BetBlocker Surpasses 500,000 Active Users and Expands with Hindi and Punjabi Support

BetBlocker, the gambling harm reduction charity, reported surpassing 500,000 active users worldwide in 2026, announcing the achievement at the Signature Awards on 25 September at the Park Lane Hilton in London. Marking its global expansion, BetBlocker also introduced Hindi and Punjabi language support to boost accessibility for users in India and Asia. These updates were presented as part of the charity’s ongoing push to serve markets where demand for harm-reduction tools is rising.

BetBlocker’s Growth Milestone in 2026

The organisation's user base has grown at a pace exceeding internal forecasts. According to BetBlocker CEO Duncan Garvie, the year began with a target of 400,000 active users for 2026, a figure that was surpassed earlier than planned. "At the start of 2026 we had no idea how rapid the growth in uptake of BetBlocker would be and our hope for the full year was to be able to pass 400k users. Being able to announce passing half million users supported in 2026 in September has exceeded our most optimistic hopes," Garvie told the Signature Awards audience. The statement reflects both the surprise and the resource challenges associated with rapidly scaling support services within the charity sector.

Language Rollout Targets Accessibility

BetBlocker’s addition of Hindi and Punjabi support coincided with its growth in India. The charity reported more than 10,000 active users in India in 2026, a milestone matched by the Netherlands, underscoring a shift in regional engagement. The move to add these two languages follows persistent feedback from users and partner organisations regarding language access barriers in Asian markets. Hindi and Punjabi are widely spoken in India and the diaspora, representing a significant linguistic segment. Garvie emphasised hopes to "make our support even more accessible to speakers of these languages."

Regional Uptake: India and the Netherlands

User statistics provided at the Signature Awards shed light on BetBlocker's international footprint. Both India and the Netherlands saw more than 10,000 active users in 2026, indicating demand for gambling-blocking tools in markets with contrasting regulatory environments. In India, the rise is attributed partly to the expanded language support, aiming to address gaps in responsible gaming provisions for vernacular speakers. The Netherlands has seen similar adoption despite a mature licensing regime. These figures highlight the transnational nature of gambling-related harm and the uneven reach of industry-led self-exclusion schemes.

Community and Industry Support at the Signature Awards

At the Park Lane Hilton event, BetBlocker’s announcement drew attention from industry stakeholders and philanthropy circles. Garvie reported strong engagement: > “It’s fantastic to receive support from such a prestigious event, and the audience were very engaged with our mission.”

The exposure at a venue like the Signature Awards is notable for charitable initiatives that rely on donation and partnership rather than statutory funding. It also signals rising recognition of third-party solutions in a domain often dominated by operator-driven interventions.

Making Gambling Harm Reduction Multilingual

The launch of Hindi and Punjabi localisation is part of BetBlocker’s broader plan to remove frictions for users in accessing blocking tools. With India’s online gambling market continuing to attract new entrants—licensed and unregulated alike—charitable blockers may fill policy gaps left by inconsistent enforcement or limited official coverage. The Netherlands, while heavily regulated, still reports demand for tools that supplement the available exclusion registers. Multilingual capability may become an industry expectation as gambling participation broadens geographically.

Implications for Industry Stakeholders

Platform providers and operators in emerging Asian markets may need to consider partnerships or technical integrations with organisations like BetBlocker to meet escalating responsible gaming expectations. The surge in user numbers serves as a signal of latent demand, as well as of shortfalls in operator-side exclusion or prevention efforts. Regulators and technology vendors monitoring growth in South Asia may treat the language rollout and user adoption rates as instructive datapoints for shaping harm minimisation strategies. More developments around third-party blockers are likely as industry and market pressures converge.