Ohio Becomes First State to Provide Gambling-Blocking Software Free-of-Charge, in Partnership Between Time Out Ohio & Gamban

Time Out Ohio (TOO), which offers individuals the ability to ban themselves from both Ohio’s brick and mortar casinos / racinos, has teamed up with Gamban to offer state-wide access to software that blocks online gambling sites and apps across all of a person’s devices.

Ohio is the first state in the US to offer this kind of support and protection.

The partnership will see TOO provide effective aid for any individual looking to self-ban from gambling, free-of-charge. Individuals can sign up to Gamban alone if they just want to block online gambling, or they can use both TOO and Gamban together to ban all gambling including offline. 

Jimmie Hicks, Deputy Director of Responsible Gambling at Ohio Lottery Commission said: “A Gamban one-year subscription is being offered at no cost to anyone looking for protection from mobile sports betting and other online gambling coupled with Time Out Ohio or as a stand alone protection.”

Gamban also works with FanDuel, Unibet, Bally’s and WagerScore in the US, giving those experiencing harm from gambling access to their software for free. 

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Gamban’s co-founder, Matt Zarb-Cousin, said: 

“Time Out Ohio is a fantastic voluntary program that helps individuals who are at risk at a time when gambling harm is increasing. Our goal is to help people regain control and balance of their life, without compromising on the benefits of new technology. Through this partnership, they can do that. 

“We hope other states will follow the lead of Ohio, which has been incredibly forward-thinking at a time when mobile sports betting across the US is growing rapidly.”

In the UK, Gamban works with the self-exclusion scheme GAMSTOP and the leading treatment provider GamCare to give those experiencing harm from gambling access to their software for free. Gamban is also available for free through Norsk Tipping in Norway and Veikkaus in Finland.

With the introduction of mobile sports betting in Ohio, the Ohio Lottery and Casino Control Commissions developed a fully online version of the Voluntary Exclusion Program, TimeOutOhio .com. Anyone wanting to be excluded from Ohio gambling sites may self-ban from their computers or mobile phones. 

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Players self-banning via TOO will be offered the opportunity to claim a fully paid for one year Gamban licence. Once the player signs up to and installs Gamban, it’s designed to be as difficult to remove as the various devices allow, while providing a balance between protection and intrusion.