Gambling Help for Expats, Visitors and International Students in Asia

What self-exclusion is and who can apply

Self-exclusion is a tool that prevents you from gambling by blocking your access to the gaming website or venue you have excluded with¹. You apply voluntarily, and once you are on the list, the operator is expected to keep you out. It is not a punishment and it is not permanent unless you choose a scheme that offers an indefinite option.

Anyone can apply for themselves. You do not need to be a citizen, a resident or a regular customer. In Singapore, individuals may apply to exclude themselves from one or more gambling activities, and the scheme is open to anyone who wants to use it⁶. The same principle applies in Macau, where a person who is excluded may choose to accept or decline counseling services from problem gambling prevention bodies⁷.

Some schemes also let other people apply on your behalf. In Singapore, a family member can apply for a Family Exclusion Order if your gambling has caused serious harm to the family⁸. In the Philippines, PAGCOR runs a Family Exclusion or Banning program for loved ones, including a spouse, child or parent, who need help with problem gambling⁹. In Macau, if a self-exclusion application is submitted through a casino, the regulator verifies your details and you must attend the DICJ office in person⁷.

Japan takes a different approach. Under Article 44 of its casino legislation, a casino operator may prohibit entry at the request of family or other related persons when it is deemed necessary for gambling addiction prevention¹⁰. That provision applies to visitors to Japanese casino facilities, and the exclusion period is one year or longer, set at a period the operator deems reasonable based on expert advice¹⁰.

If you are a student, a migrant worker or a short-term visitor, you can still use self-exclusion. The schemes do not ask about your visa status. What changes is how you apply and how long the exclusion lasts.

Self-exclusion in Singapore: casinos, remote gambling and machine rooms

Singapore has the most developed self-exclusion system in the region, and it covers three main areas⁶. You can choose one, two or all three¹¹.

The legal definition is broad. Self-exclusion means a ban from entering or remaining on, or taking part in, any casino gambling or promotional game on all casino premises; from gaming machine rooms; or from engaging in all manner of general remote gambling¹². That last part matters if you bet online. A self-exclusion under section 165AA can ban you from all general remote gambling, not just one website¹³.

There is also a separate tool called a Voluntary Visit Limit. Instead of banning you completely, it limits the number of visits you can make to the casinos in a calendar month¹⁴. This suits people who want to cut down rather than stop entirely. You apply through the same NCPG system.

For non-casino gambling, the older Non-Casino Self-Exclusion scheme excludes you from your Singapore Pools betting account, your Singapore Turf Club betting account, and the jackpot rooms of private clubs that offer the service¹⁵. If you later become a private club member or open a betting account, you must first revoke your earlier self-exclusion and reapply¹⁵.

One practical warning: if you are excluded and you use false evidence of age to enter a gaming machine room during a restricted period, or to engage in general remote gambling in or from Singapore, you commit an offense under the Gambling Control Act 2022¹⁶. The practical risk is real, so do not try to gamble around your own exclusion.

How to apply: NCPG online applications and group applications via Corppass

Applying in Singapore is free and can be done in two ways. You can apply online with SingPass through the NCPG portal, or in person at a ServiceSG center². The ServiceSG locations include Bukit Canberra, Kampong Chai Chee CC, Keat Hong CC, Nee Soon Central CC, Our Tampines Hub, One Punggol and The Frontier CC³.

If you prefer to apply in person at the NCPG office, the address is 510 Thomson Road #05-01, SLF Building, Singapore 298135². The application is free either way².

Here is the step-by-step process:

1. Log in to the NCPG online portal with your SingPass².
2. Choose the activities you want to be excluded from: casinos, jackpot machine rooms, Singapore Pools online betting, or a combination⁶.
3. Submit the application. It is free².
4. You can check your exclusion status later through NCPG e-Services¹⁷.
5. If you want to revoke the exclusion, you apply online with SingPass through NCPG¹⁸.

Organizations can also help. An organization with a Corppass account can facilitate a group self-exclusion application for its employees, members or other individuals associated with the organization, but the consent of each individual is mandatory⁶. This is useful for companies with staff who work near casinos or in roles where gambling harm could affect their work.

For family members, a Family Exclusion Order application is available online¹⁹. Third-party exclusions exist to protect financially vulnerable citizens and permanent residents who gamble at the local casinos or who have a poor credit record²⁰. You can also declare indebtedness or non-indebtedness through the NCPG system¹⁷.

If you need to speak to someone, the National Problem Gambling Helpline is 1800-6-668-668. The NCPG number 6354 8154 is for appointment bookings and administration, and you can email admin@ncpg.org.sg³.

How long a self-exclusion lasts and how it ends

In Singapore, a Singapore Pools voluntary self-exclusion has a minimum exclusion period of 12 months³. After that minimum period, the exclusion continues in force until you successfully apply to revoke it through NCPG³. In other words, it does not expire on its own. You have to actively ask for it to be lifted.

The revocation process is done online with SingPass through NCPG¹⁸. The Council may require counseling, rehabilitation or special education, or an assessment of harm from gambling, including a clinical assessment if necessary, by a suitably qualified person. This is not automatic, but it is a possibility for anyone who applies to revoke.

There is one exception for people who are not citizens or permanent residents. The Council may revoke a self-exclusion without an application if the person is not a Singapore citizen or permanent resident and has remained outside Singapore for the prescribed minimum period¹³. If you are a foreign resident or visitor who has left Singapore for good, this may apply to you.

In Hong Kong, the HKJC Voluntary Account Betting Self-exclusion Service lets betting account holders set a self-exclusion period of 2 years, 3 years or an indefinite period⁴. That indefinite option is the closest thing to a permanent self-exclusion in the region. If you want a permanent ban, this is the scheme to look at.

In Macau, a casino self-exclusion can be revoked after a set period, and the process involves the DICJ. If you applied through a casino, you must attend the DICJ office in person for verification⁷.

In Japan, the exclusion period under Article 44 is one year or longer, set at a period the casino operator deems reasonable based on expert advice¹⁰. Japan's casino resorts are not open yet, so this applies to facilities that are planned rather than operating.

What happens to your account when you self-exclude with an operator

When you self-exclude with an operator, you are prevented from gambling during the exclusion¹. In Hong Kong, service users are prohibited from betting via their existing account and from opening new accounts with HKJC⁴. That second part matters: self-exclusion is not just a block on your current account, it also stops you from signing up again under a new one.

Your money is not taken. Funds held on account are not forfeited and can still be withdrawn during a self-exclusion²². Operators state that when a player requests an exclusion, any remaining funds should be withdrawn¹. Doing this at the time of the application is simpler than sorting it out later.

What about marketing? It depends on the scheme. GAMSTOP, the British scheme, prevents access to accounts with all British licensed online gambling businesses for six months up to five years, and it stops further marketing messages, all for free²³. Not every scheme does this. If marketing emails are a trigger for you, check whether the scheme you are using covers marketing, and unsubscribe separately if it does not.

If you self-exclude from one operator, that does not automatically exclude you from others. In Singapore, the NCPG scheme covers the named activities across the licensed sector, which is why it is more effective than a single-operator block. In places without a central register, you have to exclude yourself operator by operator.

Self-exclusion for online players in India: no central register

India does not have a single register that covers all casinos or all online gambling. Goa and Sikkim license casinos under state rules, and foreigner-only casinos in Goa are required to strengthen nationality screening procedures and the management of customer data²⁴. That is about who can enter, not about self-exclusion.

If you want to block yourself from gambling in India, you deal with each operator separately. There is no national scheme that a visitor or expat can join to be banned from every casino or website at once. This is worth knowing before you assume a self-exclusion in one place will follow you to another.

For online players, the practical option is blocking software. Gamban and similar tools block gambling websites and apps at the device level, so they work regardless of which operator you use or where it is licensed²³. If you are in a country without a central register, this is often the most reliable single step you can take.

Blocking software as part of quitting gambling

Blocking software is a practical addition to self-exclusion, not a replacement for it. It works on your devices and stops you from reaching gambling sites in the first place. Gamban is one example, and it covers multiple devices²³. The advantage is that it does not depend on an operator honoring a list. The disadvantage is that you can remove it if you are determined, so it works best alongside a formal exclusion and support.

If you are quitting gambling, the usual combination is: self-exclude from the venues and sites you use, install blocking software on your phone and laptop, withdraw any balances, and tell someone you trust what you are doing. The how to stop gambling page walks through the first steps, and what happens during self-exclusion explains the account side in more detail.

For students, the risk is often online rather than in a casino. If you are an international student and you are worried about your own gambling, the young people and gambling page covers the warning signs and how to talk about it. If you are worried about a friend, the signs a family member or partner has a gambling problem page is a good starting point.

Where to get free support: Gambling Therapy and helplines

Gambling Therapy is a free, multilingual online support service. You can contact it by email through an online form that asks for your name, country, language and email address⁵. It is available to people wherever they are, which makes it useful if you are an expat or a visitor and you do not want to use a local service in a language you do not speak.

In Hong Kong, the four gambling counseling and treatment centers support a problem gambling counseling hotline on 1834 633²⁵. In Singapore, the National Problem Gambling Helpline is 1800-6-668-668, and the NCPG number 6354 8154 is for appointment bookings and administration³. These are free to call.

If you want to compare what is available across the region, the gambling helplines page lists numbers, hours and languages for 12 jurisdictions. The self-exclusion schemes compared page sets out durations and coverage side by side, and the gambling therapy page explains the online service in more detail.

If you are in crisis, the crisis help page lists crisis lines across Asia. If debt is the immediate problem, the gambling debt help page covers credit and debt counseling.