A Brief Overview of Gamstop – The Self-exclusion Program in the UK

For a large number of people, an hour of online poker or some spins of their favourite online slot game serve as excellent means to unwind after a hectic day at work. However, for others, it becomes very difficult to gamble in moderation. Once they sign into their favourite platform, there is no stopping their gambling train! These people can continue gambling till they lose every last penny in their possession.

If you’re in Britain and feel trapped in such a vicious circle, fortunately, there is something known as Gamstop which can help you tackle your gambling addiction. A UK based initiative, Gamstop enables you to exclude yourself from the gambling websites which are a part of the group. As of now, online casinos can voluntarily register for this program and the ones that are not registered can be found here at Casinomir. Furthermore, online casinos registered with the offshore gambling authorities such as the ones in Curacao, Cyprus, Malta and others aren’t registered with this program yet, and there is no way for UK Gambling Commission to force them to come on board.

Free of charge

In order to avail Gamstop services to control your gambling addiction, you need not pay anything for the scheme. You can simply visit the gamstop.co.uk website, register yourself and decide the time frame for which you’d like to exclude yourself from gambling at UK licensed websites. It is entirely up to you what time period you choose – it could be six months, one year or even five years; you don’t need to pay anything. Considering the way in which online gambling has become a hidden epidemic in the UK, registration and updating the details at Gamstop is kept entirely free of cost for the UK players. You’re not required to pay anything for support and advice either. However, please remember, you’ll be excluded only from the casinos that participate in the Gamstop program.

Casinos not on Gamstop

As also mentioned earlier, there could be many online casinos which are not on Gamstop. As of now, it’s not mandatory for any gaming portal to participate in the program, and many choose not to. However, majority of the reputed UK-based iGaming websites have joined the program. Gambling websites that are registered with UKGC are actively encouraged to participate, however, they don’t have any jurisdiction over offshore sites.

Reversing self-exclusion

Please note, even though you can reverse your exclusion from Gamstop websites, it’s not very easy. The program has been designed specifically to help online gamblers who find it extremely difficult to control their urges. Majority of the people exclude themselves for good reasons and hence it’s not too easy to reverse that decision. In the event you wish to end your exclusion earlier than the period you set for yourself, you will need to get in touch with the Gamstop support staff and you’ll be de-registered only after detailed discussion with them.