So, what is the most critical question you want to be answered? CAN GAMBAN HELP ME STOP GAMBLING?
The answer is YES; by blocking access to gambling sites that are not covered by Gamstop, Spelpaus, or similar national blocking services, Gamban can help limit your access to gambling opportunities.
Recommendation:
Suppose you want to stop gambling addiction. Here are 3 things we suggest you do today.
- If you live in an area/country with a self-exclusion program. Sign up today. It’s a great start.
- Download and install Gamban to add an extra layer of protection.
- Become a member here on QuitGamble.com. Removing some of the triggers is a good start. The next step is to work on what makes gambling so attractive and why it’s so difficult to quit. Let’s begin by doing the Happiness Test.
Let’s dive into how Gamban works and why it might be a good option for you in this Gamban review.
An essential part of beating gambling addiction is to minimize the amount of exposure to gambling opportunities. As a member of QG, you get access to a course in How to Build a Change Plan. In that program, we talk about cleaning our physical space. GamBan can help us do that.
What is Gamban?
Gamban is an app/program you can download and install on your mobile and/or desktop. Does it sound scary or difficult to do? It’s not, you’ll find it in AppStore or Google Play, and it’s easy and safe to install on your devices. The installation takes a minute or so.
The idea of GamBan is to block your access to gambling sites. When you’ve installed it on your device and try to access a gambling-related site; you’ll only see this image:
How does Gamban work?
The key to Gamban, and what makes it so effective, is how difficult it is to uninstall. If you could uninstall it when you want to gamble, it wouldn’t be effective. You can delete the app from your phone, but it will still block sites for as long as you have paid for the service. (Normally, you sign up for a year at a time).
When you install Gamban, you install something like a filter on your phone. The filter will automatically block any site related to gambling while leaving everything else untouched.
Like Percy Weasley says in Harry Potter: “The mark of a good house-elf is that you don’t know it’s there.“ The mark of a good blocking app is that you don’t know it’s there (unless you need it). The creators of Gamban have the same philosophy.
What does Gamban cover?
Gamban aims to cover all gambling-related sites. The system works in two ways, manually added sites and an automatic system scanning websites’ content. For instance, if the URL contains the words Casino, Betting, Gambling, likely the site will automatically be blocked on your device.
Does GamBan cover casino apps?
Yes, somehow, they have managed to block gambling-related apps on iPhone and Android phones too. We don’t precisely know-how, but we believe they do it by blocking the connection between your phone and the IP address of the gambling site. The Gamban team needs to be alert, though, because online casinos often switch their IP addresses. According to the owners of Gamban, this is a constant war that Gamban has won so far.
Can it protect me from emails/SMS?
Gamban can’t block gambling-related emails and text messages since they don’t want to impose too much on people’s privacy. (Remember the house-elf…) For the same reason, they don’t block gambling-related ads on regular websites. If you want to block those ads, we recommend you install something like Adblocker in your browser.
However, in this Gamban review, we want to show you how you can protect yourself from emails and text messages. We believe it’s essential to minimize your exposure to any gambling triggers. Therefore, we recommend the following 3 things:
- Switch your email address. If you’ve ever used it to register anywhere, most likely it’s been sold to someone that tries to market online gambling.
- Switch your mobile number. We know it’s inconvenient, but it’s still worth the effort. Just talk with your operator, and they will help you switch to a “clean” number. If you used it anywhere online, the risk the wrong person has access to it is too big.
- Switch to gambling commercial-free TV channels. Test different streaming services instead.
Can I uninstall Gamban?
No, you can’t uninstall Gamban when it’s installed on your phone/computer. It’s there to protect you. To protect you, it has to be present and impossible to remove when you feel an urge to gamble.
How much does it cost?
There are two options; the user pays monthly, something Gamban calls “Cool Off”. Then it costs €2.99/month. Or, the user pays €29.99 for an entire year.
What happens if I find a gambling site that is not blocked?
If you find a gambling-related site you think should be covered by Gamban, send an email to their support for review.
Who is behind Gamban?
Gamban was launched in 2015 by Jack Symons and Matt Zarb-Cousin and is owned by Beanstalk HPS Ltd. Today; they employ around 20 people.
Alternatives to Gamban?
There are a few alternatives to Gamban. Betblocker is a free version that has similar functions. The problem with Betblocker is that it’s easy to uninstall. (We’ll do a review of Betblocker in May.)
Betfiler is another alternative to Gamban. It costs around $70/year for a license.
What’s the next action?
No matter where you are on your journey to becoming gambling-free, we want to be there for you. If you’re going to stop gambling, we recommend you ask yourself the following questions:
What happens when you gamble? Does it create a moment of peace? A period when nothing else matters? Perhaps the answers can explain why it’s so hard to quit.
Here is a Next Action List we recommend for you:
- Sign up for any self-exclusion program if there is one where you live.
- Download and install GamBan on all devices you have access to.
- Do the Happiness Test and get started on your journey to becoming gambling-free. Limiting your exposure to gambling triggers is a good start. To get rid of the urge to gamble, you need to understand and work on why you get the urge to gamble in the first place.
- Switch Email address
- Switch Mobile number
- Switch to gambling commercial-free channels or streaming services.
