Self-exclusion is a process for people that wish to stop gambling for a certain amount of time and want to be supported in their choice to stop. If you feel that you are gambling too frequently, either online or in a land-based casino, you can ask for self-exclusion.
In the end it is up to you to commit to this agreement to stop gambling but you can ask for assistance from the relevant gambling operator to help prevent you from gambling. Gamstop is a self-exclusion scheme for gamblers in the UK that you can apply to of your own free will.
During COVID-19, the UK government and the self-exclusion scheme Gamstop have made a call on gamblers to self exclude during the pandemic and recently Gamstop revealed some data focused on gambling during COVID-19.
UK Casino Self-Exclusion – How does Gamstop work?
Once you’re in the self-exclusion process, the gambling operator must prevent you accessing your account, pay out any funds due to you and not market to you, effectively removing you from their database. All operators licensed in the UK that provide gambling services, including bookmakers, arcades, casinos and bingo halls must be part of this self-exclusion scheme.
Gamstop keeps a comprehensive database of people that have requested self-exclusion. If you’re on this list, when you try and register with a United Kingdom gambling operator or casino website, the gambling operator will scan this database and then block you from their site. Software like Gamban can also help.
UK Casino Self-Exclusion – What does Gamban provide?
Gamban provides a downloadable application that blocks online gambling sites and applications across all your devices. There is an affordable fee attached but you will receive a secure and reliable option to keep you from gambling. Any device that it is installed on, whether it be a desktop or mobile device, will be fully protected.
The Gamban app will not intrude on your device. It blocks gambling websites and apps but your other apps will work as needed. If you end up on a gambling website and are unsure of it, you can also use Gamcheck to verify that operator.
UK Casino Self-Exclusion – What is Gamcheck?
GamCheck is a database of real-time information of all UK Gambling Commission licensed gambling operators. It’s a free service that you can use if you are unsure about a particular casino. They provide several services including liaising with casino operators if there’s a dispute over balances seized.
They also monitor social media and websites for reviews and complaints about casinos with payment delays or bad customer service. All operators listed with GamCheck are checked against the UK Gambling Commission database to verify the casino is licensed and legally accepts players from the UK. For another blocking layer between you and gambling, there is NetNanny.
UK Casino Self-Exclusion Self-Exclusion – What is NetNanny?
NetNanny has provided parental control software for over 20 years. They were one of the first software providers to offer a filtering service. Their core offering uses dynamic filtering technology that blocks websites based on content. The company has expanded their services to location tracking and screen usage management.
If you are battling with keeping up your end of the self-exclusion process, NetNanny is another layer of control and protection that you can install to keep you away from gambling content. You can even get another person in your household to be the administrator of this service. NetNanny is also good for blocking casinos not on Gamstop. You can check this site for more details.
Bonus Tip: Can I Do It Alone?
All programs that we mentioned above will be there to assist you. People usually feel uncomfortable to ask for any help. However, there is no need for something like that. Every kind of assistance is good.
Still, before you use the software solutions we suggested, you should test your self-control without any assistance. We are going to be honest and say that the entire process is going to be tough. In most cases, people addicted to gambling give up and try to find alternative solutions. Let’s see together which moves you should make before using any of the solutions that we previously mentioned.
Find Another Hobby
Gambling did not become an addiction from the first moment you played some of the gambling games. More precisely, it started as a hobby or way to fulfill your free time and make it more entertaining. But, things change over time. You start losing control over your needs and you start spending money more than you can afford.
Well, making your free time more interesting is possible in several different ways. Indeed, gambling is one of them, but many of them are less risky. For instance, why don’t you start going to the gym? This is a multi-practical “hobby” that can bring you many health benefits.
The point is – you should find an activity that will make you forget about gambling. People addicted to this activity are constantly thinking about it. Because of that, they can’t resist going to the casino or gambling online. Bring some changes to your daily routine and change your life completely!
Avoid Other Gamblers
We are usually surrounded by people that have the same interests, goals, mentality, and…addiction. You need to start avoiding people that are also addicted to gambling. Start spending time with people that won’t remind you of this activity.
You are not doing this because you realized their way of life is bad. After you solve personal problems, you can serve as an example to those people and prove to them that everything is possible.
This is the biggest problem of all. Addicted gamblers forget that living without casino games is also possible. They forget about everything else their life including family and beloved ones. When you get better, show them that there are many more important things in life.
Work on Your Self-Respect
How many times have you said, “I won’t gamble again?” Despite that, how many times have you broken that rule until now? Gamblers usually do that each time when they lose a bigger amount of money. It is okay if something like this happened. We are all making mistakes in life, but it is important to learn from those lessons.
Anyway, being an egoist is always going to be a bad thing except now. You need to respect yourself and the plans that you have. If you plan to quit gambling forever, then do that! The only enemy that you have is yourself. Each time you start feeling the need to gamble, say to yourself – “I won’t do that”.
Indeed, the things that we just said are easy in theory. No one is going to blame you if you are not capable to deal alone with addiction. Still, you deserve to give a chance to yourself, don’t you?
UK Casino Self-Exclusion – Final thoughts
Gambling addiction is not easy on anyone. Self-exclusion is a step in the right direction to minimise the effects of problem gambling. There are various options available for people to effectively practise self-exclusion. Gamstop is a logical starting point to get you listed on a database that licensed UK gambling operators can query before verifying your account. Coupled with the Gamban software you can block UK online gambling sites on your devices. If you are still unsure about a casino, you can check the GamCheck database to see if a casino is legit. For casinos not on Gamban, try NetNanny as another blocking layer.
