Self-exclusions from April 2025 to 2026
Request
I am requesting the figures on many people in the UK are self-excluded from land-based gambling, in total, for the period of 1st April 2025 to the 1st April 2026 please.
My request includes...
- Gamstop Betting Shops, formerly known as M.O.S.E.S - The Multi-operator-self-exclusion-scheme.
- And then the same information for Bacta - Bacta.org.uk,
- and also the same info for Sense - senseselfexclusion.com
- and then finally The Bingo-association.
Response
Thank you for your request which has been processed under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA).
In your email you have requested the figures on how many people in the UK are self-excluded from land-based gambling, in total, for the period of 1st April 2025 to the 1st April 2026, including:
- Gamstop Betting Shops, formerly known as M.O.S.E.S - The Multi-operator-self-exclusion-scheme.
- And then the same information for Bacta - Bacta.org.uk,
- and also the same info for Sense - senseselfexclusion.com
- and then finally The Bingo-association.
The Gambling Commission can confirm the total number of active self-excluded customers between 01 April 2025 and the end of the reporting period for 2026 for each scheme is as follows:
Total number of active self-excluded customers from M.O.S.E.S (Gamstop Betting Shops) is 9,075.
Total number of active self-excluded customers for Sense is 12,445. Please note that these 12,445 individuals did not all enrol during 2025 but are instead the number who are still active, having enrolled over the last three years (i.e. between 2023-2026).
In addition to the total figure of 12,445, a separate number of customers (8695) have been subject to auto removal from the database. These individuals enrolled onto SENSE under previous terms and conditions and page 6 of the current terms and conditions sets out the conditions which apply to their auto removal.
These figures are the total number of individuals who have an active and/or live and/or enforced self-exclusion in the scheme (regardless of when the self-exclusion was added to the scheme). This figure is therefore a snapshot of how many individuals in total are self-excluded at a given time. Please note, this figure will include individuals who are either in their minimum selected self-exclusion period as well as those who are in the additional 6 month (land based) and/or 7 year (online) 'retention' period but are still actively excluded from gambling as they haven't elected to remove their exclusion.
Please note, of the 4 schemes requested, only M.O.S.E.S and Sense have submitted data for the timeframe stated within your request (1 April 2025 to 1 April 2026). The information for Bacta and the Bingo Association is therefore not held by the Commission.
Review of the decision
If you are unhappy with the service you have received in relation to your Freedom of Information request you are entitled to an internal review of our decision. You should write to FOI Team, Gambling Commission, 4th floor, Victoria Square House, Victoria Square, Birmingham, B2 4BP or by reply to this email.
Please note, internal review requests should be made within 40 working days of the initial response. Requests made outside this timeframe will not be processed.
If you are not content with the outcome of our review, you may then apply directly to the Information Commissioner (ICO) for a decision. Generally, the ICO cannot make a decision unless you have already exhausted the review procedure provided by the Gambling Commission.
It should be noted that if you wish to raise a complaint with the ICO about the Commission’s handling of your request for information, then you are required to do so within six weeks of receiving your final response or last substantive contact with us.
The ICO can be contacted at: The Information Commissioner’s Office (opens in new tab), Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire SK9 5AF.
Information Management Team
Gambling Commission