Study: most casino self-exclusion listings omit the length

More than half of the online casino self-exclusion listings in a new Casino.net dataset record that the tool exists but not how long an exclusion runs.

The study, published by the Casino.net Research Lab, covers responsible-gambling records for 540 casino brands across 64 markets, taken from the Casino.net operator database on 5 October 2026. Of 903 self-exclusion listings, 493 record only that the tool is available, in wording such as "Yes" or "Available". About 45% name a period.

Britain leads, Germany trails

Disclosure varies widely between markets. Among the 31 markets with at least ten listings, Britain records the highest rate: 117 of 132 British listings state a period, and 78 of them describe the same window of six months to five years. The Gambling Commission's ordinary code 3.5.4 expects British licensees to offer self-exclusion of at least six months.

Portugal and the United States follow, with 9 of 11 listings each (81.8%), then Canada with 30 of 41 (73.2%). At the other end, Germany states a period in 3 of 25 listings, Ireland in 4 of 23 and Romania in 7 of 28, while Andorra and Nigeria state none. The study notes that Germany does set a statutory floor through its national OASIS register, where an exclusion runs for one year by default and never less than three months.

The authors ask readers to treat these as disclosure rates, not service levels: an operator with no recorded period may still run a sound exclusion process.

From a 24-hour break to 21 years

The longest fixed period recorded is 21 years, for Betclic in Poland ("from 3 months up to 21 years"), followed by 10 years at Stake in Norway and six years at Hippodrome in the UK. A further 64 listings offer exclusion with no end date, described as permanent, lifetime or until revoked. These are values as recorded in the database and were not re-verified.

At the short end, eight listings file a break of 30 days or less under the self-exclusion heading, including a 24-hour "Panic Button" at Jokerstar in Germany and a 24-hour break at Betsson in Greece. The study says this mix of cooling-off tools and multi-year exclusions under one label is one reason recorded periods are hard to compare between brands.

Deposit limits are recorded in more detail

The same database documents deposit limits more precisely. Of 781 deposit-limit listings, 460 (59%) name a daily, weekly and monthly period, while 297 name no period at all. In Britain, 117 of 128 deposit-limit listings name all three.

Method and limits

The sample covers 1,064 operator-market records with a live trading status, holding 4,228 recorded values. Free-text values were sorted into fixed duration bands, with a range counted at the longest period it reaches.

The authors list six limits. The values are database records and were not re-checked against operators' own pages. A market is a database assignment, not a license check. A missing record does not prove a missing tool. The figures are a snapshot of 5 October 2026. The study is not a compliance audit, and a longer recorded period does not make an operator safer, only easier for a player to read.

The full dataset is available under a CC BY 4.0 license on the study page, Casino Self-Exclusion: How Long Can You Lock Yourself Out?.