Everyone who’s ever been restricted by anything knows just how distracting and annoying it can be. Whether you are limited in your daily activities, working process, or even online gaming, the only thing you think about is how to avoid restrictions, how to find loopholes, or even how to get around these limitations. One of the best examples of annoying restrictions is GamStop and GamBan – UK’s exclusion schemes and OASIS Spielersperre which force players to self-exclude from online gaming for quite long periods of time. No matter the joining reason, once you are a part of either GamStop or GamBan, you are denied access to UK-based gambling establishments and betting websites for a period of 6 months, 1 year, or even 5 years.
Let me briefly tell you what exactly is GamStop and how it works. GamStop is a fundamental part of the UKGC (United Kingdom Gambling Commission), the UK’s main gambling regulator, and all it does is restrict British gamblers from online gambling, primarily through self-exclusion. Once a British player registers on GamStop and starts their self-exclusion, they are denied access to any and all online gambling services for their chosen periods. These services refer to UKGC-licensed online operators, such as online casinos, betting sites, mobile casinos, etc.
Both – GamStop and GamBan have been around for years, making it impossible for British players to end their self-exclusions earlier than their original set periods; therefore, British players are eager, sometimes even desperate, to escape the punitive nature of GamStop’s self-exclusion and find ways to continue enjoying their favorite online activities.
We believe that gamblers who regret joining GamStop and GamBan and want to continue their gaming journey should be able to do so; therefore, make sure to keep on reading this article to learn about the reasons why everyone should avoid GamStop.
Reasons to Avoid GamStop
Since GamStop is a restrictive exclusion scheme by nature, the reasons to avoid it can be countless. Nobody wants to be systematically limited by anything, especially when that restriction directly interferes with your interests and hobbies. However, among these countless reasons, there are major, the most important ones, and they are as follow:
Avoid Strict UKGC Rules and Regulations
GamStop doesn’t exist by itself; it’s a part of the much stricter regulator – the UKGC – UK’s gambling governing body. The UKGC is known to be one of the strictest, most demanding gambling regulators in the modern gaming industry; therefore, all its licensed casinos should adhere to its rules at all times. Meaning that playing at UKGC-licensed casinos does come with a list of directives and orders you’d have to obey.
You Can’t Pay with Credit Cards
Granted, this one isn’t directly connected to neither GamStop nor GamBan; nevertheless, the UKGC infamously banned paying with Credit Cards in its licensee casinos. For example, players in Canada usually look for Online Casinos with Interac payments.Therefore, even if you are not self-excluded by GamStop and decide to play at the UKGC-licensed casino, you can’t pay with credit cards, which could be a huge disadvantage since credit cards are one of the most famous online gambling payment methods.Credit card options are available on both Non Gamban Casinos and Non Gamstop Casinos.
Avoid Complicated KYC Process
All GamStop and GamBan casinos (casinos licensed by the UKGC) come with a mandatory and quite complicated KYC process, without which a player cannot start playing in the UKGC-licensed casino. The KYC process identifies and verifies a player’s identity when creating an account in the GamStop casino, and it could potentially take days or even weeks to be finalized and confirmed from the casino’s side.
Self-Exclusion Period
There are numerous self-exclusion schemes, systems, and mobile apps on the gambling market, but GamStop is known to be one of the strictest and most punitive self-exclusion tools due to its long exclusion periods. Mind you, once you register for GamStop’s services, it’s impossible to end the services earlier than 6 months, 1 year, or 5 years.
Final Thoughts
What else can be said about GamStop and GamBan and their disadvantages? Why would anyone want to be a part of such confining scheme when you don’t have to stop enjoying your online hobbies and playing your favorite games? Yes, you should always be careful, attentive, and in control of your habits, for your hobbies do not turn into addictions, but who wants to self-exclude from anything for 5 years? Nobody, no one wants that. Thus, avoiding GamStop and the complications this scheme comes with is highly advised.
