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Topic · cross-market

Self-exclusion registers

One identity, one block, every licensed operator

A self-exclusion register turns an at-risk player's decision to stop into a binding technical control. The clean examples, Sweden's Spelpaus, Denmark's ROFUS, Germany's OASIS, hand the register to the regulator itself and require every licensed operator to query it before a session begins. The US pattern centralises less: a state lists the excluded players and imposes pre-activation checks, with re-screen cadence ranging from daily in New Jersey to monthly in Michigan. Two jurisdictions in our index still run self-exclusion operator-by-operator: Malta's Player Protection Directive mandates cross-brand exclusion within a licensee but indexes no national register; Ontario's Standard 2.14 requires the program without naming a central operator.

  • 13frameworks indexed
  • 12with matched standard
  • 11national registers
  • 4real-time query
  • 92%topic coverage

Snapshot across 13 frameworks

Each chip is one indexed rulebook. Green = we have a directly matched standard on this topic; dim = the topic may be covered under different wording, explore the framework to verify.

AGCO S 2.03 AGLC AGLC 3.5.3 DGA EO 682 § 23 DGOJ L 13/2011 art. 6.2.c GGL §§ 8, 8a–8d MGA PPD 11 MGCB R 432.659 NJ DGE § 69O-1.4(n)-(o) OCCC OAC 2.1 PA PGCB 58 Pa. Code § 807.4 SGA Ch14 §12 UKGC LCCP LCCP SRCP 3.5.3 UKGC RTS not directly indexed

Side by side

Structured columns from the RG Observatory overlay. Where a cell is — the indexed standards don’t specify; blanks are deliberate, not guesses.

Market Register Operator Query model Cross-operator Min duration Source
AGCO S 2.03 Self-Exclusion (Registrar's Standards) Operator-implemented (per Standard 2.14) — — 6 mo Open ↗
AGLC AGLC 3.5.3 AGLC centralized self-exclusion program AGLC API gate at registration/login against AGLC centralized system Yes — Open ↗
DGA EO 682 § 23 ROFUS Spillemyndigheden Real-time API query on every login and before every deposit Yes — Open ↗
DGOJ L 13/2011 art. 6.2.c RGIAJ DGOJ Pre-session query with nightly re-screen of existing accounts Yes — Open ↗
GGL §§ 8, 8a–8d OASIS GGL (Gemeinsame Glücksspielbehörde der Länder) Pre-transaction query before account creation, login and deposit (rejection within minutes) Yes 3 mo Open ↗
MGA PPD 11 Self-Barring (operator-level) Licensee (no unified/national register in indexed directives) — No — Open ↗
MGCB R 432.659 RGD MGCB Pre-activation query + periodic re-screen (no less than monthly) Yes 12 mo Open ↗
NJ DGE § 69O-1.4(n)-(o) DGE Self-Exclusion & Mandatory Exclusion list New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement Account-creation screen plus real-time block against the DGE exclusion list. Operators must block, close or suspend accounts of excluded patrons and must refuse wagers from anyone on the list. Yes 60 mo Open ↗
OCCC OAC 2.1 Ohio Voluntary Exclusion Program (VEP) OCCC (Ohio Casino Control Commission) Pre-registration screen of every new patron plus recurring re-screen of the active base; refresh cached copies on the Commission's published cadence Yes 12 mo Open ↗
PA PGCB 58 Pa. Code § 807.4 Interactive Gaming Self-Exclusion List PGCB Real-time check at registration and login; periodic checks during play Yes 12 mo Open ↗
SGA Ch14 §12 Spelpaus Spelinspektionen Real-time query before every staking occasion Yes — Open ↗
UKGC LCCP LCCP SRCP 3.5.3 GAMSTOP The National Online Self-Exclusion Scheme Limited (GAMSTOP) Operators must check GAMSTOP before allowing login or transaction (LCCP SRCP 3.5.3) Yes 6 mo Open ↗
UKGC RTS GAMSTOP The National Online Self-Exclusion Scheme Limited (GAMSTOP) Operators must check GAMSTOP before allowing login or transaction (LCCP SRCP 3.5.3) Yes 6 mo Open ↗

The policy trend line

1

From operator lists to national registers

The first generation of online self-exclusion, still the dominant US model, was the per-operator list. A player who self-excluded with Brand A could sign up with Brand B thirty seconds later. Europe moved first: Denmark launched ROFUS in 2012, Sweden launched Spelpaus with the 2019 licensing reopening, Germany built OASIS into the 2021 State Treaty. The UK made GAMSTOP a licence condition via LCCP SRCP 3.5.3 in 2020. Spain uses the older RGIAJ (established under Ley 13/2011 art. 6.2.c) which predates online licensing but remains the single national bar.

2

Query cadence is where the regimes actually differ

Every national register is queried before registration. The split is in session cadence. Denmark's ROFUS is called on every login and every deposit in real time. Sweden's Spelpaus is called before every staking occasion. Michigan's RGD is queried pre-activation with a re-screen "no less than monthly", a periodic, not real-time, model. New Jersey sits between: pre-registration plus daily re-screen, with cached lists over 24 hours invalidated by guidance. These cadences are not cosmetic: they determine whether a player who excludes mid-session is cut off immediately or at the next nightly batch.

3

Durations drift toward longer minimums

North America converges on one-year minimums (Pennsylvania § 809.5 explicitly offers 1-year, 5-year and lifetime options; Michigan R 432.649 matches). Europe runs shorter on the floor but broader at the top: GAMSTOP starts at six months, Germany's OASIS at three, Sweden and Denmark accept defined-period or indefinite with no statutory floor we index. The trend-line is toward offering more granular choices rather than shorter exclusions, Ontario's 2.14 mandates six-month, one-year and five-year options on top of short-term breaks under 2.13.

National register vs operator-level scheme

Ten of the 12 markets we index run self-exclusion through a central register that every licensee must query, with Ohio operating the Voluntary Exclusion Program (VEP) under OAC 3775-12-01. Two, Malta (within-licensee cross-brand) and Ontario (program mandated, no central operator named in the indexed standards), leave more to the licensee. The gap matters in enforcement: a national register makes evasion technically difficult, while an operator-led scheme makes compliance verification the regulator's job rather than a system-of-record lookup.

What to watch

Open questions and imminent changes that will shift the cells above. Each item is traceable to a regulator publication or indexed statute.

  • Alberta's multi-operator iGaming market launches July 13, 2026. AGLC Standards 3.5.1–3.5.3 already assume a centralised AGLC list checked by every registered operator via API.
  • UK financial-vulnerability checks at £150 net-deposit (LCCP SRCP 3.4.4, in force Feb 28 2025) are separate from GAMSTOP but use the same data pipeline operators must build.
  • Germany's OASIS is federating with Austrian and Dutch registers under ongoing EU discussions; our index reflects only the German statute.

Frequently asked

Which iGaming markets have a mandatory national self-exclusion register?

Of the 12 markets we index, nine run a national register as a licensing condition: UK (GAMSTOP), Germany (OASIS), Sweden (Spelpaus), Denmark (ROFUS), Spain (RGIAJ), New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Michigan (RGD) and the structural equivalent in Alberta (AGLC centralized list, pre-launch). Malta and Ontario mandate self-exclusion programs but do not name a central register in the directives our index covers.

Is self-exclusion queried in real time?

Real-time pre-session query is the rule in Denmark, Sweden and Pennsylvania. Germany's OASIS is queried before every account creation, login and deposit (characterised as "within minutes" rather than "real time" in our indexed standards). Michigan runs pre-activation + monthly re-screen, and New Jersey pre-registration + daily re-screen. UKGC's GAMSTOP query model is not described in the indexed standards beyond the requirement to participate.

What is the shortest self-exclusion period I can set?

Minimum durations in the indexed standards: UK and Germany allow six months and three months respectively; Michigan, New Jersey and Pennsylvania start at one year. Denmark and Sweden accept defined-period or indefinite with no documented statutory floor. Spain's RGIAJ does not state a minimum duration in our indexed sources.

Are there short-term "break in play" tools separate from self-exclusion?

Yes, several regulators separate binding self-exclusion from short cooling-off. Ontario Standard 2.13 mandates break-in-play options alongside the Standard 2.14 voluntary self-exclusion program. AGLC 3.3.9 offers 1-day, 1-week, 1-month, 2-month and 3-month short-term breaks on top of the centralized self-exclusion list. Sweden's Gambling Act Ch 14 includes a 24-hour panic button.

Responsible gambling & customer interaction When operators must proactively contact a player showing signs of harm. Deposit, loss & session limits Voluntary player-set caps on what can go in, what can be lost, and how long a session can run. Age verification & minors How each market proves a player is of legal age, and how minors are kept out of marketing. Marketing & advertising Content standards, audience targeting limits, and mandatory RG disclosures on every creative.

Primary sources

Every claim above traces to one of these citations. Matched standards link straight into the framework explorer; overlay facts link to the RG Observatory card with its audit note.

Indexed standards

RG Observatory overlay

  • DGOJ L 13/2011 art. 6.2.c; Orden EHA/3080/2011 art. 4 RG Observatory overlay · Register Dataset does not state a minimum RGIAJ duration; the 1/3/6-month figures apply to operator-internal self-exclusion (RD 958/2020 art. 26), not to RGIAJ.
  • GGL §§ 8, 8a–8d GlüStV 2021 RG Observatory overlay · Register Dataset does not expand the OASIS acronym. 'Real-time' language applies in the dataset to the LUGAS Limitdatei deposit cap, not to OASIS itself.
  • SGA Gambling Act Ch 14 §§11–12; SIFS 2022:3 Ch 9 §14; SIFS 2026:3 §§1–5 (effective 2026-08-01) RG Observatory overlay · Register Dataset specifies defined-period or indefinite exclusion plus a 24-hour panic button; no minimum enrolment period stated. SIFS 2026:3 (decided 23 April 2026, in force 1 August 2026) codifies the API-level check rules: operators must use their own Actor ID/API Key credentials, a check is complete only when a positive or negative exclusion result is returned, and pre-marketing checks must use the marketing API while pre-registration/pre-login checks must use the login API — the two endpoints are not interchangeable.
  • DGA dk-rofus-lookup; dk-rofus-registration; dk-rofus-marketing-suppression RG Observatory overlay · Register Dataset does not specify a minimum ROFUS exclusion duration (only 'temporary or permanent'). Full Danish expansion not indexed.
  • UKGC RTS LCCP SRCP 3.5.3 RG Observatory overlay · Register GAMSTOP operator entity and query model populated from LCCP SRCP 3.5.3 and UKGC public guidance.
  • MGA PPD 11; PPD 11(6)–(10); PPD 12–13; PPD 13A; GACD 30(5) RG Observatory overlay · Register
  • MGCB Mich Admin Code R 432.647 (register); R 432.649 (durations) RG Observatory overlay · Register
  • AGCO Registrar's Standards 2.14 (voluntary self-exclusion); 2.13 (short-term breaks in play) RG Observatory overlay · Register Standard 2.14 requires operators to offer 6-month, 1-year and 5-year exclusion periods. Dataset does not assign the program to iGaming Ontario specifically and does not describe a real-time cross-operator query model.
  • AGLC AGLC RG/IG Standards 3.5.1, 3.5.2, 3.5.3 RG Observatory overlay · Register Dataset references multiple 'registered Operators' (plural) and mandates API checks against the AGLC centralized list — cross-operator by design, not brand-named 'PlayAlberta'. No minimum duration stated (the 1-day/1-week/1-month/2-month/3-month options at 3.3.9 are short-term breaks, not SE periods). Alberta's multi-operator iGaming market is a 2026 transition.
  • NJ DGE N.J.A.C. 13:69G-1.5 (duty to exclude); 13:69G-1.6 (forfeiture of winnings); 13:69G-1.7 (five-year minimum before removal petition); 13:69O-1.4(j)-(m) (account suspension / cool-off) RG Observatory overlay · Register
  • PA PGCB 58 Pa. Code § 809.5 RG Observatory overlay · Register Chapters in our indexed corpus use plain numeric IDs (809.5, 807.2, etc.), not the 'a'-suffix scheme (809a, 811a) referenced in some external guides.
  • OCCC OAC 3775-12-01; OAC 3772-12-04; OAC 3772-12-02 (enrollment periods) RG Observatory overlay · Register Enrollment periods are one year, five years, and lifetime. Lifetime enrollees may seek removal only after five years plus completion of an education program (OAC 3772-12-05).

Built 2026-05-11 from the same datasets that power the framework explorers. Not legal advice; verify against the issuing regulator.