How to Block Sportsbook & Daily Fantasy Apps on iPhone

Why deleting the app isn’t enough

A sportsbook reaches you three ways: the app, the website in any browser, and the promos it sends. Deleting the app handles one of them, and reinstalling takes about 30 seconds. A block that holds up needs to cover the app and the website, and it has to be slow to undo, because the urge to bet usually passes faster than the wait.

Option 1: iPhone’s built-in Screen Time

Screen Time is free and already on your phone. Under Settings → Screen Time → Content & Privacy Restrictions → App Store, Media, Web & Games → Web Content, choose Limit Adult Websites and add sportsbook sites under Never Allow. You can also set App Limits on betting apps.

The catch: you enter every site by hand, and you protect it with a passcode you know yourself. If you go this route, ask someone you trust to set the passcode.

Option 2: Block sportsbooks with Freeroll

1. Pick a mode. Quit mode pauses unlocks during your risky times and after a bet. Control mode still allows unlocks, with a longer wait.
2. Allow Screen Time access. In Freeroll setup, tap Allow Screen Time access and approve Apple’s prompt. Freeroll uses Apple’s own Screen Time system, with no VPN.
3. Choose the apps. In Apple’s app picker, select DraftKings, FanDuel, BetMGM, PrizePicks, Underdog and any casino or fantasy apps you use. Apple gives Freeroll anonymous tokens, not your app list.
4. Turn on the Safari blocker. Open Settings → Apps → Safari → Extensions → Freeroll and turn on Allow Extension. On iOS 17, it’s Settings → Safari → Extensions. This applies the 7,000-domain list in Safari. It includes draftkings.com, fanduel.com, betmgm.com, caesarssportsbook.com, bet365.com, prizepicks.com, underdogfantasy.com, playalberta.ca and proline.ca.
5. Keep Screen Time web filters on. Freeroll also sets up to 490 priority betting domains as iOS web filters, which can apply in other browsers such as Chrome. Coverage outside Safari varies by browser and iOS version.
6. Decide how hard it is to undo. Anything that weakens protection, such as turning blocks off, waits 48 hours and can be cancelled at any time. In Protect → Anti-bypass you can give a trusted person a 4-digit Partner PIN instead; without it, those changes wait 72 hours. Maximum Lockdown, which stops any app from being deleted, is optional.

What happens when you open a blocked app

Apple’s shield covers the app. From the blocked screen, one tap takes you to Freeroll’s urge reset. If you still want in, start a cooldown in the Protect tab (30 minutes by default). When it ends, you can unlock for 15 minutes, and then the shield comes back on its own.

Set risky times for game day

In Risky times, pick a preset (Monday & Thursday night football, Payday Defense, or Late nights alone, 11 PM to 3 AM) or add your own. When a risky time starts, any open unlock ends. Quit mode pauses unlocks until it’s over; Control mode doubles the cooldown.

If you place a bet anyway

Tap I just placed a bet. Freeroll ends any open unlock and cancels pending requests. For 24 hours, Quit mode pauses unlocks and Control mode doubles the cooldown. The next morning, Freeroll reminds you to withdraw what’s left in the sportsbook and turn on its self-exclusion.

Block the money, not just the phone

Phone blocks don’t cover a laptop or a friend’s phone. Two things work on every device because they stop the money and the accounts:

• Ask your bank for a gambling block. Many banks can decline gambling transactions on your debit and credit cards (merchant category code 7995). Not every bank offers it, and some merchants are miscoded, so don’t rely on it alone.
• Self-exclude. In the US, self-exclusion runs state by state; the National Council on Problem Gambling lists each state’s program. In Canada, see the Ontario and Alberta guides.

Common questions