Gamstop， the UK self-exclusion scheme available for online casinos and sports betting platforms， has reported a 30% increase in 16-24-year-olds using the service in the first six months of 2023.

Not only that， but out of the 30% of users， this particular age demographic represented 21% of new sign-ups too.

Overall， Gamstop recorded a 12% increase in new registrants across all ages， when compared to 2022， with a total of 48，000 consumers signing up for the service.

While March saw an initial record amount of registrations， this was beaten again in May，slots the month after the Government’s White Paper dropped.

Out of all new users who signed up in the first half of 2023， around 50% of them chose to exclude themselves for the maximum term of five years.

Fiona Palmer， Gamstop CEO， said: “Today’s data shows the continuing importance of Gamstop in helping consumers to protect themselves from gambling harm.

“At our Parliamentary reception in June to mark Gamstop’s fifth anniversary， we heard the moving stories of some of those who have benefitted from the scheme.

“This data puts those stories and lived experiences into a wider context and shows that self-exclusion is an increasingly important tool for anyone trying to take a break from gambling.”

In the latest research published by Gamstop and Ygam， an education-based charity that focuses on the effects of gambling on young people， it was found that one in four students who gamble while in education could experience harm.

A further one in two students said that gambling had affected their university experience in some way.

Earlier this year， GamCare， Gamban and Gamstop revealed their joint collective had secured funding from GambleAware for a three-year extension.