Are you a gambler that feels you are spending too much money or time playing casino games? Do you use money that should be used for bills and other responsibilities? If you answered yes, it may be time to think about a self-exclusion period.
Here, we provide useful information on GamStop and inform players on how they can regain control of their gambling habits and prevent further gambling problems as they engage in online gambling action.
GamStop Overview
GamStop is a reputable and free self-exclusion scheme that has been offered by the Remote Gambling Association. This is a non-profit organisation that is operated by the National Online Self-Exclusion Scheme Limited. GamStop will provide players with the ability to self-exclude themselves from all online gambling operators within the UK.
What Makes GamStop Useful?
This amazing self-exclusion solution is one that can be quite useful to any real money player online. Instead of having to visit individual sites to use the self-exclusion option, GamStop allows players to be self-excluded from multiple sites so they can immediately start to regain control of their spending habits and gambling actions.
How Long Will it Last?
When one chooses to make use of GamStop, they can choose to be self-excluded for 6 months, one year or five years. As soon as an account is created with GamStop, no casino accounts will be able to be accessed, and players will be removed from any marketing databases as well as newsletters. You can choose to self-exclude for a period of six months, one year or five years.
New Accounts with New Online Operators
In addition to preventing access to accounts that are currently open, GamStop will prevent the player from having the ability to open new accounts at other gaming sites. This helps those that are tempted to engage in gambling action even after they realise they may have a problem. Any request to open a new account after a GamStop account has been created will be denied, offering more protection to players.
Using GamStop Services
To get started with GamStop, it will just take a few minutes to create an account. One will just head to the GamStop site and enter details that will verify the identity of the user. This will include the address, email address and date of birth. Any email that is used at gaming sites will have to be provided.
The entire process to sign up will just take a few minutes, but it can take as long as 24 hours for GamStop to start restricting access to sites.
What Happens After Self-Exclusion with GamStop
When using the services at GamStop, it is important for players to know that the self-exclusion will only apply to sites that are in the UK. One should also know that the process of self-exclusion cannot be reversed. No account will be accessible until the end of the exclusion period. Unfortunately, accounts will not automatically be reopened, and the player will have to visit GamStop after the period ends and tell them to cancel the account and remove players from the list.
Sites That are Not Registered with GamStop
If any player wishes to self-exclude from a website that is not affiliated with GamStop, each of the sites will have to be contacted individually. Every gaming site has the responsibility of offering a self-exclusion option. The terms of 6 months, one year and five years will apply, and accounts will not automatically be reopened at the end of this period, the same as when GamStop is being used. By the end of this year, all UK gambling sites will be required to join GamStop per the Gambling Commission regulations.
Establishing Limits for Players
Players may have a difficult time setting their own limits, so here are some useful tips that can come in handy:
- Create a budget before playing and set limits for losses as well as wins and always adhere to the budget.
- Set a time limit and stick to that. Never play for more than a set amount of time.
- Always avoid gambling if under the influence of alcohol as this can impair judgments and cause players not to adhere to set limits.
- Never gamble with the sole cause of chasing losses.
There are also some other steps that players can take to ensure they remain in control and avoid gambling problems.
Useful Software
Different software programs can be installed to a PC or Mac that will limit gambling advertising from sites. There are also software selections like Gamban that will block gambling sites from being accessed on computers as well as mobile devices.
Unsubscribing and Deleting Apps and Software
If players have a problem and wish to resolve it, the best thing to do is delete any installed gambling app on computers and mobile devices. Players can also unsubscribe from casino newsletters to reduce temptation.
Getting More Help
If any player feels they are out of control and need assistance, there is the external help that can be accessed. The National Gambling Hotline can be reached at 0808 8020 133, and this can provide tons of information. There is also online help, such as with the Gamblers Anonymous site.
