Gamban vs BetBlocker vs Betttr: which gambling blocker to install, and what to add after it
If you searched for this page you are probably deciding what to install tonight. Short version: install a blocker first, and if you can only install one, pick based on whether you need a time-locked wall on the device itself (BetBlocker), need it on a Windows or Mac computer as well as your phone (Gamban), or want to close the regulated accounts for good and make that the first step of a recovery routine (Betttr). Many people run two of these at once, and that is not a mistake — it is the point. Details, tested against each product's own documentation in September 2026, follow.
The one-table version
| BetBlocker | Gamban | Betttr | |
|---|---|---|---|
| What it is | A gambling-site and app blocker run by a Scottish charity | A gambling-site and app blocker from a UK company (B Corp) | A recovery companion app for gambling recovery, built around a four-step gambling blocker |
| Cost | Free, no ads, no registration | $6.99/month or $41.99/year after a 7-day free trial (US pricing, Sept 2026) | Free to download on the App Store |
| Platforms | iOS, Android, Windows, macOS, Linux, Fire OS, AppGallery | iOS/iPadOS, Android, Windows, macOS | iPhone and iPad (iOS 18.5 or later) |
| How it blocks | Curated list (658,000+ sites, 3,100+ apps per its site); VPN-based on some platforms | Curated list ("tens of thousands" of sites and apps) | System-wide DNS-over-HTTPS profile for websites plus Apple Screen Time shields on the gambling apps you pick |
| Can you turn it off? | No — a self-restriction cannot be lifted until the chosen period ends (1 day to 5 years), and longer periods add a 7-day cooling-off | Subscription-based; see Gamban's support pages for removal rules | The two self-exclusion steps cannot be undone once you send them — a state program enrollment and a written request to an operator are binding with that regulator or operator, not with Betttr. The two device layers (website blocker, app blocker) are extra nets you manage in iOS Settings |
| Self-exclusion help | No (points you to national schemes) | "Layered self-exclusion" guidance inside the app | Guided self-exclusion for your state program or NVSEP, plus one written request you send to every operator in your state that accepts one |
| After the block | Nothing further — it is a blocker by design | Progress tracking (days, time and money saved) and support resources | A community recovering together, a gambling-free streak with a daily pledge, Panic Mode with one-tap helpline access, journal, short lessons |
| Best for | Anyone who needs a hard, time-locked wall right now, at no cost, on every device | People who want one paid blocker across phone and computer | People who have decided to quit and want the blocker to lead into a daily routine and other people who get it |
What each one actually does
BetBlocker
BetBlocker is a registered Scottish charity (OSCR SC049565), founded in 2017 by the dispute-resolution service ThePOGG and spun out as its own charity in 2019. It is free, ad-free, and collects no personal information — there is no account to create. You choose a restriction length from 1 day to 5 years and the block cannot be lifted early; BetBlocker's support team will not remove an active restriction for any reason, and restrictions of two months or longer stay on until you deliberately end them, followed by a seven-day cooling-off period. It also has a calendaring mode (block only on weekends or paydays, say) and optional parental controls. It runs on iOS, Android, Windows, macOS, Linux, Fire OS and Huawei AppGallery.
What it does not do: anything after the block. There is no streak, no journal, no community, no self-exclusion wizard. BetBlocker itself describes it as "one of many tools" and maintains a directory of support organisations for the rest.
Gamban
Gamban is a paid blocker from Gamban Ltd, a UK B Corp, with apps for iOS/iPadOS, Android, Windows and macOS. US pricing on gamban.com in September 2026 is $6.99 a month or $41.99 a year, after a 7-day free trial. The app blocks gambling sites and apps from a curated list, tracks how long you have stayed gamble-free and estimates time and money saved, walks you through "layered" self-exclusion (national schemes, bank gambling blocks), and links to support resources. It is the blocker most often bundled by treatment services and some regulators in the UK.
What it does not do: it is still a blocker with a progress screen. There is no community, no daily pledge or panic tools, and it does not compose self-exclusion requests for you.
Betttr
Betttr (three t's) is a recovery companion app for gambling recovery on iPhone and iPad, built by people who have been through it. It starts with a four-step gambling blocker: (1) a website blocker delivered as a system-wide DNS-over-HTTPS profile that filters gambling domains in every browser and app; (2) an app blocker that uses Apple's Screen Time to shield the sportsbook and casino apps you choose; (3) guided self-exclusion that takes you to your state's program or the National Voluntary Self-Exclusion Program (Betttr never enrolls you and never handles your ID); and (4) "Ban the Books," which composes one email that you send from your own mail app to every operator in your state that accepts a written self-exclusion request. The five biggest sportsbooks do not accept the email, so Betttr shows you their in-app self-exclusion steps instead.
Around the blocker sits a community of members recovering together — posts, comments, friends and direct messages under a username — and the daily tools: a gambling-free streak with a daily pledge, Panic Mode with one-tap helpline access, breathing exercises and an urge tracker, a journal, and 54 short lessons on why gambling hooks you and how to repair what it cost.
How permanent it is: the two steps that matter most cannot be taken back. Once you enroll in your state program or NVSEP, the regulator holds that exclusion for its own term, and once you send a written self-exclusion request the operator closes the account on its side — neither can be reversed from inside Betttr or any other app. The two device layers on top (the website blocker and the app blocker) are extra nets you approve once in iOS Settings; they are there to catch the sites and apps the exclusions don't reach. Betttr is iPhone and iPad only today, so it will not block gambling on a Windows PC.
How to layer them
The people who stay stopped usually have more than one layer, because each of these tools fails in a different way. A practical stack for someone in the United States:
- Install BetBlocker on every device you own and set a long restriction. It is free and it cannot be argued with at 2 a.m.
- Enroll in your state self-exclusion program (or NVSEP if your state participates) and send written self-exclusion requests to the operators that accept them. Betttr's self-exclusion wizard and Ban the Books do this in one sitting; the full list of programs and operator addresses is on our self-exclusion directory.
- Use Betttr — or another recovery routine — for the part BetBlocker and Gamban do not cover: the daily pledge, the streak, the community, the panic button.
- If you gamble on a computer as well as your phone and want a single paid product for both, Gamban covers Windows and macOS; BetBlocker covers them free.
Running BetBlocker and Betttr together on an iPhone works: Betttr's self-exclusion steps close the regulated accounts for good, BetBlocker adds a time-locked device wall, Betttr's DNS profile and Screen Time shields add a second net, and the recovery tools sit on top.
Which one should you install tonight?
- You need something that cannot be undone, right now, for free: BetBlocker.
- You want one paid blocker on phone and computer with a progress screen: Gamban.
- You have decided to quit and want to close the accounts for good, then start a routine with people around you who understand: Betttr — and add BetBlocker if you also want a time-locked wall on the device itself.
If you are reading this in a bad moment, call or text the National Problem Gambling Helpline at 1-800-MY-RESET (1-800-697-3738). It is free, confidential, and open 24 hours a day.
Frequently asked questions
Is Gamban or BetBlocker better?
BetBlocker is free, charity-run, cannot be removed before your chosen period ends, and runs on more platforms. Gamban is paid, adds progress tracking and layered self-exclusion guidance, and is the blocker most often bundled by UK treatment services. If cost or un-removability matters most, BetBlocker; if you want a single paid product across phone and computer, Gamban.
Is Betttr a gambling blocker?
Yes. Betttr starts with a four-step gambling blocker — a website blocker, an app blocker backed by Screen Time, guided self-exclusion, and one written self-exclusion request sent to every operator in your state that accepts one — and then adds a community and daily recovery tools. The self-exclusion and written-request steps are binding with the regulator and the operators and cannot be undone from the app; the website and app blockers are additional device layers you manage in iOS Settings.
Can I use BetBlocker and Betttr at the same time?
Yes. BetBlocker's restriction and Betttr's DNS profile and Screen Time shields work independently on the same iPhone, and Betttr's self-exclusion steps sit outside both apps entirely. Many members run both: Betttr to close the accounts and run the routine, BetBlocker as a time-locked wall on the device.
Do any of these apps enroll me in state self-exclusion?
No. Self-exclusion is between you and the regulator or operator. Gamban and Betttr guide you to the right program; Betttr also composes the written requests you send yourself. BetBlocker points you to national schemes. Enrollment is always your own action.
Sources: gamban.com/pricing and gamban.com/apps (accessed September 2026); betblocker.org (accessed September 2026); Betttr's own product documentation at betttr.net/about/betttr-facts/. Corrections: if you work for Gamban or BetBlocker and something here is out of date, email support@betttr.net and we will fix it.