As online gambling gains popularity in the world today, there has been an increasing number of people incurring gambling related debts. Instead of online gambling being a sole source of entertainment, people are relying on it to make a living and they are even committing a huge bulk of their savings into online gambling. Hence, with this worrying trend and a non-profit organisation called the National Online Self-Exclusion Scheme Limited decided to intervene. Introducing, Gamstop!
Gamstop self-exclusion is essentially a system launched in April 2018 targeted at people with gambling problems to restrict themselves from assessing online betting platforms and websites. This is done by allowing you to put controls to restrict your online gambling activities. All you have to do is to sign up for the service online and you will be prevented from using gambling websites and apps run by companies licensed in Great Britain, for a period of your choosing. Gamstop is a free service for users and is available for consumers’ resident within the United Kingdom (Great Britain and Northern Ireland) only. For someone who is active in the online gambling scene or knows someone who has caught a gambling addiction, this article would be of great importance to you as it provides all the information that you will need in combatting against gambling addiction. So, read on to find out more!
How does it work?
The principle of Gamstop self-exclusion is pretty straightforward. Essentially, if you think that you have a gambling addiction issue or someone you know who has that, what you have to do is to register his or her particulars online at the Gamstop website. Once your particulars are entered, you will be restricted from assessing gambling sites for a period of time as determined by you. Therefore, it gives you the flexibility on the duration of limitation. The mechanism of Gamstop is pretty simple. First, you go to the Gamstop website and provide the website with a number of details just to confirm the identity. These details include: postcode; date of birth; e-mail address.
Do note that you are not allowed to register for someone else but you can help someone with the process. Once you have signed up you will receive a single email summarising all the details of your exclusion from gambling. It can take up to 24 hours for your self-exclusion to become effective. Once the self-exclusion becomes active, you will be excluded from gabling with online gambling companies licensed in Great Britain. The duration of restriction ranges from a period of 6 months, 1 year, or 5 years and is dependent on your choice.
Watch – How does Gamstop work?
Pros & Cons
As with all programs, there are always pros and cons to it. In this paragraph, the experts behind maximumcasinos be listing some of the major pros and cons of Gamstop self-exclusion. Let me begin with the positive attributes of Gamstop.
First, this is the first ever initiative that was developed to solve the increasing gambling addiction amongst UK citizens. Second, as the duration of restriction is self-determined, it gives people that flexibility. While this clause can be pretty controversial, in my opinion, it is more of a boon than a bane since the restriction was not meant to cut someone totally from online gambling but rather for that person to take a break from it and to recalibrate his options.
Now that I have done with the positive aspects of Gamstop, let me now move on to some of the negative aspects of it. A request to self-exclude on Gamstop will not automatically remove you from receiving gambling marketing. You can unsubscribe from any marketing emails directly from a link usually situated at the bottom of the email. In addition, you should also unfollow gambling sites on social media accounts such as Facebook and Twitter in order to reduce such gambling advertisements. Another downside to Gamstop self-exclusion is that for those who have registered with Gamstop, you are only restricted from accessing UK websites that are registered with Gamstop. Currently, there are multiple sites not blocked by Gamstop. This means that players are still able to access these gambling websites and hence this could potentially render the restriction worthless.
Period of time the program blocks/bans the gambler
Aforementioned, the time the program restricts the player from accessing the online gambling sites are determined by the player during the point of registration. This duration of restriction can be either 6 months, 1 years, or even 5 years. However, the UK also put out a ban on the usage of credit cards with online casinos creating a situation where there are only a few casinos still accepting credit cards. In addition, once the duration of the restriction is over, the restriction does not automatically go into lapse. Rather, you will have to go back to Gamstop and request for the restriction to be removed, otherwise the restriction will continue to be in force. For those who already has funds with a particular online casino, Gamstop self-exclusion does not automatically refund these funds back into your account.
Q&A
All in all, Gamstop self-exclusion is a good initiative developed to help problem gamblers with the possibility of returning to gambling solely for entertainment once they have curb their addiction. If you have any questions, do feel free to go to their website. They have a 24/7 chat assistance that will provide you with the information that you require.
Alternatively, if you are looking for any betting sites not on gamstop or for additional support, they have the webpage whereby they list down the various agencies that can provide you with what you need. Some of these help include methods of practical controls in curbing your gambling addiction, emotional support for you as you undergo rehabilitation to curb this addiction.
The final one which is of paramount importance for those who have accumulated hefty debts is the debt support that is being offered. They do not help you with paying back your debts but what they can do is to negotiate on your behalf with institutions such as banks to prolong the loan duration. This would give you ample time to review your own finances as well as financing your loans. In conclusion, for those who are currently facing any sort of gambling issues, Gamstop is the first step that you can take, even though it is not a perfect one.