The corona pandemic have created a new normality for more or less the whole world. United Kingdom is one of the hardest affected countries and due to that, drastic measures have been taken to keep the people safe. People who are into gambling have seen many limitations on online casinos and the UK Gambling Commission recommends people to self-exclude during the pandemic.
The official self-excluding scheme, which is blocking you from all online gambling websites, is called Gamstop. This tool works well, but has also seen some technical issues, letting players play even though they are excluded. The rising amount of non-Gamstop casino sites is also a loophole in the system. Let’s have a look at different self-exclusion tools for the UK.Self exclusion at individual casinos
When it comes to self-exclusion options, there are a number of ways players can go about it. As a starting point, each casino licensed in the UK will have their very own self-exclusion options available to players. Players simply fill out a form or get in touch with the support staff directly so that they can be blocked from accessing the site and their games. Self-exclusion periods can last from a month to a few years and during this time players will not be able to cancel the exclusion. Excluding from individual casinos can be time-consuming though, which is where software options such as Gamban, Gamcheck, and Gamstop come in.
Using Gamcheck to exclude
There are a number of different software options players can use if they feel they have a problem gambling. One of the options out there is to use Gamcheck. This is an online casino directory and can search through all of the UK licensed and registered gaming sites that are available. What this site does is encourage players to sign up to casinos through them. In so doing, players are only given access to sites that are registered with Gamstop. In addition to this, the site also offers guarantees on deposits up to £750 per claim, making the gambling experience a safer one.
Gamstop – the nationwide scheme
Gamstop is, without a doubt, the best option for blanket protection against gambling addiction. What this site does is enable players to put controls in place to prevent players from accessing online sites, in a similar way that NetNanny allows parents to control what their children access. It will block access to all UK registered sites regardless of whether the player is signed up to them or not.
The self-exclusion period can run for varying lengths of time, but once installed, cannot be circumvented until the time period is up. In addition, the site offers additional support and advice to help players through it.
Overall, Gamstop is the best option, but for casinos not on Gamestop you must use any of the alternatives since these are not covered by this system.
Offline options for exclusion
Of course, not all players will be gambling online. Some players will prefer to go to land-based venues and therefore will not be able to use Gamstop. UK players are given an additional option in this regard through the Multi-Operator Self-Exclusion scheme which will notify betting shops and casinos in the immediate area of the player. Of course, there are also the issues of casinos not on Gamstop, but also online. For these it is easier to simply self-exclude individually though it is unfortunately still possible for players who aren’t being as strict, to access sites that are licensed outside the country.
Final thoughts on UK Casino self-exclusion
Self-exclusion is an excellent way to help players who are struggling with their gambling. While there are a lot of different methods available for players to use, there are, unfortunately, still some loopholes. For instance, some casinos not on Gamban or Gamstop can still be accessed by diehard players. This is where it is important to also offer support and advice to such players to enable them to get through the exclusion process so that they can get back on track for healthy gaming. Even those who are self-excluding and abiding by it will need support for a full recovery.