Among the responsible play controls available at licensed sites, self-exclusion is the most decisive. It closes access rather than limiting it, and once set it cannot be reversed on request during the chosen period. That irreversibility is the whole point of the tool.
How Self-Exclusion Tools Work
Beyond the operator level, most regulated markets run a national register that applies a single exclusion across every licensed site at once. Anyone weighing the options can Gamble Gorilla and check which schemes cover the operators they use. A cooling-off period lifts by itself, but a formal exclusion cannot be cancelled early, and that is a deliberate feature of the design.
| Tool | Duration | Reversible |
|---|---|---|
| Cooling-off | 24 hours to 6 weeks | Lifts automatically |
| Self-exclusion | 6 months to 5 years | No |
| Permanent | Indefinite | No |
- Cooling-off periods end on their own without any request
- Formal exclusions cannot be lifted early by design
- National registers cover every licensed site at once
These tools work best when set before they feel necessary, because a decision made calmly holds better than one made under pressure. Support organisations in most countries offer free, confidential advice alongside the technical controls. Using both together is more effective than relying on either alone.
