Globally, around 1.2% to 6.0% of countries’ populations, on average, suffer from gambling addiction issues. In the US, the figure the National Council on Problem Gaming cites is two and a half million. Below, we present five apps to help those dealing with this problem not exacerbate their issues by partaking in this hobby when they know they should not.

BetBlocker

Registered as a charity in Scotland, BetBlocker is a team of software developers working from Livingston, West Lothian, whose efforts get 100% funded via charitable donations. The BetBlocker project went live in 2017, and today, it is ranked by many as the most effective software in preventing gambling addiction. It does this by forbidding users access to over eighty-five online gambling platforms. It takes two minutes to set up on any device, blocking licensed and unlicensed hubs without requiring registration.

According to most BetBlocker reviews, users who swear by this app love it because it runs lightweight in the background and is a free service that is super easy to install without adverts. We appreciate that anyone can suggest a site for blocking, and it has a Parental Control system, letting users select which domains should be blocked.

Gamban

Without argument, Gamban is the most highly publicized smartphone and desktop application for curing gambling addiction in Britain. Despite its UK establishment, it is available worldwide, and along with BetBlocker, it is usually the app that top review hubs highlight as most successful in curbing problem gambling rates globally.

OnlineUnitedStatesCasinos.com lists several additional resources on responsible betting while also pointing out that BetBlocker, Gamban, and Gamblock, which will be covered below, are the online tools that do the best job in helping gamblers manage to react to their urges to bet.

Unfortunately, unlike BetBlocker, Gamban is a paid piece of software with a monthly price tag of $3.49 or an annual one of $34.99. Thankfully, there is a seven-day trial that interested parties can explore, which permits them to test this slick app. It has a request feature option that allows users to pitch their ideas on how this software can be improved, and it includes a pretty deep blog page that continuously gets updated with quality articles that stretch out into other non-gambling related topics that provide further insights into combating addiction disorders.

GamBlock

As promised, the third entry in this list outlining apps that aim to stop people from partaking in remote games of chance or betting on sports is GamBlock. It is another premium choice in restricting users’ access to the Internet gaming/sportsbook sector, allowing them to treat their gambling addiction. It is run by Gamblock Pty Ltd., an Australian company operating from Mont Albert (Melbourne) in Victoria. Like the one detailed in the subheading above, we have another paid application here.

What is super interesting about GamBlock is that its pricing model implements different costs for specific device types and operating systems. For example, it offers its services to Samsung device (Android) users for a yearly fee of $205. Yet, non-Samsung smartphone owners can pay an annual charge of $162 to have this software on their phones for a year. While this is a robust gambling site blocking solution, many Windows desktop users avoid it because it attaches itself to the OS’ core process, and to remove it from their system, one must wipe their disk partition clean and perform a new OS install.

BetFilter

BetFilter markets itself as a software solution exclusively designed not to allow people addicted to gaming and betting to indulge in these activities. Its advertising also states that it promises 100% discretion and that its use has been tested on individuals who have been diagnosed as suffering from gambling problems. That gets collaborated by the fact that BetFilter’s team works closely with Demark’s Center For Ludomani. Ludomaia is the technical term for problem betting, defined as a behavior that people keep repeating even though they are well aware of its negative consequences.

Similar to BetBlocker, BetFilter does not show ads and is a free-to-use app that you can download from any third-party website. It is a basic browser filter that has been around for over a decade and a half and whose functions are not as expansive as those of the other picks discussed.

Net Nanny

Net Nanny is a content-control suite that has been around since 1994, coincidently the year that legal online gambling got birthed in Antigua and Barbuda. Its chief purpose is for parents to have control of their children’s computers and phones and monitor their activities on these devices. Nevertheless, it can also be utilized as a responsible gambling tool, given that it can block websites and apps, screen time use, offer social media protection, and more.

One desktop Net Nanny annual license costs $39.99, and while this software can be a tad more cumbersome to configure, it has an advanced alert system and should do more than a decent job of limiting gambling access for people bitten by the casino or bookmaker bug.