Gambling in itself is an interesting activity that offers so much fun to players and brings revenue to the government through licensed operators. The introduction of internet gambling has led to the proliferation of gambling operators across all parts of the world, especially in major gambling hubs like the UK.  However, with this proliferation comes an incessant longing in some players to continue playing without looking back, which then causes a problem.

The harms occasioned by incessant, uncontrolled gambling has taken its toll on a large number of gamblers in the United Kingdom. The United Kingdom Gambling Commission (UKGC) is one of the most active and stringent gambling regulators in the world, given how the Kingdom is a beehive of gambling activities.  In its wisdom, the UKGC has continued to provide innovative ways of curtailing and reducing problem gambling to the best possible minimum, which has resulted in GamStop. Let's have a look at what the scheme is about, how it works, and what it means for the parties involved.

About GamStop

GamStop is a multi-operator self-exclusion scheme established for gamblers in the United Kingdom to be able to dissociate themselves from all licensed gambling operators in the UK. But some gamblers are searching for slots not on Gamstop scheme to continue spinning while being self-excluded. The scheme covers gambling websites and applications with an option for players to opt-in to be covered by GamStop. The self-exclusion program took effect on March 31st, 2020, and is absolutely free to all players in the UK.

GamStop is run by The National Online Self-Exclusion Scheme Limited, a non-profit entity poised to eliminate problem gambling and its damaging effects. It works based on the duration option you chose, which includes 6 months, 1 year or 5 years. The program requires some details from you, such as your date of birth, email address, and postcode for you to register on the platform.

The program was first slated to launch in April 2018, but it was highlighted as having some issues at the time. The UKGC had noted that it was impossible for GamStop to exclude players from having mails about promotional offers and bonuses sent to their email address. Nonetheless, that is still the case as players have to unsubscribe from such promotional and marketing emails themselves.

Mandatory Integration for UK Operators

Starting from Tuesday the March 31st, 2020, all licensed and regulated gambling operators in the United Kingdom were compulsorily required to integrate GamStop to their websites and applications. As a result, they would have to link to GamStop on their websites and applications, incorporating the GamStop API into their system. While some gambling operators have initiated the whole scheme on their platform, some are still in the process of doing so.

Hence, by its compulsory nature, operators would now have to ensure that every player seeks to register or sign in to their platform. This is to ascertain whether or not each player has opted-in to the scheme in order to grant or deny them access. Also, the compulsory integration would now ensure that players can block and dissociate themselves from nearly 250 online operators in the UK with just a single process.

How it Works?

The scheme requires efforts from players and operators. Players wishing to self-exclude from gambling for the available duration would have to provide their relevant details for confirmation. Operators also have to launch the GamStop API to have it automatically checking each player against the GamStop platform. 

Signing up on the platform takes effect after 24 hours, after which a player is blocked from accessing online gambling.

At the lapse of your preferred duration, the program continues running until you request to have it deactivated through the stipulated processes. GamStop covers everything online gambling, including the online National Lottery instant win games throughout the duration you chose. 

However, the scheme does not cover National Lottery draw games, where wins are made from daily or weekly draws, such as EuroMillions, Thunderball, Lotto, Set for Life, among others.

For such draw games, players rather have to self-exclude using their National Lottery account online. It is worthy of note that players also have to maintain authentic and genuine information about themselves with GamStop at all times.

Conclusion

GamStop aims to put a decisive stop to the devastating effects of problem gambling as much as possible. To be very effective, players are advised to unfollow gambling operators on social media and probably block them.

It would also be necessary to unsubscribe from their email marketing list to stop receiving tempting promotional offers and bonuses via emails.