Self-exclusion is a voluntary gambling ban a player sets for themselves. In Estonia it runs through the HAMPI register and applies to every operator with an Estonian licence — but only to them.
The most important limitation. A foreign casino cannot see or check the HAMPI register. Its own self-exclusion is weaker: the account is closed, but a new email address creates a new account and there is often no technical barrier. If self-exclusion is a tool you need, then foreign crypto casinos are not a safe environment for you — that is the most honest sentence in this glossary.
What actually helps:
- Closing the account in writing. Write to support and use the words self-exclusion together with a period (for example six months, a year or permanently). A licensed operator has to process the request; save the whole exchange. - A bank gambling block. Most Estonian banks allow gambling-related card payments to be switched off with one toggle — that also covers crypto purchases by card. - Money further away. Keep crypto in a cold wallet: every extra step is a pause during which a decision has time to change. - Blockers on the device. They are not watertight, but they reduce stumbling into it by accident.
Help. Counselling is free and anonymous: 15410. A family member who does not know how to start can get advice there too. An overview of the signs, the limits and the help available is on the responsible gambling page.
Before anything else, set yourself deposit and time limits: a casino operating under a Curaçao licence has to process a limit request, but it will not remind you. Gambling is not a way to earn money and lost money cannot be won back.