GamStop for Video Games: Does It Exist?

Anything that someone does excessively can become an obsession or addiction. The determining factor is whether or not the subject of the obsession or addiction creates legitimate problems within the individual's life.

We mention this because the simple act of playing video games can morph into an addiction. If the gamer is neglecting family, friends, school, and or work, they might well have a problem.

When online gamblers in the UK have a problem, they can easily find resources to help them with gambling addiction. Online gambling operators are mandated by the UK Gambling Commission to make sure they provide this access to all of their customers through links on the gambling website.

One very important resource for problem gamblers is the GamStop Self-exclusion Registry program. The program was developed by UKGC officials who wanted to give problems gamblers a means for protecting themselves from gambling addiction. The program is 100% voluntary. It's the gamblers who have to commit and register for the program. When doing so, they decide how long they want to be excluded. The choices range from a minimum exclusion of 6 months up to a maximum of 5 years. When the self-exclusion expires, it's the gambler who has to decide if they want to extend the program or resume their online gambling activities.

The program works well because registered gamblers are blocked based on the registration information they provided. Of course, this doesn't prevent registered gamblers from having a change of heart, and many GamStop players are using the CasinoWise casino portal to find GamStop-free online casinos.

We bring up GamStop with this question in mind. Does GamStop Exist for Video Gaming?

Is GamStop Available for Video Gamers?

First, we need to stress that GamStop was developed specifically for the online "gambling" community. It's a program that is not even available for land-based operators and gamblers. So, to answer the titled question, NO! GamStop is not available for people who have issues related to video gaming addiction.

While you might find that disappointing, you will be glad to learn that there are ways you can ban yourself from playing video games. The choices will depend on how you play video games. If you play online, you have several options.

If you play through your Playstation, Wii, Nintendo, or Xbox, your options are seemingly limited to destroying your system and tossing your games. If you think to have a friend or relative lock your gaming stuff away, you might be able to resume gaming someday when you get control of your gaming behavior.

Yes, both of these options are unrealistic. With that said, there are options available to block any kind of video gaming.

Ways to Block Video Gaming

Realistically, there is only one way you can block yourself from having access to your favorite video games. It involves the use of software products like HT Parental Controls.

The first thing you need to understand is that these parental control options require the involvement of a third party. If the video gamer is a child/teenager, the third party would presumably be a parent. If the video gamer is an adult, finding a third party to oversee the activities of another adult could be a little more challenging. Just the same, there will be a family member or friend who is willing to help.

After downloading or installing one of these "parental control" software programs, it's the third party who will need to decide which games/gaming sites need to be blocked.

The third party can determine which games and sites need blocking in two ways. they can speak to the video gamer and gather all the relevant information about the applicable games and gaming sites. If the third party doesn't trust the video gamer's information, they can review the gamer's device logs to see what sites they visit regularly. After identifying what needs to be blocked, the third party can apply the information and the block is on until the person in control says otherwise.

For what it is worth, some of these parental control software programs have a limiting feature. This is a feature that allows the third party to simply limit the amount of time the gamer can have access to their games.

Finally, it's not beyond the realm of possibility that some online gaming sites might soon develop their own "GamStop" options. They can call it what they want as long as it provides help for problem gamers. It is worth noting that some providers are already experimenting with the idea.


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Last Updated: Jan 21, 2022

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