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A break shorter than six months: GAMSTOP or a time out?

GAMSTOP starts at six months. For a shorter break, a gambling company's own time out runs from one day to six weeks, on that site only. Here is how the two compare.

Published
16 October 2026
Reviewed
16 October 2026
Reading time
4 min

GAMSTOP cannot be shorter than six months. If you want a break of a day, a week or a few weeks, the tool for that is a gambling company's own time out, which GAMSTOP says runs between one day and six weeks. A time out works only on the site where you set it. GAMSTOP covers every online gambling company licensed in Great Britain at once.

So the real choice is between a short break on one site and a longer block on all of them. Checked on 15 October 2026.

Why GAMSTOP starts at six months

You can choose six months, one year, five years, or five years with auto-renewal. Six months is the shortest. Once it is in place, it cannot be cancelled early: GAMSTOP says it cannot remove anyone's exclusion early, whatever the reason. Signing up is free, and GAMSTOP never asks for bank or card details.

What a time out does

  • It is set on one company's site, in your account there.
  • It lasts between one day and six weeks.
  • It stops play with that company only. Every other site stays open.
  • GAMSTOP itself points people who want less than six months to these time outs.

Time out or GAMSTOP: the honest comparison

  • You play on one site and want a short breather: a time out on that site does that.
  • You have accounts with several companies, or you open new ones easily: a time out on one site leaves the rest open. GAMSTOP makes every licensed company check whenever you register or log in, and companies you already have an account with check your status daily.
  • You are not sure yet: you can start with six months. A longer period can be added at any time, but nothing can be shortened.

What neither of them covers

GAMSTOP covers online gambling only. Betting shops, bingo halls, casinos and arcades have their own schemes. National Lottery draw games such as Lotto and EuroMillions are not covered; National Lottery online instant win games are. Sites without a British licence are not part of GAMSTOP, and the Gambling Commission warns that they often lack age verification, responsible gambling tools and a dispute resolution scheme.

Whatever length you choose: set your rules first

A break of a week or of six months ends the same way: one day you can play again, and nothing else has changed. Use the break to decide three things.

  1. The amount. A weekly figure you can afford to lose. Make it your deposit limit before you play again.
  2. The time. Which evenings, and for how long.
  3. The person. One person who knows the real number.

If it is hard to wait, you can talk to someone now. The National Gambling Helpline on 0808 8020 133 is free and confidential. If you are in distress, call Samaritans on 116 123; in an emergency, call 999.

Sources

Published 16 October 2026 · reviewed 16 October 2026Editorial methodology →