Of the tens of thousands of online casinos in the world, some of the very best are located in the UK. So why are some UK players choosing to go elsewhere for casinos not on Gamstop?
Since the start of the 21st century, online casinos have taken off in a big way. The first brands came onto our radars in the mid-’90s. But it took a few years for the idea to develop into what we know today.
Over the years, UK casinos have been subject to several changes in gambling laws. Some of which are aimed at protecting the public. But others are introduced to squeeze extra taxes out of the gambling firms.
Protective measures are there to help children and other at-risk people from accessing online betting or any other variety of gambling games that you can find. And within the heading of ‘vulnerable’ are those customers who have over-indulged on the casino action recently.
Sometimes you need a helping hand to walk away from something that you enjoy but are struggling to moderate.
The introduction of self-exclusion
One way to help those who play too often is to stop them from accessing their online gambling accounts. And various brands have introduced lone measures. However, self-exclusion at one casino or sportsbook doesn’t remove the temptation of joining another. After all, there isn’t exactly a shortage of places to play.
In recent years, The UK Gambling Commission introduced the idea of a blanket exclusion option to include every single operator registered in the UK. The idea was simple – create a central database for players to register their self-exclusion. And all of the gambling sites in the area would have to respect the request.
To put the wheels in motion, the UKGC first needed to get all the brands around the table and let them know what was happening. This met some resistance. But the promise of huge fines soon nudged the final few into action.
The next step was to create a charity – funded by the gambling operators. And this is possibly the main reason that a few were dragging their heels for a while.
In 2018, they launched the brand Gamstop. The system now does exactly what it set out to achieve. Players can register their personal details and these will flag up if they try to create any new accounts at gambling sites in the UK.
They can choose an exclusion period of between 6 months and 5 years. And there’s no way to cancel it once it’s started.
But 5 years is a long time, and there’s a chance that a casino fan has been a little over-cautious when selecting their exclusion period. A problem might appear after a couple of years when they fancy a flutter again. But the UK is now off-limits.
So what’s the solution?
Casinos in other countries fall outside of the UKGC’s jurisdiction as their rules are not binding elsewhere. As a result, these overseas casinos are not on Gamstop. And this is how players are able to get back to their gambling hobby from within the UK.
Although this does come with its own pitfalls. Offshore sites are sometimes incredibly reputable and offer the same high levels of service that players receive in the UK. But others may be slightly less scrupulous in their approach.
Therefore, if players are going to consider seeking non Gamstop casinos from overseas, they need to be vigilant of the licences. The Malta Gaming Authority and The Curaçao Gambling Control Board both offer a level of protection to players at gambling sites not on Gamstop in various international gambling zones.
So if the search for a casino not on Gamstop takes a player beyond the UK’s borders, then the least they should do is seek out a site that is monitored by one of the above regulatory bodies.