Does Gamban work? A Gamban review

The answer is YES; by blocking access to gambling sites not covered by Gamstop, Spelpaus, or similar national blocking services, Gamban can help limit your access to gambling opportunities. It’s a great tool in the toolbox to conquer gambling addiction and regain control.

Recommendation:

Suppose you want to stop gambling addiction. Here are 3 things we suggest you do today.

1. If you live in an area/country with a self-exclusion program. Sign up today. It’s a great start.
2. Download and install Gamban to add an extra layer of protection.
3. 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.
4. Join our Welcome Challenge!

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.

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. However, the Gamban team must be alert because online casinos often switch 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 to 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:

1. 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.
2. Switch your mobile number. We know it’s inconvenient, but it’s still worth the effort. Talk with your operator; they will help you switch to a “clean” number. If you use it anywhere online, the risk the wrong person has access to it is too big.
3. Switch to gambling commercial-free TV channels. Test different streaming services instead.

How to Get Gamban for Free?

Many casinos offer Gamban for free to users who want to stop gambling. If you live in the UK, France, and the Netherlands, you can get Gamban free via the gambling authorities. In the United States, some state counsels collaborate with Gamban so you can get Gamban free of charge. Via our resource page, you can find all problem gambling councils in the US. Just visit your state.

Can I uninstall Gamban?

You can’t uninstall Gamban when installed on your phone/computer. It’s there to protect you. To protect you, the app is activated all the time and is difficult to remove.

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, Gamban employs 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. If it sounds expensive, consider how much you gamble for in a year. Then the $70 is very cheap!

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.