Since April 2018, the National Self-Exclusion Scheme (Gamstop) – Gamstop stands for Gambling Self-Exclusion – has been helping people deal with their gambling habits responsibly.
While it is currently a voluntary opt-in program only, there’s a plan to make it mandatory for all UK gambling sites and operators in the coming future.
All poker, bingo and casino sites licensed within the UK market must display Gamstop’s logo on their site or marketing materials. Let’s have a deeper look at how you could benefit from it.
The GAMSTOP initiative: What is it?
GamStop is a voluntary and free service program that allows you to self-exclude from all licensed online gambling sites in the UK. To register, you fill out an online form and then agree not to use any of these sites for a specific time.
Once your application is processed, you will receive an email confirmation, including a unique code that can be used on any site you wish to opt-out of gambling. This code allows you access without re-entering all the necessary details every time you sign up for an account or make a deposit at these sites.
If you’ve signed up with Gamstop, but would like to gamble again sooner than you anticipated, there is an option to remove yourself from the scheme. To do so, however, you’d need to contact Gamstop and request early removal.
What are the benefits of the GAMSTOP scheme?
Gamstop is designed to help people who struggle with gambling problems, which can lead to severe issues, including debt and relationship breakdowns. The good news is that users are not limited to the options provided by GamStop. There are other ways to control the flow of digital funds they receive and even more opportunities to consider when looking to control their access to online gambling.
The length of time you want to exclude yourself from online gambling is entirely up to you, within certain restrictions set by Gamstop. You can opt for six months, one year or five years.
If you have ever felt like gambling has become a problem in your life but don’t know where to go for help, then GamStop may be able to help.
Sites Not On Gamstop— When to use them?
However, suppose you decide that you want to bypass Gamstop after some time of having sent your submission to the program. In that case, you should look for a Non-UK bookmakers. In this case, you can still find some reputable online casinos not listed on Gamstop, rated according to reliability, verification and withdrawals policy.
Beware! Many fake bookmakers are offering free bets and bonuses. Still, they are just trying to fool you into depositing money they will never payback.
We also recommend using an e-wallet like Skrill or Neteller, which allows you to make deposits using credit cards or bank accounts directly from your account. This way, you will guarantee a successful transaction.