Mamori / Guides

How to Stop Gambling: Block Betting Sites and Apps

Updated

On this page
  1. What gambling disorder is
  2. Block betting apps and sites on iPhone
  3. Block betting apps on Android
  4. Why the free way is easy to undo
  5. Self-exclusion
  6. Block gambling payments at your bank
  7. Free help lines
  8. Block betting with Mamori (free)
  9. FAQ

Short answer: Block betting apps and sites on your phone, then add a second wall: self-exclusion and a bank gambling block. Free help is there too. In the UK, call the National Gambling Helpline on 0808 8020 133. In the US, call or text 1-800-MY-RESET. Mamori blocks real-money betting apps and sites for free.

Wanting to stop is a good first step. You do not need to feel ashamed. Blocking makes the next bet harder to place, and it gives the urge time to pass.

What gambling disorder is

The World Health Organization (WHO) says gambling disorder is described alongside substance use disorders in the ICD-11, its list of health conditions. WHO says it has three parts:

  • You find it hard to control your gambling.
  • Gambling comes before other things in your life.
  • You keep gambling even when it causes harm.

WHO also says people who want to cut down or stop should get tools to help them. Self-exclusion is one of them. It lets you ban yourself from gambling companies.

If this sounds like you, it is not a weakness. Help exists, and much of it is free.

Block betting apps and sites on iPhone

Screen Time is free and already on your iPhone. Delete the betting apps first. Then block the sites in Safari (iOS 26 and earlier).

  1. Go to Settings > Screen Time > Content & Privacy Restrictions and turn it on.
  2. Tap App Store, Media, Web, & Games, then Web Content.
  3. Choose Limit Adult Websites.
  4. Tap Add Website under Never Allow, and type the betting site.

You must add each site one by one. Set a Screen Time passcode too, and ask someone you trust to keep it. On iOS 27, the passcode is under Settings > Screen Time > Passcode & Management > Lock Screen Time Settings.

Block betting apps on Android

Android has Digital Wellbeing built in. It can set a timer on an app.

  1. Open Settings and tap Digital Wellbeing, then App timers.
  2. Next to the betting app, tap Set timer.
  3. Pick a short time and tap OK.

Google says when the time runs out, the app closes and its icon dims. To use the app again before midnight, you delete the timer. That takes a minute.

Uninstalling the app is stronger. Do that too.

Why the free way is easy to undo

Each of these tools can be turned off by the same hand that set it. That is fine on a calm day and weak on a bad one.

  • On iPhone, you can change the passcode if you know it.
  • On Android, you can delete the timer.
  • Betting sites are many, and new ones appear.

So add walls that you cannot undo in a minute.

Self-exclusion

UK: GAMSTOP is a free service. It lets you block yourself from accounts on online gambling websites and apps. The NHS says it stops you using gambling sites and apps for 6 months, 1 year or 5 years. Sign up at gamstop.co.uk.

GAMSTOP is for online gambling. It has a separate service for betting shops.

US: We cannot point you to one national sign-up from an official source. Ask each betting company, or your state gambling regulator, how to self-exclude.

Block gambling payments at your bank

The NHS says to ask your bank to block any money going to gambling websites and apps. The UK Gambling Commission says many banks now offer a way to limit gambling spending. Its list includes Barclays, Monzo and Starling. Lloyds and Halifax give access to Gamban, a blocking app.

Monzo is one example. Monzo's Ireland help page says to tap the three dots at the bottom right of your card on the Home screen. Tap Manage account, then Gambling block.

The same page says you pick a wait from two days to one year. You cannot turn the block off until that wait ends. It only covers card payments, and it can miss a shop that is tagged wrongly.

Not every bank offers this. Check your own bank's help page or call them.

Free help lines

  • UK: National Gambling Helpline, run by GamCare. Call 0808 8020 133 for free, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week (NHS).
  • US: National Council on Problem Gambling. Call or text 1-800-MY-RESET, or use Chat Online at ncpgambling.org.
  • Gamblers Anonymous: a support group with meetings in person, online or by phone. It lists 855-222-5542, and says there are no dues or fees.

If you are in danger or feel you might hurt yourself, call your local emergency number now.

Block betting with Mamori (free)

Mamori blocks real-money betting sites and apps. Blocking is free. The Gambling group has hundreds of betting and casino sites, well-known betting apps like DraftKings, FanDuel, BetMGM, bet365, Stake and PokerStars, and lottery sites.

  1. Open Mamori and tap Block.
  2. Under Add to your list, tap Gambling.
  3. Add any other betting app or site with + An app or + A site.
  4. Tap Lock and pick your lock.
  5. Go to Home and tap Turn on.

The lock is the point. To turn the block off, you must first get past your lock: a wait, a phrase you type, or a PIN a friend keeps. Free waits are 15 seconds. Premium gives you longer locks, from 5 minutes to a week.

Mamori does not block stock trading or crypto exchanges as gambling. Free casino-style games are in the Games group, not Gambling. On iPhone, the first time, iPhone asks you to switch Mamori on in Settings. You only do this once.

When protection is off, nothing is blocked, and you can delete Mamori like any app. Mamori is one wall. Use it with the others above. See also more gambling guides.

FAQ

Can an app stop gambling on its own?

No. A block stops the easy bet. It does not remove the urge. Pair it with self-exclusion, a bank block and support from people.

Will a block stop betting at a shop or casino?

No. Mamori works on your phone. GAMSTOP has a separate service for betting shops.

Does Mamori block free casino games?

The Gambling group is for real-money betting. Free casino-style games are in the Games group, which you can add yourself.

Do I have to tell anyone?

No. But a friend who keeps your PIN or passcode makes a block much stronger.

Related guides

How to Block Websites on iPhone: Screen Time Steps for Any SiteHow to block websites on iPhone and iPad with Screen Time: block one site, limit adult websites, set a passcode someone else holds, and what it misses. How to Block Websites on Android (Any Site, Not Just Adult)Android has no single switch to block any website on your own phone. Here is what Google, Samsung and Family Link officially offer, and the gaps. How to Block a Website on Any Phone or BrowserOne short answer for iPhone, Android, Chrome, Safari, Firefox and Edge.

Sources

Last checked 12 Nov 2026.