Gamstop has reported that May 2026 was a month which saw self-exclusion rates on its platform at an all-time high.

The UK organisation further confirmed that under 25s are the most conscious about their online gambling behaviour in light of the problem gambling charity’s latest H1 2026 report.

For the period January-June, Gamstop saw an uptick of 16% in YoY registrations, with May going in the history books as the charity’s most active month on record in terms of new signees.

In that month alone, a total of 12,236 sign-ups were recorded, unlike the rest of the period where registrations have been consistent historically on a month-by-month basis. Gamstop expects the number of new signees in July to “eclipse” May, though, as it confirmed a surge is usually seen after a big football tournament or after England being knocked out. 

Matt Burgiss, Head of External Affairs at Gamstop Group, warned: “There is a real risk that people have increased their gambling during the World Cup and once the tournament is over, they might find it more difficult to stop or  turn to online casino games and other forms of gambling. 

“Self-exclusion gives them the opportunity to take a break from gambling and prevent it from getting out of hand. From personal experience, I know how easy it is to overlook when gambling becomes more frequent and how quickly it can start to negatively impact you and those around you.”

Split by gender, men accounted for more than seven out of 10 new registrations, consistent with Gamstop’s proprietary data since its inception in 2018.

The biggest surge in H1 signees was seen among those aged under 25, with a 26% YoY increase, only to make up almost one in three of all self-exclusions. 

This coincides with Gamstop’s FY25 self-exclusion report, which saw a 40% increase in self-exclusions by young people compared to the year prior.

Fiona Palmer, CEO of The Gamstop Group, added: “The fact that self-exclusion has again increased significantly year-on-year shows that users are continuing to find it an invaluable and flexible tool to manage their gambling, particularly younger consumers. 

“Whilst the landscape has changed significantly in recent months, our approach remains the same, which is to work collaboratively across the sector, emphasising the importance of layering tools and support, to enhance recovery for those experiencing harm”.