Self-Exclusion, Limits and Taking a Break

By Elin Norrgård, casino analyst — updated August 2026

This is the procedural page: where the controls live, what each one blocks, what happens to the money in the account, and what cannot be undone once it is done. If you want the wider context and the helpline list, that is on the responsible gambling page. If you came here because you need to stop today, skip to the section on how to self-exclude.

Where the settings live

All of these controls sit inside the player account on the operator's site, normally under a menu called Responsible Gambling, Account Settings or Limits. They are never on this site — we are an independent guide with no access to any account. Every change applies to the account as a whole rather than to a single card or wallet, so switching payment method does not route around a restriction. Nothing here requires a conversation with support: the settings are self-service by design, precisely so that nobody has to justify themselves to an agent.

How to set deposit limit values that hold

A deposit limit is a ceiling on money entering the account over a day, a week or a month. When it is reached, the cashier stops accepting payments until the period rolls over. To set deposit limit values, open the responsible gambling section, choose the period, enter the figure and confirm — under a minute, start to finish.

The direction of travel matters. Lowering a limit, or setting one for the first time, applies immediately, because nobody should have to wait in order to spend less. Raising one is held behind a waiting period, commonly 24 hours and longer under some regulators, so the decision must survive the mood that produced it. While an increase is pending it can usually be cancelled, and if the request is simply ignored the old ceiling stays. Pick a number you would be comfortable losing entirely in that period, not the number that feels affordable mid-session.

Loss limit, wager limit and session controls

A deposit limit counts money in; a loss limit counts money gone. The difference is not academic: winnings played straight back can stretch a session far beyond what was deposited, and only a loss limit notices. A wager limit caps total turnover regardless of outcome, which suits high-frequency, low-stake play. A session limit ends play after an agreed number of minutes. Reality checks are the lightest of all — a message every thirty or sixty minutes showing time elapsed and the net result, with play continuing if you choose.

Several of these can run at once, and in combination they are more useful than any of them alone. Their honest weakness is that they rely on you reading them; a reminder dismissed without looking has stopped doing any work. If you notice yourself doing that, the tools below are the appropriate next step rather than a tighter version of the same reminder.

Timeout: how to take a break without closing the account

A timeout — many operators label it exactly that in the menu, others call it a cooling off period — is a short block fixed in advance, commonly a day, a week or a month. While it runs, deposits are refused, games are locked and promotional messages should stop. At most operators a withdrawable balance can still be paid out during the pause, which is worth knowing before you start one.

This is the right tool when you want to take a break rather than to stop. It expires by itself, and cooling off is designed to interrupt momentum rather than to end anything. If you find yourself starting a third one, treat that pattern as information.

How to self-exclude

Self-exclusion is the heavy instrument, and the procedure is deliberately simple so that nothing stands between the decision and the effect:

Log in and open the responsible gambling or account settings section.
Choose self-exclusion rather than the shorter timeout option.
Select the period — typically six months, one year, five years or permanent.
Confirm. The block takes effect immediately and the account closes to logins.
Withdraw any remaining balance first, or check how the operator returns it, because bonus funds will not survive.

What to expect afterwards: real money is normally returned, while active bonuses, free spins and unfinished wagering progress are forfeited. The exclusion cannot be lifted early — not by support, not by a well-argued email, not by opening a second account, which is itself a terms breach that voids winnings. When the period ends most operators require a deliberate reactivation step and often impose a further waiting period before it takes effect.

The limits of an offshore exclusion

One honest caveat that many pages skip. Self-exclusion registered with one operator covers that operator, and in some cases the other brands run by the same company — but no further. National schemes that block every licensed site at once, such as Sweden's Spelpaus.se, only reach operators holding that country's licence, and Slamz runs on an international permit instead. If you need a block that does not depend on a single company, add device-level software such as BetBlocker or Gamban, and ask your bank about blocking gambling transactions on the card. Those three layers together are what an offshore exclusion actually looks like.