As Safer Gambling Week approaches, a powerful symbol has emerged in the player protection landscape. BetBlocker, the free tool that blocks access to gambling sites, has reached a historic milestone: a quarter of a million active users in 2025.
A symbolic milestone reached at the right time
BetBlocker founder and trustee Duncan Garvie talks about serendipity. The word is not chosen at random. Seeing this counter pass 250,000 active users a few days before Safer Gambling Week — one of the key moments in raising awareness of the risks of gambling — is almost like the stars aligning.
‘So this is the perfect opportunity to talk about the real significance of this figure. Over the course of this year, I have been very careful in my choice of words when talking about our figures. And the way I have talked about our users has changed over time, as my thinking about our data has evolved,’ he says.
Why talk about ‘active users’ rather than downloads?
This question may seem trivial, but it underpins BetBlocker’s very philosophy.
BetBlocker refuses to use download metrics, even though they are much more flattering. Downloads reflect intention, but not actual usage.
The organisation therefore chooses transparency: it only communicates about users who are actually protected, those who have taken the necessary steps to activate effective blocking.
What does ‘active’ mean?
BetBlocker has defined three simple and concrete criteria. A user is considered active when at least one of the following conditions is met:
- They have activated a restriction for a given period.
- They have opened the application while a restriction was in place.
- The application has prevented them from accessing a gambling site or application.
No vague interpretations. No inflated data.
Reaching 250,000 active users is impressive, but BetBlocker does not see it as an achievement. Rather, it sees it as proof that the chosen model — free, simple, confidential — meets a real and urgent need.As Safer Gambling Week approaches, BetBlocker is sending a strong message: the fight against the dangers of gambling requires transparency, clarity and accessibility. By rejecting misleading figures, making its service free to access and facilitating its activation, the organisation is not only building a tool, but also a relationship of trust with players and industry stakeholders.