GAMSTOP Marketing Messages: What Stops After Self-Exclusion
If you self-exclude from remote gambling in Great Britain, licensed operators must take reasonable steps to stop sending you gambling marketing. The rule covers direct, account-linked communications; it does not mean every general advert will disappear.
This guide explains the current Gambling Commission rules, the two-day marketing-database requirement, responsibility for affiliates and what to record if messages continue. For scheme basics, see our guide to how GAMSTOP works.
The rule in brief
Under LCCP social responsibility code 3.5.3, a remote licensee must:
- take reasonable steps to prevent marketing material being sent to a self-excluded customer;
- remove the person’s name and details from company or group marketing databases, or flag the person so marketing must not be sent, within two days of receiving the completed self-exclusion notification;
- close the affected customer accounts and return funds held in them; and
- maintain procedures and records designed to prevent access to gambling.
These duties apply to remote businesses licensed by the Gambling Commission for Great Britain. They are duties of the licensee, not promises that GAMSTOP controls every advert or every website.
Direct marketing and blanket advertising are different
The code focuses on marketing sent to, or knowingly including, an identifiable customer. Depending on how it is produced and distributed, that can include:
- promotional emails or text messages;
- app or account push notifications;
- outbound promotional calls;
- personalised offers based on account information; and
- affiliate messages sent using customer data for a licensed operator.
The code makes a specific exception for blanket marketing targeted at a geographic area where a self-excluded person is not knowingly included. A general billboard, television advert or untargeted regional campaign may therefore remain visible.
Continued exposure to a general advert is not, by itself, proof that the operator used the person’s account or contact data. A message addressed to the person, tied to an account or based on an old customer list is different.
What the two-day requirement means
The two-day period concerns the operator’s marketing databases. The operator must remove or suppress the customer’s details within two days after receiving the completed self-exclusion notification.
Suppression is often more reliable than simply deleting an address. It can preserve the minimum information needed to stop an old address or telephone number being imported into a future campaign. The Gambling Commission does not prescribe one technical design on the public rule page, but it expects the outcome: marketing must not be sent.
The rule does not make a message already delivered disappear. It does mean a licensee should have controls that stop later sends, including campaigns built from recycled lists.
Operators remain responsible for affiliates
The Gambling Commission’s current guidance on marketing to self-excluded customers says licensees are responsible for third parties contracted to provide parts of the licensed business.
That includes affiliates or service providers that send email or SMS marketing on the operator’s behalf. Passing a campaign to a third party does not pass away the licensee’s responsibility. The operator should ensure that the third party processes the exclusion and does not keep using stale lists.
This does not mean every unrelated gambling advert on the internet is controlled by the operator or by GAMSTOP. The responsibility depends on the relationship, the campaign and the data used.
What happens when a GAMSTOP period reaches its minimum end date
A GAMSTOP registration is not automatically removed when the selected minimum exclusion period ends. The current GAMSTOP terms of use explain that a person must complete the removal process if they choose to deactivate after the minimum period, including a minimum 24-hour cooling-off period.
Separately, Gambling Commission guidance says operators should continue preventing marketing to customers whose self-exclusion has expired but who have not made a positive decision to return to gambling. Expiry alone should not trigger an automatic welcome-back campaign.
Marketing consent remains a separate issue. A person may still object to direct marketing or keep an unsubscribe preference even after ending an exclusion. If you are preparing to register, our GAMSTOP registration details guide explains which information the official process asks for.
Why marketing failures happen
The Gambling Commission lists recurring causes reported by operators:
- staff using manual workarounds;
- staff not following procedures;
- old customer lists being reused without current suppression data;
- weaknesses in control systems; and
- systems failing to distinguish self-exclusion from other account controls, such as time-outs.
These examples show why a single unsubscribe link is not enough. Self-exclusion status needs to reach the operator’s campaign tools and relevant contractors.
What to record if direct messages continue
Keep a simple evidence file rather than repeatedly engaging with the promotion. Save:
- the date and time of the self-exclusion confirmation;
- the sender, subject line or telephone number;
- the date and time each later message arrived;
- a screenshot or copy showing the message and destination address;
- any account or brand name visible in the message; and
- the operator’s response to your complaint.
Do not publish identity documents or account credentials when sharing screenshots. Redact information that is not needed for the complaint.
How to raise the issue
Start with the operator named in the message. Use its official complaints or safer-gambling route and ask it to confirm that the relevant account, marketing databases and contracted marketers have been suppressed.
If the message appears to come from an affiliate, include the affiliate name, link and campaign details. The licensed operator remains responsible for marketing performed on its behalf.
The Gambling Commission’s role is regulatory. Its public guidance says incidents involving marketing to self-excluded customers may be reportable by licensees and may lead to regulatory action. The regulator does not guarantee an individual remedy.
Where the issue concerns the use of personal data or electronic marketing, the Information Commissioner’s Office direct-marketing guidance explains the privacy and electronic-communications rules and the ICO complaint route.
Limits of GAMSTOP
GAMSTOP is the national online self-exclusion scheme used by Gambling Commission-licensed online operators. Its terms explain that it works by matching registration information with participating gambling operators and that implementation depends on operator systems.
GAMSTOP does not control all advertising. It also does not cover every gambling business outside the Great Britain licensing system. If an operator claims to be licensed for Great Britain, check the legal business and domain in the Gambling Commission public register.
Around GAMSTOP is an independent information site and is not affiliated with GAMSTOP or the Gambling Commission.
Practical layers that can reduce exposure
Because general advertising may still appear, some people combine self-exclusion with other controls. Examples include device-level blocking software, bank gambling blocks where available, email filtering and ad-preference settings.
These tools have different scopes and none changes the licensee’s duty to stop direct marketing after self-exclusion. If marketing is causing distress or creating a risk of gambling, prioritise support rather than investigating every message alone.
Sources reviewed 9 October 2026: Gambling Commission LCCP 3.5.3; Gambling Commission guidance on preventing marketing to self-excluded customers; GAMSTOP Online terms of use; and ICO direct-marketing guidance. Rules and guidance can change, so use the linked primary sources for the latest wording.
