Do you want to block gambling sites?
Whether you simply want to take a little break, to protect a minor or to limit exposure for a family member who’s struggling with addiction, there are lots of different things you can try.
We’re going to walk you through just some of the ways you can block gambling sites on a multitude of devices, like phones, laptops and tablets.
1. Regulate the amount of access you have to a particular site
All good online casinos, sportsbooks and poker rooms have mechanisms where you can take a long or short-term break. Time outs are short term breaks, designed for casual gamblers to take either occasionally or regularly. They work by shutting you out of your account for anything from 24 hours to 30 days. You can also set custom ones to start and end when you choose. For example, at the start and end of the working week. They can also be recurring, which is pretty handy.
It’s also worth looking at deposit limits to stick within budgets, and also to setting reality checks, which pop up when you’ve spent over a certain amount of time gambling.
If you’re looking for a more permanent solution, you can choose to self-exclude from an online sportsbook. This means you won’t be able to access your account for months, years or even for ever. You’ll still be able to withdraw cash from it, but you won’t be able to place bets. If you self-exclude from one site, you’re often automatically self-excluded from different sites run by the same company.
2. Use gambling blocking software
Particularly if you’re dealing with addiction, gambling blocking software can be extremely useful. Depending on the brand, some claim to not only block access to gambling sites but also prevent downloading of new gambling software onto the phone. They also work to prevent being circumvented by VPNs too.
GamBlock and GamBan are two popular providers of this software. You usually have to pay a monthly or yearly fee to use this software, but with Gamban, you can use it for free if you access it through Gamcare support networks in the UK.
3. Change the settings on your browsers
Now this is particularly important if you have young people in the house. Making sure that you use the parental controls already present on your internet browsers can help keep everyone safe from unwanted content popping up. You can do this in Chrome, Firefox, Microsoft and Safari. It’s also very important to make sure their social network apps have parental controls on them too.
Getting help for a gambling problem
As well as doing your best to block gambling sites, there are a lot more things you need to do to get help for a gambling problem. One of the best places to start is to reach out to the National Council of Problem Gambling so they can help guide you on your journey to giving up gambling. They can also support loved ones who are struggling with their family members’ addiction.
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