How to block gambling sites and apps

Start with self-exclusion

If you have not done so yet, request SRIJ self-exclusion. The application covers every site licensed in Portugal: your accounts are suspended if you choose a fixed period or closed if you choose an indefinite period. The blocks in this guide add to it, especially for unlicensed sites, which self-exclusion does not cover.

A dedicated blocking tool

Gambling-blocking apps use lists of gambling sites and apps kept up to date by their developers, and they are harder to switch off on impulse. Two well-known options:

• BetBlocker: free and run by a charity registered in Scotland. It works on Windows, macOS, Linux, Android and iOS, is available in Portuguese and needs no registration. You choose how long the block lasts, from one day to five years, and you cannot lift it before the end.
• Gamban: paid, with a seven-day free trial. It works on phones, tablets and computers.

Install the tool on every device you use to gamble. We have no connection with these tools.

On your phone

• Delete gambling apps and sign out of gambling sites in your browser.
• iPhone and iPad: in Settings > Screen Time > Content & Privacy Restrictions, you can stop apps from being installed and add sites to a list that never opens. The adult-website filter was not designed for gambling, so add the sites you used yourself.
• Android: in Settings > Network & internet > Private DNS, you can enter a filtering DNS service (explained below). If you cannot find the option, search for “Private DNS” in Settings. The exact name varies by manufacturer.

On iPhone and iPad, ask someone you trust to set the Screen Time passcode to make the restrictions harder to change. On Android, Private DNS can be changed or switched off in Settings and has no separate restriction passcode.

On your computer

• Mac: Screen Time works as it does on iPhone, in System Settings > Screen Time.
• Windows: Microsoft Family Safety can block websites, but its filters only work in the Microsoft Edge browser and require an account in a family group. On Windows, a dedicated blocking tool is often the more practical option.

At home: DNS filters

Some filtering DNS services can block categories of sites, including gambling. Set up on your router, they protect every device connected to your home Wi-Fi. On Android, you can also use them away from home through Private DNS.

Check the instructions for your router or internet provider. These filters depend on each service’s lists and may miss new sites, so they work best alongside the other options.

With your money

• Some banks and payment apps can block card payments to gambling operators. Revolut, for example, calls this Gambling block, and it is off by default. Ask your bank whether it offers something similar.
• Remove saved cards from your browser and from the apps you used to gamble.
• Ask someone you trust to help you manage access to money for a while.

In ads and on social media

• Google: in My Ad Center, under Customise ads > Sensitive, you can limit gambling ads. This applies to Search, YouTube and Discover while you are signed in to your Google Account.
• Social media: unfollow betting companies and people who promote them, and use the options to see fewer ads about certain topics where they exist.
• Email and text messages: unsubscribe from gambling operators’ marketing.

If a block fails

No block is perfect. If you find yourself getting around one, it does not mean you have failed: it is a sign you need more support. Call the 1414 helpline, which is free, anonymous and confidential, or talk to someone you trust.