Blindfold

How to Block Gambling Apps on iPhone and iPad

If you want betting apps off your iPhone, deleting them is the easy part. Keeping them off is harder, because reinstalling takes ten seconds. This guide covers the ways to block gambling apps on iPhone and iPad with Apple’s own settings, what each one misses, and how to block sportsbook, casino and prediction market apps by name.

Everything below works the same way on iPad. The steps are for iOS 26 and iPadOS 26. iOS 27 moved some of these settings into a new Apps & Websites section of Screen Time, so the names on your screen may differ.

Method 1: Restrict apps by age rating

Apple requires real-money gambling apps to carry the App Store’s highest age rating. Screen Time can hide every app above an age rating you choose.

  1. Open Settings > Screen Time > Content & Privacy Restrictions and turn it on.
  2. Tap App Store, Media, Web & Games, then Apps.
  3. Choose an age rating below the highest one.

Apps above that rating disappear from your Home Screen and can’t be opened.

What it misses: it’s all or nothing. Every other app with that rating disappears too, not just gambling. And it does nothing about betting websites in Safari.

Method 2: Set a one-minute App Limit

App Limits can cap a specific app at one minute a day.

  1. Open Settings > Screen Time > App Limits and tap Add Limit.
  2. Find the betting app in its category, select it, and set the time to 1 minute.
  3. Turn on Block at End of Limit. This only locks the app once a Screen Time passcode is set (see below).

What it misses: you still get that minute every day, and you have to add each app yourself. A new app you install later isn’t covered.

Method 3: Stop new app installs

If you’ve deleted your betting apps, you can stop them from coming back.

  1. Open Settings > Screen Time > Content & Privacy Restrictions.
  2. Tap iTunes & App Store Purchases, then Installing Apps, and choose Don’t Allow.

What it misses: it blocks every app install, so you’ll have to set Installing Apps back to Allow whenever you want a new app, which makes it easy to slip past.

Make Screen Time harder to undo

All three methods can be turned off in Settings. Setting a Screen Time passcode helps, and it helps more if someone you trust sets it and keeps it. Go to Settings > Screen Time > Lock Screen Time Settings.

Method 4: Block gambling apps by name with Blindfold

Apple’s settings don’t know which apps are gambling apps. Blindfold does. It keeps a list of known sportsbook, casino, sweepstakes casino and prediction market apps and uses Screen Time to stop them from opening.

  1. Install Blindfold, open the Protection tab and tap Everywhere.
  2. Choose Gambling, or Both (ads, trackers and gambling).
  3. Turn on Block gambling apps and allow Screen Time access.

Known betting apps on your phone now show a Screen Time screen instead of opening. They stay installed, and come back if you turn blocking off. Under Other apps to block, you can add any app the list doesn’t cover.

The same switch blocks gambling websites in Safari and inside other apps, which the methods above don’t touch. Blindfold also blocks sites that mix betting with other services, such as Robinhood and Coinbase, while a gambling choice is on, and tells you which ones in the app.

Blindfold isn’t a lock. You can turn it off, and a brand new app may not be on its list yet. It puts a step between you and a bet, and it works best with a Screen Time passcode someone else keeps.

Blindfold needs iOS 26 or iPadOS 26. It costs $19.99 a year after a 7-day free trial, $1.99 a week after a 3-day trial, or $69.99 once, with Family Sharing included.

Block the websites too

Blocking an app doesn’t stop you from opening the same sportsbook in Safari. See how to block gambling websites on iPhone and iPad for that side.

If you need to talk to someone

In the US, you can call or text 1-800-GAMBLER for free, confidential help, any time. Outside the US, search for your country’s gambling helpline. Many banks can also block gambling payments on your cards.