Self-Exclusion, Time-Out and Cooling Off
In short: three tools of different weight sit in the same account menu. A time-out pauses play for days, a cooling off period blocks the button while a decision settles, and self-exclusion closes the account for months or years and cannot be argued away.
Which tool matches which situation
| Tool | Typical length | Can you cancel it early |
|---|---|---|
| Cooling off period | 24 hours to a few days | No — that is the whole point of it |
| Time-out (timeout) | One day, one week, one month | No, it runs to the end |
| Self-exclusion | Six months to permanent | No, and support cannot override it |
| Deposit limit | Daily, weekly, monthly | Lowering is instant, raising waits |
| Loss limit | Daily, weekly, monthly | Same asymmetry as the deposit limit |
The difference worth understanding: a time-out is a pause on an account that stays yours, while self-exclusion is a closure. A cooling off period is narrower still — it is the delay the operator applies between asking for a looser limit and getting one, so a decision made at two in the morning has to survive until the next day.
How to self-exclude, step by step
- Log in to the operator account and open the responsible gaming or account settings section.
- Choose self-exclusion rather than time-out if you want the account closed rather than paused.
- Pick the period. Anything from six months upwards is the usual range; permanent is offered separately.
- Withdraw the withdrawable balance first — see the note below on what happens to money left behind.
- Confirm. The block starts immediately and marketing email should stop within a short window.
- If the confirmation screen does not appear, write to support in the same session and ask them to apply it manually, then keep the ticket number.
To take a break instead, the route is identical up to step two: choose time-out, pick one day, one week or one month, confirm. The account reopens by itself when the clock runs out at most operators, though some ask for a deliberate step and add a further waiting period first.
Reversing it, and what happens to your money
Neither a time-out nor self-exclusion can be lifted early on request. Agents have no button for it, and a persuasive reason is exactly the kind of reason the tool exists to block. Real money that is withdrawable is normally paid back to you — request the withdrawal before you confirm, because a closed account makes the cashier harder to reach and the first payout still waits on the one-off KYC check of up to 24 hours. Active bonuses, free spins and unfinished wagering progress are usually forfeited and do not return afterwards.
The lighter tools: set a deposit limit or a loss limit
A deposit limit caps how many euros can enter the account per day, week or month; when the ceiling is hit the cashier stops accepting payments until the period rolls over. It counts money in, not money lost, and it belongs to the account rather than to one card, so switching from Trustly to Skrill does not slip past it. The menu item is normally labelled set deposit limit: open the same responsible gaming section, pick the period, enter the euro figure and confirm.
A loss limit works one step later: it counts net losses, so winnings that get recycled into more spins do not quietly stretch the budget past the number you chose. Both share the same asymmetry — lowering a limit applies at once, raising it is held back for a cooling off period, and a pending increase can normally be cancelled while it waits.
GAMSTOP, GamCare, BeGambleAware and the Finnish position
GAMSTOP is the British national self-exclusion register: one registration blocks every operator licensed in the United Kingdom. GamCare and BeGambleAware are British support and information services. All three are worth reading, but none of them apply directly in Finland and none of them will block an offshore account on your behalf — a Finnish player who registers with GAMSTOP has not self-excluded from an operator outside that licence. In Finland the support services are Peluuri and Peli poikki, named on the responsible gambling page. Self-exclusion at the operator level therefore has to be set at the operator itself, account by account.
Does self-exclusion cover every casino at once?
Can I keep my balance if I self-exclude?
What is the difference between a time-out and a cooling off period?
Will support raise my deposit limit faster if I ask?
What this means in practice
Set the deposit limit on the day you open the account, when the number is easy to choose. Use a time-out the first time a session runs past the point of being fun, and treat self-exclusion as the tool you reach for without negotiating with yourself. The full toolkit is on the responsible gambling page, contact routes are on the support page, and the tested facts about the platform start on the Igni Casino homepage.