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Gamstop, the United Kingdom’s national self-exclusion program, has alerted its partners of a significant rise in young adults signing up for self-exclusion in the second half of 2024.
In a recently released report, the platform revealed that 2024 set a record year, attributing this trend to a series of high-profile events in the year’s closing months, including the Olympics and the UEFA European Championship.
In the second half of the year, overall registrations increased by 14%, with consumers aged 16-24 making up 24% of that total. This resulted in a 31% year-on-year rise in the number of users under 25 signing up for the scheme.
Gamstop also confirmed that 532,484 people have registered for the scheme since it was launched in April 2018. It passed the 500,000 mark in September last year and now has over 1% of the entire UK adult population registered.
Local Registrations Surge Around the Country
For the first time since its inception, Gamstop published data on postcode areas with the highest sign-up rates. In the final six months of 2024, Hull led with the most new registrants, representing 1.5% of the region’s total population. Sunderland and Teesside followed closely in second place at 1.4%, while Blackpool and Doncaster rounded out the top five.
Furthermore, almost half of the new registrants (48%) opted for the maximum self-exclusion period of five years. Gamstop also provides shorter options, six months and one year. Recently, it introduced an auto-renewal feature, enabling concerned players to automatically extend their self-exclusion period. This followed growing demands for longer exclusion periods.
Additionally, Gamstop will now remind players every 15 months of their current exclusion status and upcoming renewal dates. These reminders will be sent via email.
Better Education is Required
While the rise in registrations is a testament to the scheme’s growing popularity, it also raises concerns about the rise in problem gambling, particularly among young adults. Fiona Palmer, CEO of Gamstop, commented on the latest report, saying, “The increase in the number of under-25s registering for Gamstop has become an accelerating trend, with a 31% year-on-year increase in the second half of 2024, following a 12% increase in the first half of the year.
“There is a clear need for targeted education and support aimed at this group, which is why we continue to put so much emphasis on collaborating with Ygam and Gamcare and reaching out to students.
“We go to where they are to ensure they are aware of tools, such as self-exclusion, which can help to prevent gambling harm.”
Source: iGamingBusiness
