What Is Gamstop And How Does It Affect The Online Casino Market?

If you’re known to frequent UK online casinos, you’ve probably come across Gamstop, which is the most widely used self-exclusion scheme in the UK. Online casinos that follow UK regulations have to have a partnership with at least one of these schemes. This is a great way for those with problems to limit their usage or stop completely. However, with the internet being the way it is, the forcing of Gamstop partnerships just means that being a non-Gamstop casino is now a huge advertising point for non-UK casinos. 

What is Gamstop?

Gamstop is a non-profit self-exclusion scheme that came about as a way to promote responsible gambling. The independent scheme is available in the UK only and imposes harsh restrictions on those who sign up. You can register easily, and it only takes around 24-hours to be excluded from the world of UK-licenced casinos. You will need to commit to Gamstop for a minimum of six months before you can leave. The maximum time you can use the service is five years.

Registering with Gamstop may imply you have a gambling problem, so you may be worried about the impact on your credit score. Fortunately, you can rest assured that registering with Gamstop will not show up on your credit report.

So, What’s The Issue?

Well, how can there be a problem with a scheme dedicated to helping those with gambling problems? The answer is simple, it only applies to casinos that are licenced by the UK regulatory body. This means that there are plenty of non Gamstop casinos that can easily bypass the reaches of Gamstop. The reason this is bad for the online casino market is that we have imposed self-inflicted restrictions that stop Gamstop members from spending money here. Instead, if they cave, they just go and spend their money elsewhere.

For casinos to bypass Gamstop and operate in the UK, they get their licences from Malta, Cyprus, or Curacao. The only stipulation is that they cannot openly advertise to UK players. The problem that you need to be aware of when using casinos regulated by overseas authorities is that you will have less support from third parties if you need to resolve any disputes.

Another issue with non-Gamstop casinos is that they typically won’t offer GBP as a valid currency. which means they can deny the encouragement of UK players. This isn’t a huge problem, but it means that gamblers are facing extra costs because they need to convert their money backwards and forward to play the games.

Benefits of Using Non-Gamstop Casinos

Whether you are a Gamstop member or not, there are several benefits of using a casino that isn’t licenced under the UKGC. When it comes to UK regulations, their restrictions are quite tough and will include the regulation of bonuses, with rules set to restrict what casinos can offer as bonuses. Therefore, if you use a non-Gamstop casino, you may benefit from greater rewards and bonuses.

As well as bonuses, the UKGC places harsh restrictions on withdrawals, deposits, and other verification whereas non-UKGC casinos don’t conform to such harsh measures. Therefore, you can play your favourite games without worrying about being restricted. In some instances, you can remain anonymous with disposition money and there are numerous methods of depositing funds.

Although non-Gamstop casinos act as a method for bypassing self-exclusion, the good news is that those casinos outside of Gamstop will have their own self-exclusion schemes. So, if you find yourself with a problem and Gamstop isn’t enough, you can register with individual casinos for further restrictions. There is only so much these bodies can do to help, the rest is down to you.

Gambling is a huge source of revenue in the UK, so it’s no surprise that people feel the need to regulate their gambling habits online. In the promotion of responsible gambling, Gamstop will restrict peoples’ usage of online casinos on a self-exclusion basis. Although this is a great idea and promotes a healthier lifestyle, it’s only driven casinos to set up shop overseas to avoid Gamstop partnerships. These casinos will have better bonuses and less regulated means of play.