Thinking about removing your self-exclusion? Read this first
If you're searching how to get off a self-exclusion list, something is pulling at you. Maybe the term is ending, or a big game is coming, or you've convinced yourself you can handle it now. Read this page before you file anything. It covers what removal takes, and why the safer move is to extend.
The short version
- Call someone first. A person who knows your story, or 1-800-GAMBLER.
- Removal is slow on purpose. Illinois needs a letter from a certified gambling counselor or psychiatrist. Maryland needs an assessment and treatment.
- Several states drop you off automatically when a fixed term ends. Find your end date now.
- Extend instead. Move to lifetime where it's offered.
Before you do anything
Say it out loud to someone
Tell the person who knows your story that you're thinking about getting off the list. Saying it out loud takes some of the pull away.
Write down why you want off
Then look at your relapse prevention plan. Is this one of your warning signs?
Wait
Give it a week and a meeting before you file anything. The urge will still be there if it's real. Usually it fades.
What removal takes in some states
Illinois
The minimum term is five years. After that, you need a letter from a licensed mental health professional who is a certified gambling counselor, or a psychiatrist, saying you can gamble without harm, plus treatment records and more. The Gaming Board decides. Its own FAQ says removal "can be difficult."
Maryland
After a two-year term, you have to request removal, get a problem gambling assessment from a state-certified professional, complete any recommended treatment, and finish a treatment and prevention program. The state makes the final call. The state's page describes removal only for two-year enrollments.
New Jersey
You can ask for removal only after your one-year or five-year minimum ends. Removal restores gambling everywhere in the state. Individual operators may keep their own bans on you.
Pennsylvania
One-year and five-year casino exclusions stay in place until you request removal. Online, VGT and fantasy exclusions end on their own when the term ends, unless you extend them first.
Ohio, Massachusetts and Virginia
In Ohio you must request removal and get approval before returning. Massachusetts requires a reinstatement session. Virginia's fixed terms end on their own, so contact the Lottery before yours expires to extend.
If your term is about to end
- Find your end date on the paperwork you got when you enrolled.
- Extend before it ends. Pennsylvania takes extension requests at [email protected]. Virginia asks you to contact the Lottery before expiry.
- Choose lifetime if your state offers it. I chose lifetime self-exclusion so I never have to have this argument with myself.
- Renew inside the apps too. App and sportsbook exclusions often have their own end dates.
If you already asked to be removed
Re-enroll as soon as you can. Do it the same day if possible, at lifetime if offered, and tell someone. If you've already placed a bet, read gambling relapse: how to get back on track. Be kind to yourself about it, and then tighten the plan, because this was a gap.
I haven't relapsed in recovery, and the lifetime ban is a big part of why. I'm still the one who has to say no, but I don't have to keep deciding whether to leave the door open. Going back to gambling isn't an option for me.
Common questions
Can I remove a lifetime self-exclusion?
In many states, no. Some allow a petition after many years. Treat lifetime as permanent, because that's the point of choosing it.
Will removing myself from the state list reopen my DraftKings or FanDuel account?
Not necessarily. Operators keep their own policies. DraftKings exclusions can't be shortened, and FanDuel accounts stay closed until you contact support. Leave them closed.
Can I just let my term run out?
In several states it ends on its own. Don't let that happen by accident. Put the date in your calendar and extend before it.
I feel fine now. Isn't that proof I can gamble?
Feeling fine is the result of not gambling. Recovery is lifelong, and controlled gambling isn't the goal here.