BetBlocker and ROGA Team Up in Time for Football Season

One of the best tools in the Responsible Gaming tool belt is self-exclusion. Some players simply cannot trust themselves not to bet, which is why it’s called compulsive behavior after all, and so they turn to the casinos and online sportsbooks themselves in licensed and regulated jurisdictions, which all have exclusion limits built in. 

But again, these limits can be as short as a day or as long as a lifetime, which doesn’t always suit every chronic problem gambler who sees themselves self-excluded for a week or a month or even a year, before falling back into destructive habits.

And of course, this piecemeal approach also allows someone with a problem to lifetime self-exclude and then simply sign up with another licensed operator minutes later. Or worse, find one of the thousands of offshore and unlicensed casinos that lack even the slightest nod at any form of Responsible Gaming software.

Enter BetBlocker

A UK gambling guide called thePOGG, which began business back in 2012, started a dispute process to help players with various issues with online operators, but soon found itself buried in an avalanche of people seeking help for themselves or loved ones. While there were fee-based services available, they weren’t entirely comfortable sending these desperate people off to fend for themselves.

Originally intended as a free tool to help those who were finding it difficult to help themselves, it soon found itself a victim of its own success with thousands signing up. Duncan Garvie, the founder, realized that it was just not possible to run without more help, and so he turned the idea into a Scottish-based charity in 2019. Many members of the UK gambling world stepped up to generously contribute, and by early 2025, they had formed a new 501(c) non-profit in Delaware to expand their operations in the US market as well.

What It Does

As the name implies, BetBlocker sits quietly on your computer and blocks access to various URLs from your web browser. Instead of using a keyword blocker that might just look for gambling terms, they instead use various tools to crawl the internet, look for actual gambling sites, and then add them to a curated list. 

That list currently sits at more than 118,000 sites and more than 1,500 apps that are blocked. As well as more than 40,000 active users currently using the tool. One concession made to the list, however, is that you may still choose a self-exclusion time as short as 24 hours, and of course, it only works on the device that you’ve downloaded the software onto. 

Still, it has been enormously effective with helping many people better manage their compulsive gambling problem, and has thousands of five-star reviews. It also has managed to partner with many of the largest online casinos, not just in the UK and the US but around the world on six continents. 

Enter ROGA

In March of 2024, seven of the largest US online gaming operators decided to come together on the issue of Responsible Gaming and work hand in hand, and thus the Responsible Online Gaming Alliance was born.  

With industry heavy hitters like Hard Rock Interactive, DraftKings, FanDuel and BetMGM behind them as well as an initial endowment of $20 million dollars the new industry association quickly made a name for itself, with its Know Your Play campaign.

More broadly, their mission is to fund academic research, promote education and awareness initiatives, and perhaps most importantly, develop a Responsible Gaming independent certification program for online gaming companies.

Marriage Made in Heaven

It was only a matter of time before these two organizations filled with like minds working on the same problem would come together, and this week, they described the broad framework of a deal that would see the current eight ROGA members would make a “conscious commitment” to ensuring all of their players would soon have access to the BetBlocker software. 

While this would potentially put BetBlocker in front of millions of potential new clients, it's worth noting that many of the members of ROGA have already partnered with the charity on their webpages. For instance, BetBlocker has been a partner with DraftKings since 2022.

Problem gambling isn’t going to vanish overnight, and BetBlocker, for all its good, is only a very temporary band-aid for a much more serious issue, but partnerships like this at least show that the industry is looking for real solutions to a problem that it recognizes. 

There is unlikely to be a one-size-fits-all type solution in any case, but the more options that exist, and the easier they are for the gambling public to access, the better the odds that someone in trouble might find some of the help they need.