SENSE Explained: Self-Exclusion for UK Casinos

SENSE is the national self-exclusion scheme for land-based casinos in Great Britain. It exists to help individuals who want to stop gambling in physical casino environments by preventing access across participating venues.

This article explains how SENSE works, how it is enforced, what happens if it is breached, and how it differs from other self-exclusion schemes.

What Is SENSE?

SENSE is a multi-operator self-exclusion programme covering most UK land-based casinos. Once enrolled, participating casinos are required to:

• Refuse entry to the individual
• Prevent membership use
• Stop casino marketing communications
• Share exclusion information within the scheme

SENSE is designed for people who want to stop gambling in physical casinos, not online gambling platforms.

How SENSE Works in Practice

SENSE registration is typically completed in person at a casino venue, with photographic identification, for a fixed exclusion period. Once registered:

• Your details are shared securely within the scheme
• Staff are required to deny entry
• Attempts to access gaming facilities are treated as breaches

Exclusion periods are intentionally fixed and difficult to reverse. This is a protective design feature, not an administrative inconvenience.

Enforcement and Identification in Larger Casino Groups

Enforcement of SENSE relies on both staff intervention and supporting systems. In larger UK casino groups, this can include the use of enhanced identification technologies, such as facial recognition and biometric-assisted systems, as part of wider security and safer gambling controls.

These systems may be used to:

• Identify excluded individuals attempting to enter
• Support entrance and floor staff in enforcing exclusions
• Reduce reliance on manual recognition alone

Facial recognition is not used in isolation and does not replace staff judgement. Its use is subject to data protection law, internal governance, and proportionality requirements. As a result, individuals enrolled in SENSE should not assume they can enter undetected, particularly in larger or higher-footfall casino environments.

What Happens If You Breach SENSE

SENSE is not advisory. It carries real consequences. Under the current SENSE terms and conditions, if an individual enrolled in SENSE enters a participating casino in breach of their exclusion, and gambles or places wagers while excluded, the casino may not be obliged to return, cash out, or honour any funds or winnings obtained during that breach.

In practice:

• Stakes and winnings accrued while excluded may be retained by the operator
• Retained funds are typically donated to charity
• The individual has no automatic entitlement to recover the money

This position is set out in the SENSE scheme rules and reflects the principle that self-exclusion is a protective measure. Allowing financial benefit from a breach would undermine the integrity of the scheme.

SENSE vs GAMSTOP

SENSE and GAMSTOP are often confused, but they serve different purposes. SENSE applies to physical UK casinos, while GAMSTOP applies to UK-licensed online gambling operators. Neither scheme covers offshore gambling sites or crypto casinos. For individuals who gamble both online and in casinos, both schemes may be necessary.

What SENSE Does Not Do

SENSE does not:

• Block online gambling
• Prevent access to betting shops
• Stop offshore or crypto gambling
• Block bank payments or cash withdrawals
• Address gambling advertisements elsewhere

SENSE controls access to casino environments, not behaviour outside them.

Final Word

SENSE is one of the strongest protective measures available for people who gamble in UK casinos. It is deliberately strict, deliberately enforceable, and deliberately difficult to bypass.

If you are considering SENSE, it is usually because warning signs have already appeared. Taking action sooner rather than later is the safer choice.