Problem gambling support tool Gamban has marked its 10-year anniversary with the launch of a semi-permanent iOS mobile app.

Gamban emerged on the market in 2015, introducing the first-of-its-kind gambling blocking software for Apple Mac computers and pushing software innovation in the space forward for mobile devices.

In particular, Gamban differentiated its app by limiting the user’s ability to remove it from their Android devices at will whenever they had the urge to gamble, achieved through a myriad of investment, research and development, the company added. This functionality has now been transferred over to iOS as well.

At Gamban’s anniversary event in Shoreditch, Co-Founder Jack Symons said: “What sets us apart from other options is our commitment and ability to continually invest in our approach to blocking gambling. We are not interested in a minimum viable solution – gambling blocking software is far too important to do on the cheap.

“In line with this aspiration, we are pleased to announce that our new version for iPhones will be impossible to be removed by users for their chosen duration of protection. This will enable more peace of mind for Gamban users and their families as they embark on their recovery journey.”

While a full launch date hasn’t been specified yet, the iOS update is currently being beta tested in a variety of languages, including English, French, Spanish, Norwegian, Finnish, Dutch, Brazilian Portuguese and Japanese.

Besides a gambling block, the mobile app also includes features such as tracking the amount of saved time and money whilst away from gambling, as well as the ability to signpost to localised treatment services.

The success of Gamban was evidenced in the numbers provided at the anniversary event, with the company claiming that more than 460,000 people have used its app since 2015. Blocking of all types of gambling is currently available on the blocklist, which features around 350,000 domains and apps, and adds 300 new ones daily.