How to Block Gambling Sites and Apps on Your iPhone, Android and Computer
The most effective way to block gambling on every device is a dedicated blocker. BetBlocker is free, works on iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac and Linux, blocks over a million gambling sites, and can't be switched off early once you set it. Install it on every device you own, then lock your phone's own settings so a bad night can't undo it.
When I quit, self-excluding from every casino I had access to was the first wall. But self-exclusion has workarounds, and crypto casinos launch new sites constantly. A blocker is the second wall. Neither is perfect. Together they buy you the time between the urge and the bet, and that time is everything.
The rule: make it hard to undo
Any block you can turn off in ten seconds is a block you'll turn off at 2 a.m. Every option below is ranked by how hard it is to undo. Pick the hardest one you can live with.
1. BetBlocker (free, every device)
BetBlocker is run by a non-profit and costs nothing. No ads, no subscription.
- Download it from betblocker.org or your app store, on every phone, tablet and computer you use.
- Choose how long to block. Options run from 1 day to 5 years. Pick 5 years.
- Start the restriction. According to BetBlocker, it can't be lifted before the period ends, and support won't help you disable it. You can extend it anytime.
BetBlocker also adds a one-week cooling-off period before you can deactivate a block of 2 months or longer, even after it expires. That's a good thing.
2. No Dice (iPhone, iPad and Mac)
Full disclosure: No Dice is made by a friend of mine. I'm sending you there because it does something the other blockers don't: it brings another person in.
- Accountability partner. You pick someone, and No Dice notifies them if you try to unblock an app. Telling someone was the turning point for me, and this builds it right into the block.
- Red Zone. Put betting apps in the Red Zone and they stay blocked around the clock.
- A pause before unblocking. Breathing and reflection prompts slow you down before you can undo anything.
- A plan for the day after. A 45-day challenge with daily tasks, streaks, and courses that include gambling abstinence and managing money.
It goes beyond gambling: it can also block social media, games and shopping, which is where a lot of the urges start anyway. It's free to download, with paid plans for the full features. It needs iOS 18 or later.
3. Gamban (paid, one licence for all devices)
Gamban blocks tens of thousands of gambling sites and apps, covers all your devices with one licence, and has a 7-day free trial. It's free for Ohio residents through Time Out Ohio. Check whether your province or state offers it free before you pay.
4. Lock down your iPhone with Screen Time
Use this on top of a blocker, not instead of one.
- Go to Settings → Screen Time → Content & Privacy Restrictions and turn it on.
- Tap App Store, Media, Web & Games → Web Content → Limit Adult Websites.
- Under Never Allow, tap Add Website and add every casino and sportsbook you've used.
- Have someone you trust set the Screen Time passcode. Go to Settings → Screen Time → Lock Screen Time Settings and hand them the phone. If you know the code, it's a speed bump, not a wall.
Menu names shift between iOS versions. If something's moved, search Settings for "Screen Time."
5. Android
Android doesn't have a built-in way to block websites on your own phone. Use BetBlocker or Gamban, and:
- Delete every betting app, then remove the Play Store shortcuts that bring them back.
- Turn off notifications for anything gambling-related you can't delete.
6. Windows and Mac
BetBlocker covers Windows, Mac and Linux for free. Install it on every computer you use, including a work laptop if you've ever gambled on it. Then log out of every casino account saved in your browser and delete saved passwords for them.
Turn off gambling ads
Blocking the sites doesn't stop the ads. On Google, YouTube and Discover, go to My Ad Center → Customize Ads → Sensitive → Gambling and turn the switch on. Google says it only works while you're signed in, and ads can still slip through based on what you search. On every other app, mute or block casino and sportsbook accounts the moment you see them.
What blockers can't stop
I'll be honest about the gaps:
- A device without a blocker. A new phone, a friend's laptop, a work computer. Install it everywhere you can.
- VPNs and crypto mirror sites. If you're determined, you'll find a way around. That's why the blocker is one wall, not the only one.
- Your money. A blocker stops the site, not the payment. See how to block gambling payments at your bank.
Self-exclude too
A blocker stops the site loading. Self-exclusion locks the account itself. Do both.
Guides for other casinos (25)
If it still doesn't feel like enough
For the first year and a half after I quit, I still thought about gambling every day. The walls kept me out, but they didn't quiet my head. What finally did was filling that time with something else: here's how chess helped me quit gambling.
If you're struggling right now
- Thinking about suicide (US and Canada): call or text 988, any time.
- USA: the National Problem Gambling Helpline, 1-800-MY-RESET (1-800-697-3738).
- Canada: find support by province or territory. In Ontario, ConnexOntario is free and available 24/7.
- Chess vs. Gambling: chessvsgambling.org is a free community that uses chess as a healthy replacement for gambling, with a Discord you can join.
- Anywhere: Gambling Therapy offers free online support in multiple languages.
Pawn of God never uses affiliate links. No Dice is made by a friend of Andy's; nobody pays us to recommend any blocker. Details follow BetBlocker, No Dice, Gamban and Google's own pages as of October 31, 2026.