How to request SRIJ self-exclusion

What online self-exclusion is

It is a request to the Gambling Regulation and Inspection Service (SRIJ), Portugal’s gambling regulator, to stop you from gambling and betting on licensed sites. Your details are passed to every licensed operator, which suspends or closes your accounts and prevents you from opening new ones.

It is set out in the Legal Framework for Online Gambling and Betting (Article 39 of Decree-Law 66/2015). You can apply whether or not you already have an account with a betting site.

What you will need

The form asks for identification details so that operators can recognise you. Have these ready:

• Your full name, exactly as it appears on your identity document.
• Your nationality and date of birth.
• The type and number of your identity document, such as a Portuguese citizen card or passport.
• Your Portuguese tax number (NIF).
• Your address and email address. SRIJ uses this email to contact you about your application.

Enter your details only on the official SRIJ platform, at autoexclusaoonline.srij.turismodeportugal.pt. Be wary of sites or people offering to apply on your behalf.

Step by step

1. Open the SRIJ self-exclusion platform on your computer or phone.
2. Choose to make a self-exclusion application (autoexclusão) and fill in your identification details.
3. Choose the duration: an end date at least three months away, or an indefinite period.
4. Read the declaration on your honour, confirm and submit the application.
5. Keep a copy or screenshot of the submitted application.

If you do not give an end date, self-exclusion applies for an indefinite period.

Duration: fixed or indefinite

• Fixed period (at least three months): your accounts on licensed sites are suspended and you cannot open new ones. Self-exclusion ends automatically on the end date. You can withdraw any balance held in those accounts.
• Indefinite period: your accounts are closed and you cannot open new ones. Any balance is transferred automatically to your payment account.

If you are unsure which to choose, you can talk it through with the 1414 helpline before you apply.

How to end it early

Self-exclusion always lasts at least three months. You can tell SRIJ that you want to end it, or bring the end date forward, on the same platform. This revocation takes effect only one month after you request it, and never before the three-month minimum has passed.

The one-month wait protects against decisions made on impulse. If you feel the urge to gamble again, it may be a good moment to reach out for support.

What SRIJ self-exclusion does not cover

• An application made with a single operator: if you self-exclude on one operator’s site, it applies only to that site. To cover every licensed site, use the SRIJ platform.
• Land-based casinos: entering casino gambling rooms requires a separate access ban, explained below.
• Placard and Jogos Santa Casa: these have their own self-exclusion system. If you also gamble there, apply separately.
• Sites without a Portuguese licence: self-exclusion applies only to operators licensed by SRIJ. Site blockers and bank limits help close that door.

Placard and Jogos Santa Casa

On the Jogos Santa Casa website and app, you can self-exclude from your personal area, under the Autoexclusão menu. It takes effect immediately and you receive an email confirmation.

For Placard at retail outlets, you complete and sign the Santa Casa self-exclusion form. You can send it by post, by email (signed digitally with Chave Móvel Digital or with a certified signature) or hand it in at their Lisbon or Porto offices by appointment. Once the application is validated, your NIF is blocked within five working days at most.

In both cases, self-exclusion is indefinite. You can only request revocation after 180 days.

Casinos: banning yourself from gambling rooms

To stop yourself from entering casino gambling rooms, you ask SRIJ for an access ban. There are three ways to apply:

• In person, at the SRIJ office in any casino (during casino opening hours) or at SRIJ headquarters in Lisbon (on working days). Bring photo identification and a recent colour passport-style photograph.
• By post, sending the completed form, a passport-style photograph and a copy of your identity document to SRIJ headquarters (Rua Ivone Silva, Lote 6, 1050-124 Lisboa). Your signature must be certified in person, for example by a notary, lawyer or solicitor.
• By email, to info.srij@turismodeportugal.pt, with a scanned photograph and identity document and the form signed with a Portuguese citizen card, Chave Móvel Digital or a certified signature.

You choose the duration. The ban ends automatically at the end of the period and cannot be revoked while it is in force.

If you are a family member or friend

Self-exclusion must be requested by the person themselves, in their own name. You can help them find the form, stay with them while they fill it in, or suggest they call the 1414 helpline. There is also support for the people around them.