to the question changes.

Where to get help in Ireland

If gambling is causing you difficulty, none of the tools above is a substitute for talking to someone. Support in Ireland is free, and you can refer yourself to all of it.

• National Gambling Helpline, 1800 936 725. Free and confidential, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, for anyone affected by their own or a family member's gambling. It is run through GamblingCare, funded by the Gambling Awareness Trust, and it is the number both the GRAI and Citizens Information give.

• Extern Problem Gambling (problemgambling.ie), on +353 (0) 89 241 5401. Free specialist counselling across the island of Ireland. Its Women's Gambling Support Network, launched in June 2024, is Ireland's only service dedicated to women affected by gambling harm.

• Gamblers Anonymous Ireland (gamblersanonymous.ie). Free peer-support meetings, in person and online. Dublin 01 872 1133, or 087 262 2804 between 10am and 10pm, with regional contacts for Cork, Galway, Tipperary, Kerry, Waterford and Belfast.

• Family Resource Centres. 23 centres around the country provide confidential counselling to people experiencing gambling harm and to their families, through GamblingCare.

• HSE addiction services. Non-residential and outpatient addiction services through the public system are free. The HSE Drug and Alcohol Helpline on 1800 459 459 covers gambling, and there is a searchable services map at drugsandalcohol.ie.

• MABS, 0818 07 2000. The Money Advice and Budgeting Service is free, confidential and independent, and it is the right first call where debt is part of the picture.

• Gam-Anon Ireland for family members, and your own GP, who can assess the wider health picture and refer you into HSE services.

If things ever feel overwhelming, or you are having thoughts of harming yourself, please treat it as an emergency. Samaritans are free on 116 123, 24 hours a day, and emergency services are on 112 or 999.

Frequently asked questions

Is there a national self-exclusion scheme in Ireland?

Not yet. The National Gambling Exclusion Register is provided for in the Gambling Regulation Act 2024 and the GRAI is developing it, but it is not operational and no launch date has been confirmed. Citizens Information lists it among upcoming supports rather than current ones.

How do I self-exclude from a betting site in Ireland?

You ask the operator directly, through the site itself or by email, live chat or phone. You choose the length: typically a short break of 1 to 30 days, a longer break of six months to five years, or a lifetime exclusion. In a betting shop it is usually a paper form with a photograph.

Can I self-exclude from all Irish gambling sites at once?

No. There is no single sign-up in operation. You have to exclude yourself with each operator separately, which is why listing every account you hold is the first step. A bank gambling block is the closest thing to a blanket measure currently available.

How do I block gambling payments on my Irish bank account?

AIB, Bank of Ireland, PTSB, EBS and Revolut all offer a gambling block. Some are set in the banking app, others through a support line. The block is opt-in and applies to your card, and removing it triggers a cooling-off period before gambling transactions work again. The GRAI publishes the current routes for each bank.

Will a bank gambling block stop every gambling payment?

No. These blocks work on card payments, using merchant category codes. They do not stop bank transfers or payments through some third-party apps, and they cannot catch a merchant that classifies itself under a different code. They are a strong layer rather than a complete seal.

Does self-exclusion cover online casinos in Ireland?

Only at the level of each individual casino. Online casinos are not licensed in Ireland, so they are not covered by the Irish obligations that apply to licensed bookmakers, and they will not be on the national register when it launches either. You would need to exclude yourself with each casino directly, and back it up with a bank block and blocking software.

Can I cancel a self-exclusion early?

Generally not. A short break lifts automatically when the period ends. A longer break requires you to contact the operator once the time has elapsed, and a lifetime exclusion means the account cannot be reopened at all. That difficulty is the point of the tool.

How do I stop gambling?

Most people find it works best as a combination rather than a single decision: talking to someone, excluding yourself with every operator you use, a bank gambling block, blocking software on your devices, and support with money where it is needed. The National Gambling Helpline on 1800 936 725 is free, confidential and open 24 hours a day, and it can arrange counselling as well as advise on the practical steps.

Support is free and confidential. The National Gambling Helpline is on 1800 936 725, 24 hours a day. Extern Problem Gambling offers free specialist counselling across the island of Ireland, and MABS gives free, independent money advice on 0818 07 2000.