Taking a time-out in a casino app
Taking a time-out in a casino app locks your account for a short, fixed break, from 24 hours up to six weeks. Every UK-licensed operator has to offer one. This guide explains the lengths available, how a time-out differs from self-exclusion, how to start one on your phone and how to make the break stick across other apps too.
By the BestApps editorial team. Last checked .
Key takeaways
- UK-licensed apps must offer time-outs of 24 hours, one week, one month, or another period you reasonably ask for up to six weeks.
- A time-out covers one operator; GAMSTOP self-exclusion is the route for all of them at once.
- Ask the operator what happens to your balance, marketing and early cancellation before you confirm.
- Phone tools such as app timers and install blocks make the break harder to undo on impulse.
- If you need longer than six weeks, self-exclusion starts at six months.
- Shortest time-out
- 24 hours
- Longest time-out
- Up to 6 weeks
- Standard options
- 24 hours, 1 week, 1 month
- Covers
- One operator's account
- Rule
- LCCP 3.3.4
What taking a time-out in a casino app means
A time-out is a short, deliberate pause. You pick a length, confirm it, and the operator stops you gambling on that account until the period ends. It's lighter than self-exclusion, which runs for months or years, and more definite than a deposit limit, which still lets you play.
People use time-outs for all sorts of reasons: a busy month, a run of losses, a holiday, or simply a feeling that the app has been opened too often lately. You don't need to explain. Our glossary entry for time-out gives the short definition, and some apps call the same tool a break, a cool-off or a cooling-off period.
The UK rule on casino app time-outs
The requirement is in the Gambling Commission's licence conditions. LCCP 3.3.4 on the remote time-out facility (opens in a new tab) says licensees must offer a time-out for these durations:
| Option | Length |
|---|---|
| 1 | 24 hours |
| 2 | One week |
| 3 | One month |
| 4 | Another period you reasonably request, up to 6 weeks |
It applies to remote licences generally, so every UK-licensed online casino, whether it's a standalone casino app or the casino tab inside a sportsbook app, must have one. Breaching licence conditions can lead to a licence review, a fine or suspension. Our page on how casino apps are licensed in the UK covers the wider framework.
The condition sets the lengths. It doesn't spell out every detail, such as whether you can end a time-out early, so check the operator's own terms.
Time-out, deposit limit, self-exclusion or closing your account?
The tools overlap, and choosing the right one saves frustration. This comparison sets out the main differences.
| Tool | Length | Covers | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deposit limit | Ongoing | One operator | Keeping play within a budget |
| Time-out | 24 hours to 6 weeks | One operator | A short, clean break |
| Self-exclusion with one operator | Set by the operator | One operator | Leaving one brand for longer |
| GAMSTOP | 6 months, 1 year or 5 years | All UK-licensed online operators | Stepping away from online gambling |
| Closing your account | Until you reopen or join again | One operator | Leaving a brand without a protective block |
Closing an account isn't the same as excluding yourself, so if gambling is the problem rather than one brand, a time-out or self-exclusion is the more protective choice. Our guide on how to close a casino account explains that difference, and self-exclusion from casino apps covers the longer route.
How to take a time-out in a casino app, step by step
Layouts differ, so these steps describe what to look for. The option is usually in account settings or a safer gambling area, and some apps call it a break or a cool-off.
- Withdraw any balance you want back before you start, so the money isn't sitting there during the break.
- Open the app, sign in and go to your account settings or safer gambling section.
- Find the time-out, take a break or cool-off option.
- Choose 24 hours, one week, one month or a custom length up to six weeks, if offered.
- Read the summary: it should say when the time-out ends and what you can still access.
- Confirm, then check that you can no longer start a game.
- Repeat in any other gambling apps you use, or consider GAMSTOP if there are several.
How long should a casino app time-out be?
Pick the length that covers the reason for the break, then add a little. A time-out that ends just as the trigger returns, such as payday or the weekend, is less helpful than one that runs past it.
| Length | Often used when | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 24 hours | You want to stop tonight's session from becoming tomorrow's | After a losing evening, to avoid chasing it |
| One week | A short period of stress or a busy stretch | During exam week or a house move |
| One month | Breaking a habit or covering a pay cycle | From one payday to the next |
| Up to six weeks | A longer reset without committing to months | Covering a long holiday plus the week after |
If six weeks doesn't feel long enough, that's worth listening to. Self-exclusion through GAMSTOP starts at six months, and the time-outs page in our safer gambling section talks through the choice.
Questions to ask before you confirm a time-out
Operators handle the practical details in their own terms. Asking support these questions takes a minute and avoids surprises:
- Can the time-out be ended early, or does it run to the end once set?
- Can I still log in to withdraw my balance during the break?
- Will marketing emails, texts and push notifications stop for the period?
- Does the time-out cover only this brand, or other brands run by the same company?
- What happens to any bonus or spins credited before the break?
Whatever the answer on marketing, you can always change your preferences yourself. Since 1 May 2025, UK operators must let you choose which products and channels you hear from. Our guides on turning off casino app notifications and push notifications and gambling marketing show how.
Where five casino apps mention breaks
Store listings and help pages vary in detail. Here's what is published about break tools for five apps.
| App | Licence holder | Break tool named | Guide |
|---|---|---|---|
| PlayOJO | Skill On Net Limited | Take A Break (store listing); help page also lists time limits and self-exclusion | PlayOJO tools |
| 10bet | Blue Star Planet Limited | Breaks in account settings (store listing) | 10bet tools |
| Coral | LC International Limited | Safer gambling tools, not itemised | Coral tools |
| Ladbrokes | LC International Limited | Not itemised in the listing | Ladbrokes tools |
| Casumo | Recro Limited | Not itemised in the listing | Casumo tools |
Coral and Ladbrokes are run by the same company on one licence, so if you use both, ask whether a time-out on one also covers the other rather than assuming it does.
Making the break stick with phone settings
A time-out locks the account, but the app still sits on your home screen. A few phone changes reduce the pull to check it.
On Android
Digital Wellbeing lets you set a daily timer for any app. Google's Digital Wellbeing guide (opens in a new tab) says that when the time runs out, the app closes and its icon dims, and timers reset at midnight. Focus mode pauses chosen apps and their notifications. See blocking casino apps with Digital Wellbeing.
On iPhone
Apple's Content and Privacy Restrictions guide (opens in a new tab) shows how to set App Store installs to blocked, which stops a deleted app being reinstalled on impulse. The settings are designed for parents but work on your own phone too. Our Screen Time blocking guide covers the steps.
On either phone, simply deleting the casino app during the break removes the icon without touching your account or balance.
Taking a break from several casino apps at once
A time-out covers one account. If you have accounts with several operators, you'd need to set one in each, and it's easy to miss one. For a break from all of them, GAMSTOP is simpler: one registration blocks every online gambling company licensed in Great Britain. The shortest period is six months, and GAMSTOP's own explanation (opens in a new tab) says it can't be cancelled early.
For a shorter, all-app pause, a bank gambling block on your debit card stops payments to every gambling merchant. Our bank gambling blocks page explains which banks offer one and how the cool-down periods work.
When the time-out ends
Use the last day of the break to decide how you want to come back, if at all. A plan made calmly works better than one made when the app reopens.
- Set or lower a deposit limit first; see setting deposit limits in a casino app.
- Turn on a short reality check interval, as explained in reality checks in casino apps.
- Leave notifications off so the app doesn't pull you back in.
- If you didn't miss it, consider not reinstalling the app at all.
If the break was harder than expected, that's a useful signal. The National Gambling Helpline, run by GamCare, is free and open 24/7 on 0808 8020 133, and GamCare also offers live chat (opens in a new tab). Our guides hub and help and support page list more options.
18+. Every casino game has a built-in house edge, so over time you should expect to lose what you stake. Set a budget before you play and stop when it’s gone: safer gambling tools and support. Free, confidential help: National Gambling Helpline 0808 8020 133.
Frequently asked questions
How do I take a break from a casino app?
Open the app's account settings or safer gambling area, find the time-out or take a break option, choose a length and confirm. UK-licensed apps must offer 24 hours, one week, one month, or another period you reasonably ask for up to six weeks. If you can't find it, live chat can apply it. Our short answer on how to take a break from a casino app covers the basics.
What is the longest time-out a casino app offers?
The longest time-out UK rules require is six weeks. Licence condition LCCP 3.3.4 says operators must offer 24 hours, one week, one month, or another reasonable period up to a maximum of six weeks. For anything longer, self-exclusion is the tool: GAMSTOP periods are six months, one year or five years. Our guide to self-exclusion from casino apps explains how that works.
Can I cancel a time-out early?
That depends on the operator, because the licence condition sets the lengths but the page setting it out doesn't say whether a time-out can be ended early. Ask support before you confirm, and if you think you might be tempted to reverse it, choose a longer period or a tool that can't be undone, such as GAMSTOP. The time-outs page discusses choosing a length you'll stick to.
Does a time-out apply to the casino website as well as the app?
Yes, normally, because a time-out is set on your account, and the app and website share the same account. It wouldn't cover a separate account you hold with a different operator, even one owned by the same group, unless the operator says so. Ask support if you're unsure. Our page on using the same account on the app and website explains shared accounts.
Can I withdraw money during a casino app time-out?
Check with the operator, as each sets its own process for balances during a break. The simplest approach is to withdraw what you want back before starting the time-out, so nothing sits in the account. UK rules say you can withdraw without unreasonable delay, and an operator can't take your money because you didn't log in within a time limit. Our guide on how to withdraw from a casino app walks through it.
What is the difference between a time-out and self-exclusion?
A time-out is a short break of 24 hours to six weeks with one operator, while self-exclusion lasts months or years and is designed for people who want to stop. With GAMSTOP, self-exclusion covers every UK-licensed online operator at once and can't be cancelled early. Operators also offer their own self-exclusion. Compare them on our self-exclusion glossary page and the time-out entry.
Will I still get casino marketing during a time-out?
Ask the operator, because how marketing is handled during a time-out depends on its terms. You can control it yourself anyway: since 1 May 2025, UK operators must let you choose which products and channels, such as email, text and phone, you receive marketing through. Push notifications are controlled in your phone's settings. Our guide to turning off casino app notifications shows how on iPhone and Android.
How do I take a break from all gambling apps at once?
Register with GAMSTOP, which blocks you from every online gambling company licensed in Great Britain for six months, one year or five years. For a shorter pause across every app, turn on a gambling block with your bank, which stops debit card payments to gambling merchants. Blocking software and phone settings add another layer. Our pages on GAMSTOP and blocking gambling apps on your phone explain the options.
Related pages
Sources
- LCCP 3.3.4: Remote time-out facility (opens in a new tab)
- Manage how you spend time on your Android phone with Digital Wellbeing (opens in a new tab)
- Use parental controls on your child's iPhone or iPad (opens in a new tab)
- About | Gamstop Online (opens in a new tab)
- Chat to us now - GamCare (opens in a new tab)