How to Block Gambling Sites on Windows: Free and Paid Options

To block gambling sites on a Windows PC, you can use a free filter or browser extension, or install dedicated gambling-blocking software, which comes in free and paid versions. Microsoft Family Safety uses mature-content filters and site lists, and LeechBlock uses lists you enter yourself; dedicated gambling blockers such as BetBlocker and Gamban say they keep their gambling lists updated for you. Before you install anything, check which Windows versions and browsers the tool supports, what it blocks, and who can change or end the block later: you, a fixed period you set in advance, or a person you trust.

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Before comparing brands, answer two questions: what does the block cover, and who can change it later?

What are my options for blocking gambling sites on Windows?

Each entry uses the same six fields. Product details are what each publisher says on its own pages, checked September 12, 2026. They are not independent findings, and the entries are not ranked.

1. A site-blocking browser extension

• Fits: a short list of your own, in one browser.
• Method: an add-on such as LeechBlock NG, which its Firefox listing calls a “simple free productivity tool.”
• Covers: the browser it is installed in, and the sites you list.
• Cost: free examples exist.
• Who can change it: you; the listing mentions an optional password or access code “to slow you down in moments of weakness.”
• Check first: you build and maintain the list.

2. Microsoft Family Safety

• Fits: a family organizer managing a child's Microsoft account.
• Method: web and search filters in a Microsoft family group.
• Covers: according to Microsoft, Edge while signed in to a Microsoft account; mature sites plus sites blocked or allowed by hand.
• Cost: not stated on the Microsoft support pages reviewed.
• Who can change it: the family organizer.
• Check first: it needs someone else as organizer, and the Microsoft pages reviewed describe no gambling category.

3. A DNS filtering service

• Fits: filtering applied to a device or home network through a DNS service.
• Method: a service such as CleanBrowsing, NextDNS, or Cloudflare's 1.1.1.1 for Families.
• Covers: devices or networks set to use the service, within its categories.
• Cost: free tiers exist, but a gambling category may be paid, and free use may be capped.
• Who can change it: whoever controls the service account, or the device and network settings.
• Check first: whether your plan includes a gambling category.

4. A free dedicated gambling blocker

• Fits: a maintained gambling list without paying.
• Method: gambling-specific software such as BetBlocker, which has a Windows version.
• Covers: the device where it runs, using a gambling list BetBlocker says it updates weekly.
• Cost: free.
• Who can change it: the period you set in advance; BetBlocker says an active restriction cannot be lifted before it ends.
• Check first: the length of the period, and how it ends.

5. A paid dedicated gambling blocker

• Fits: a maintained gambling list, and you are willing to pay.
• Method: licensed software such as Gamban or GamBlock.
• Covers: what the vendor classifies as gambling, on devices where it is installed.
• Cost: varies by vendor, country, currency, and licence length; dated examples below.
• Who can change it: depends on the product. Gamban says it has no password protection; GamBlock asks the person installing it to create a password.
• Check first: supported Windows versions, licence terms, and the privacy policy.

6. Blocking software with a trusted person involved

• Fits: you want someone else involved before the block can be weakened.
• Method: software where another person keeps a password or approves weakening changes from their own account.
• Covers: whatever that product supports; check its Windows, browser, and device limits.
• Cost: paid, in this guide's examples.
• Who can change it: the person you choose, within the product's rules.
• Check first: what that person can see, and what happens if they become unavailable.

Can I block gambling sites for free?

Yes, but free options differ in who they are built for and whether anyone keeps a gambling list current. An allowlist permits only sites you approve, a manual block list stops only what someone enters, and a maintained category depends on how well its provider updates it.

Microsoft says its Family Safety web and search filters work in a supported browser, currently Edge, while the person being filtered is signed in to their Microsoft account. The controls are a filter for sites Microsoft treats as mature, plus sites blocked or allowed by hand; the Family Safety pages reviewed on September 12, 2026, describe no gambling category.

Microsoft's page on settings enforced on adults says a family organizer can manage an adult member's safety settings, including content filters, that “only the family organizer can make changes,” and that this “may not be ideal for adult members.” Microsoft says it is working on an update to let adult members choose whether organizers manage their settings.

That makes Family Safety a poor fit for an adult blocking gambling sites on their own computer: it depends on another person as organizer, and Microsoft says the adult arrangement is changing. Microsoft also says Kids Mode has been deprecated in Edge.

Google's Family Link is built for parents supervising a child's Google Account, and Google says that on computers other than Chromebooks, most Family Link supervision tools won't work. Chrome's administrator site-block setting, according to Google's Chrome Enterprise help, applies to managed Chrome browsers and offers what Google calls “basic URL management.”

DNS filtering services check the addresses a device or network looks up, and their gambling options differ. Cloudflare's 1.1.1.1 for Families offers two settings, blocking malware or blocking malware and adult content; neither is a gambling setting. CleanBrowsing's pricing page lists Gambling among the predefined filters on its paid plans. NextDNS says its free plan covers 300,000 queries a month, after which it keeps answering queries without blocking. For how these approaches differ, see gambling blockers without a VPN or DNS.

For a maintained gambling list at no cost, BetBlocker is free, needs no registration, and is run by a charity registered in Scotland, with a Windows version among its downloads. You choose a restriction from one day to five years, or schedule one in advance. BetBlocker says an active restriction cannot be lifted before its period ends, and that restrictions of two months or longer do not end on their own: they continue until you choose to end them, followed by a one-week cooling-off period.

What should I compare in paid blocking software?

A higher price is not evidence of a stronger block. Check the same things on each vendor's current pages:

• The Windows versions it lists, and what setup requires.
• What it blocks, and what the vendor says it does not block.
• Which browsers or apps it covers.
• Who can change or end the block, and when.
• The price, with currency, billing interval, and licence length.
• What the software itself records, according to its privacy policy.

Gamban's Windows installation article says it needs Windows 7 or later, is installed with administrator rights, and cannot be installed while other blocking tools are present. Gamban says its categories are blocked automatically and “cannot be customised,” and that it does not block gambling adverts, sports information platforms, loot boxes, or adult content. Its knowledge base says the software has no password protection and is removed automatically when the licence period ends.

On September 12, 2026, Gamban's Canadian pricing page listed CAD 9.99 billed monthly or CAD 59.99 billed annually, with a 7-day free trial; prices elsewhere may differ. A regional program can also cover the cost: Gamban has announced free access for Louisiana residents through the Louisiana Association on Compulsive Gambling.

GamBlock's Windows installation page has the person installing it choose “Protect: Myself” or “Protect: Another person” and create a password, and says GamBlock will not release passwords or change installation choices on request. On September 12, 2026, its download and pricing page listed one-device, 12-month Windows Personal licences from US$134.95.

Cold Turkey Blocker is a general-purpose website and app blocker, not a gambling-specific one. Its system requirements list Windows 11, Windows 10, Windows 8.1, and Windows 7 SP1. Its user guide says the paid Pro version can lock a block with a password, which it calls “a useful feature for parents or someone with an accountability partner.” Its pricing page offers a free edition and a one-time Pro purchase.

Can someone else approve changes?

Yes, and it is worth deciding before you install. The products in this guide fall into a few patterns: controls you hold yourself, a fixed period set in advance, a password someone else keeps, or a person who approves changes that would weaken the block. How gambling blockers can be locked explains what each arrangement does and does not protect against.

If a trusted person takes a role, agree on it plainly first. For example, they can refuse a request made in a hard moment and talk it through with you the next day, they do not ask to see your browsing, and you both know what happens if they move away or the relationship ends. They should consent to the role, and the software belongs on a computer you control. If gambling debt is affecting your relationship, our guide for partners facing gambling debt starts with safety, your own finances and support.

GuardianBlock uses the last of those patterns. Your keyholder, the accountability partner you choose, approves or denies sensitive changes from their own signed-in account with multi-factor authentication. There is no password for them to hold, and adding or strengthening protection never needs their approval. They cannot operate your computer, see your screen, or read your browsing history. Turning protection off follows a supported path: Keyholder approval, a 24-hour cooling-off period, a signed single-use authorization, and the local uninstall. A reviewed recovery path covers an unavailable or abusive keyholder, account loss, and related safety cases. A Gambling Blocker Where Someone Else Holds the Key explains the model.

GuardianBlock runs on an eligible personal, unmanaged Windows 11 Home or Pro x64 PC and works in Chrome, Edge, and Firefox, with browser-specific private-browsing differences explained on its browser support page. On the protected Windows account, unapproved browser software is blocked from running as an alternate route. It does not support Windows 10, macOS, iOS, Android, Linux, ARM64, shared computers, or employer, school, domain, MDM, or IT-managed devices, and there is no phone app. It costs USD $10/month, billed monthly, cancel anytime, for one protected adult, one accountability partner, and up to three eligible personal Windows 11 devices, with no free tier. See its Windows details and limitations pages for the full scope.

What if I already self-excluded?

Self-exclusion and computer blocking do different jobs. A self-exclusion register works through your gambling accounts with participating licensed operators in one jurisdiction. Blocking software works on the computer where it is installed, within what its maker supports.

iGaming Ontario says BetGuard lets people aged 19 and older opt out of all Ontario regulated online gaming platforms through one portal, including OLG's, and that opted-out players are prevented from accessing existing accounts or creating new ones. GAMSTOP says registering blocks you from gambling websites and apps licensed in Great Britain.

GAMSTOP also lists blocking software as a separate tool, and the UK charity GamCare's self-exclusion guidance says “a lot of the responsibility to stay away is still yours” and recommends blocking software too. A payment control, where your own bank or card provider confirms it offers one, is another separate layer. Our Canadian bank guide explains what the reviewed institutions document. Adding layers adds friction; it does not guarantee an outcome.

If you have already registered, choose a Windows setup the way anyone else would, and leave the self-exclusion in place. For registration details, see the guides for Ontario, British Columbia, Saskatchewan, and Great Britain's GAMSTOP, or the province-by-province Canadian guide. Self-exclusion versus device blocking shows where each layer acts.

What should I do next?

• Confirm the computer is yours and personally controlled, not managed by an employer or school and not shared. If you also use it for work, read what to check on a personal laptop used for work.
• Match the tool to the Windows versions, browsers, and devices its maker lists.
• Decide what the block needs to cover: a maintained gambling list, sites you choose, or both.
• Decide who can change or end it, and agree on any helper's role before you install.
• Use a standard Windows account day to day. Microsoft's user account guidance says it is safer to have fewer administrators and to use standard user accounts for day-to-day activities.
• Follow the vendor's official setup instructions.
• Consider support beyond software, such as self-exclusion, a counsellor, or a helpline.

If GuardianBlock fits what you need, start with its system requirements. GuardianBlock for Windows will be available soon.

Quick answers to common questions

Will a Windows blocker also block gambling apps on my phone? Not by itself. Software installed on your Windows PC works on that PC, so plan separately for a phone. GuardianBlock has no phone app; for iPhone settings, see how to block gambling apps on an iPhone.

Will a blocker's gambling list be complete? Plan for gaps. Gamban's knowledge base says new sites appear every day and “occasionally some may be missed,” and BetBlocker says it cannot guarantee its list of gambling operator sites is absolutely exhaustive.