Best gambling blockers compared

If you are searching for the best gambling blocker, it helps to know upfront that the honest answer is "it depends" — and that the most reliable protection rarely comes from one tool alone. Each blocker covers a different layer: some live in your browser, some run as an app across all your devices, and some are paid services with very strong lock-in. The goal of this page is to describe the main options fairly, including where ours is strong and where it is not, so you can choose with clear eyes.

All of the tools below are made by people trying to help, and the free ones in particular have helped a lot of people step away from gambling. Below we look at BetBlocker, Gamban, GamBlock and our own OnlineGamblingBlocker, then offer some plain guidance on which to choose.

BetBlocker — free and charity-run

BetBlocker is a free blocking tool run by a registered charity. It is one of the best-known free options, and it deserves its reputation: there is no cost, it is supported by a not-for-profit whose purpose is reducing gambling harm, and it works across phones, tablets and computers rather than just the browser. You set it up, choose a duration, and it restricts access to a large maintained list of gambling sites and apps.

Its strengths:

• Completely free and backed by a charity rather than a commercial operator.
• Multi-device — protects phones, tablets and computers, not only one browser.
• Time-based restrictions you can set for a fixed period to add commitment.

BetBlocker suits people who want genuinely free, cross-device protection from a trusted not-for-profit and do not mind a short registration to get set up. If you want broad device coverage without paying, it is an excellent first choice — and it pairs well with a browser blocker for day-to-day use.

Gamban — paid and widely used

Gamban is a paid blocking app that is widely used and well regarded in the field. It is often the tool that gambling-support organisations and treatment services point people toward, and it is sometimes bundled free through operators or harm-reduction programmes — so some people receive access at no cost even though it is a paid product. It installs on your devices and blocks a large, actively maintained list of gambling sites and apps.

Its strengths:

• Mature and trusted — long established, with a strong reputation among support services.
• Multi-device coverage across phones, tablets and computers.
• Strong, hard-to-remove protection designed so it cannot be switched off on impulse.

Gamban suits people who want a robust, professionally maintained blocker and are willing to pay for it — or who can access it free through a support programme or operator scheme. If cost is a concern, check whether a treatment service or your gambling operator offers it before paying. Many people who want a Gamban alternative that is free turn to BetBlocker or a browser blocker like ours; the two approaches can sit alongside each other.

GamBlock — a long-standing desktop blocker

GamBlock is one of the longest-standing gambling-blocking products. It is a paid tool focused primarily on computers, and it has been used for many years to restrict access to gambling sites and applications. Like other dedicated paid blockers, it is built to be difficult to remove or circumvent, which is part of what people are paying for.

Its strengths:

• Well established — a long track record as a dedicated blocker.
• Designed to resist removal, which adds meaningful commitment.
• Desktop focus for people whose gambling mainly happens on a computer.

GamBlock suits people who want a long-standing, paid desktop blocker with strong lock-in and who are comfortable installing dedicated software. As with any single tool, it is most effective combined with protection on the phone, where a lot of gambling now happens.

OnlineGamblingBlocker — free, private and browser-native

Our own tool is a free browser extension built around three ideas: it should cost nothing, it should respect your privacy, and it should be simple. You add it in one click, with no account and no sign-up, and from that point online casinos, sportsbooks and betting sites stop loading in your browser. The blocklist runs on your own device, so nothing about your browsing is sent anywhere.

What we think we do well:

• Free, with no account — nothing to pay and nothing to register.
• Privacy-first — the blocklist works on-device, so your browsing is not tracked.
• Open blocklist you can inspect, rather than a closed proprietary list.
• Per-site allowlist for the rare legitimate site caught by mistake.
• Friction to pause — a deliberate delay before changes apply, so nothing happens on impulse.

We also want to be honest about our limits. We are newer than BetBlocker, Gamban and GamBlock, and we are deliberately browser-first: the extension protects the browsers it is installed in, not your whole phone, your network or your bank. That makes it a strong, low-friction foundation — but not a complete solution by itself. We think the right way to use it is as one layer among several, which is exactly what our guide to blocking gambling sites recommends.

Which should you choose?

The most useful thing to know is that this is rarely an either/or decision. Each tool covers a different gap, and layering more than one is almost always stronger than relying on a single blocker. A simple way to think about it:

• Want free and broad device coverage? Start with BetBlocker for cross-device protection, and add our browser extension for fast, private day-to-day blocking.
• Want the most robust paid option? Gamban is widely trusted — and may be free through a support service or operator. GamBlock is a solid choice if your gambling is mainly on a desktop.
• Want something instant and private right now? Our free extension takes one click, needs no account, and keeps your browsing on your device.
• Want the strongest protection overall? Layer them — a browser blocker, a device or app blocker, network filtering and a bank gambling block together leave very few gaps.

Whichever you pick, it is worth pairing software blocks with the more formal step of self-exclusion, and with the wider support covered in our guide on how to stop gambling. Tools make gambling harder to reach; support helps you want to stay away.

Frequently asked questions