The UK is one of the most advanced countries in legalising gambling activities, whether online or offline. Regular casinos have been in Britain for decades. They are one of the most important sources of income and taxes for the British government. All gambling activities are subject to the laws and policies of the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC). This committee sets the standards and rules that all gambling service providers must meet to maintain their licences. In other words, all the guidelines enacted by this committee apply to both regular and online casinos.

In 2020, the UKGC introduced the GamStop programme, a voluntary scheme in which players participate voluntarily. This system is intended to help players who are prone to gambling addiction. The UKGC has set a time limit for all gambling sites to sign up for this program to be no more than six months. Indeed, sites that did not integrate GamStop lost their license and can’t work in the UK anymore!

Currently, players registered on the GamStop scheme cannot play in any UKGC licensed site. On the other hand, this programme has not yet been applied to regular casinos; For a simple reason, regular casinos have their own self exclusion programme!

In this article, we will give you everything you need to know about GamStop; How it works? And how you can get around it if you registered by mistake!

What Is GamStop Scheme?

GamStop is a non profit program that aims to help players control their gambling behavior. Get rid of compulsive gambling. Save money that they spend on gambling.

After registering for this scheme, you will not be able to access any of the casinos or sports betting sites that the UKGC licenses.

Although any online casino offers an internal self exclusion system, GamStop is entirely different. This system covers all gambling sites that work in the UK market. And thus, it creates a protective umbrella for all players who are prone to gambling addiction. After registering on this service, players won’t play in any casino holding the UKGC license.

GamStop started in 2020. After the disastrous spread of the corona virus, which has led to increasing the time people spend alone in their homes, which resulted in a notable rise in the number of online casino players and online gambling addicts.

It is worth noting that this programme, so far, is only applicable to UKGC licensed casinos! Players on GamStop can play in casinos that hold licenses of Curaçao, Malta or Alderney. Furthermore, there is no law forbidding gambling at these offshore casinos. These sites offer alluring incentives, rich game selection, and 24/7 available support service. Frankly, many of them are much better than the local UK casinos. So, they can be a good choice for all players who accidentally signed up for GamStop.

What Are the Substitutes to GamStop?

If you want to stay away from gambling for a while, then GamStop may be an excellent option for you. However, you can use other substitutes as well like Gamban, Gamcare, Gamblock and other options.

These programmes help you stop gambling online for a period of your choosing, but note they are not subject to cancellation!

When you sign up for any self exclusion programmes you will be asked to provide all your personal data. Then, this info will be shared with all UK licensed casinos. So, you will not be able to play on any of these sites.

Does GamStop Include Regular Casinos?

No, this program is designed for online gambling sites; Because the problem of gambling addiction has become more linked with virtual gambling, which players can access any time and from anywhere without having to go to a gambling hub.

On the other hand, regular casinos offer their players a unique self exclusion program known as SENSE (short for National Self Enrollment Self Exclusion). Integrating this programme is a crucial prerequisite for obtaining the UKGC license, opening a tax file, and hosting guests.

What Are the Similarities Between SENSE & GamStop?

The top similar feature between both systems is the optional participation. When you sign up for the SENSE scheme, you should select an excluding period to stop playing, during which time you will not be able to go to any of the regular casinos in the UK. Furthermore, the casinos will not send you any promo messages to your email.

SENSE is run by the National Casino Forum (NCF), which is precisely the same as the not for profit committee (The National Online Self Exclusion Scheme) that runs GamStop.

To participate in this programme, you must fill in the form, and they will activate your account within seven days. Then, casinos will freeze your membership in loyalty programs and points schemes. In addition, they will freeze any bonuses or rewards you may receive from any land based casino.

The self exclusion period of SENSE ranges from 6 months to 5 years. This system is only applicable to land based casinos located in the UK. However, if you travel to any other country, you can play there freely. If you want to stop gambling in all its forms and activities, you can participate in both GamStop and SENSE schemes. So, you will not be able to play in any regular or online casinos during the period you have specified.

There is no way to get around SENSE, but you can get around GamStop in several ways!

How to Get Around GamStop?

There are several easy ways to get around GamStop ban most of them aren’t working or may cause you more problems:

• Sign up for a non British casino. The Internet contains hundreds of casinos that hold licenses of legitimate offshore bodies, such as Curaçao, Malta, and Gibraltar. So, you can pick a worthy offshore site and play there during your self exclusion period without any problem. Besides being a way to get around GamStop restrictions, non GamStop casinos offer their players a great selection of games and special bonuses that outperform many British casinos.
• Playing with your wife or a friend’s account; If your partner or one of your friends likes to gamble in online casinos like you; You can use their accounts on any online casinos or sports betting sites to enjoy playing there. However, this method involves a serious risk! For instance, if the casino discovers that you are using the data of another person, it will cancel the account.

Conclusion

There is a real boom in charity services that aim to help players prone to gambling addiction. For online gamblers, they can sign up for a program like GameStop to stop gambling for a period of their choosing, ranging from 6 months to 5 years. If you want to stop playing in regular casinos, you can use the SENSE system. In addition, there are other tools that you can consider, such as Gamban, Gamblock, Gamcare and Net Nanny. Finally, if you accidentally signed up for any self exclusion program, you can bypass this hurdle by playing at offshore casinos.