Remove GamStop UK? The internet age has given users around the world the ability to do just about anything with the click of a button, but the downside is that users often make mistakes that may not be easy to correct afterwards. GamStop is a good example of this. According to data from the UKGC, 25% of participants in this scheme have reached the GamStop contact centre to submit a self-exclusion removal request to resume playing at UK casino sites. Indeed, it is not easy, and players’ requests will always be rejected. However, there are still easy and completely legal ways that you can use to overturn GamStop and enjoy your favourite games without any restrictions.
TOP ways to cancel GamStop UK
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Last Updated: November 2024
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Table of contents
What is GamStop UK?
GamStop UK is a free self-exclusion programme for players with online gambling problems. It was launched in 2020 by a charity called the National Online Self Exclusion Scheme Limited. However, many experts in the iGaming industry believe that the UKGC is the responsible party for this scheme.
To use this programme, players must create an account with their full details and choose the appropriate self-exclusion period. After that, players can’t log into UK gambling sites.
GamStop UK scheme lets players put active controls in place to restrict their online gambling activities. A user can voluntarily exclude himself from all UK casino sites with a single request. The scheme offers very flexible ways of the gambling ban. The available options include:
- 6 months
- 1 year
- 5 years
Of course, it is impossible to shorten the period later or cancel the subscription.
In the early days of the scheme, operators’ participation in the programme was voluntary. However, in mid-2020, the UKGC announced that GamStop registration is mandatory for all UK casino sites. Indeed, the UKGC has sanctioned companies that fail to register with GamStop UK by withdrawing their licenses.
- GamStop is available to British users only.
- GamStop covers sites run by companies licensed in Great Britain.
- The minimum period for the exclusion term is six months, and the longest period is five years.
Historical Background on GamStop UK
The launch of GamStop UK is part of the National Strategy to Reduce Gambling Harms, which was launched by the UKGC at the end of 2019 and started in early 2020. This strategy included a set of urgent decisions and even changes to the UKGC licence conditions, including:
- Setting a limit on round speed. Also, prohibiting effects that give the illusion of “false wins” and “near misses”.
- Eliminate gambling features, in-game bonuses, free spins, and other features that celebrate losses as wins.
- The outright ban on the auto-play feature which lead to players losing track of their play
- Completely ban VIP schemes – Because they always make players deposit more money.
- Reduce the cash bonus and free spins gambling sites give new and loyal players.
- Prohibition of reverse withdrawals.
- Promote tools of self-exclusion from online gambling.
- Compulsory participation in the GamStop UK programme.
All these actions were taken in early and mid-2020 as the Gaming industry saw unprecedented growth through the COVID-19 outbreak. Millions of people locked up at home, bored, stressed, and anguished gave gaming and eSports companies growing prominence throughout the first half of 2020. All in all, we can say that the iGaming industry is one of the very few industries that haven’t been negatively affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. On the contrary, it has achieved unprecedented growth rates. It is today one of the ten fastest growing industries in the world! Therefore, the UKGC moved quickly to reduce gambling addiction rates.
How Does GamStop UK Work?
GamStop’s self-exclusion scheme relies almost entirely on algorithms without human intervention. So, the user has to enter as many valid and accurate details as possible, including:
- Date of birth
- Current address (it is preferable to mention all your previous addresses).
- All the email addresses you use (if you mainly use Gmail, it will be easy for you to copy all the email addresses you may have used in the past).
- The mobile phone numbers you currently use or have used in the past.
Addresses, email addresses, and cell phone numbers change over time. This is an excellent way to keep your GamStop UK excluded as effectively as possible. Immediately after signing up, you will receive an email confirming your registration. It usually takes 24 hours for your account to be activated.
After that, you will be banned if you try to sign up for any online casino or sports betting site. Simply because GamStop will notify the casino that the data you entered belongs to a player who has requested to exclude himself from the gambling sites.
Note A self-exclusion request on GamStop UK does not automatically withdraw your credits from UK casino sites. Therefore, if you have credits that you want to get back, you should contact the relevant casino or sports betting site to withdraw your winnings. |
Who Are the Players Who Should Use GamStop UK?
Certainly, GamStop UK was not launched for all gamblers but to serve people who gamble compulsively. According to the Mayo clinic website, these people often have substance abuse problems, personality disorders, depression or anxiety. Compulsive gambling may also be associated with bipolar disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). In addition, people living with this addiction may experience the following symptoms:
- Depression
- Migraines
- Intestinal disorders
- Anxiety
- Feeling hopeless and helpless
As with other addictions, the consequences of gambling are thought to lead to suicide attempts.
The motives for gambling between ordinary people and gambling addicted differ sharply. Problem gamblers usually feel uncomfortable trying to stop gambling. They gamble primarily to escape their psychological or family problems or eliminate feelings of helplessness, guilt and depression. What makes matters worse is that they place more bets each time to recover lost losses. Since all casino games have a built-in house edge that cannot be avoided, problem gamblers will lose in the long run, which will later force them to lie to family members or others to hide the extent of their gambling.
Why Do So Many Players Regret Participating With GamStop?
According to the INC website, adults make more than 35,000 wrong decisions daily. Therefore, it is not surprising that regular people participate in GamStop UK when they are not addicted to gambling in the first place! This scheme is intended for people who can’t control their gambling activities, but it can be a considerable burden for casual players.
Many players sign up for GamStop after suffering a significant loss. Also common reasons for regular gamers to sign up for GamStop are issues they face in the casino, like bad customer service, late payouts, or deposit problems. For fanatical sports bettors, some of them could register with GamStop UK, simply if their team loses a match they bet on!
“The pursuit of productivity” is a common reason for regular players joining GamStop. If a person feels that he is unable to produce max output for every minute of the day, the first thing he will do is stop subscriptions to entertainment apps, cancel ads on his browser, block Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, as well as subscribe to GamStop UK. Although these revolutionary decisions may make them feel satisfied for a few minutes, they will struggle to stay productive afterwards as the overworked employees will be less productive at all hours of the work day. Therefore, it is always important to keep a space of entertainment and not compromise it.
One of the reasons why non-problematic gamers also sign up for GamStop is “not reading the terms and conditions of the service”. For example, we are getting messages from players saying that they thought GamStop was a gambling prevention tool!
What Is the Difference Between Self-restriction Tools & Self-exclusion From Online Gambling?
There is a big difference between the responsible gambling tools offered by all online casinos and the self-exclusion process by GamStop UK.
At this point, we would like to give you a brief overview of the significant differences between responsible gambling tools and GamStop self-exclusion scheme.
GamStop self-exclusion Scheme | Responsible Gambling Tools | |
Free | ✔️ | ✔️ |
Available for British players | ✔️ | ✔️ |
Easy to use | ✔️ | ✔️ |
Voluntary | ✔️ | ✔️ |
Can be undone | ❌ | ✔️ |
Cover only one casino | ❌ | ✔️ |
Now You’ve Subscribed to GamStop & Want to Resume Gambling: What Can You Do?
Now you know that signing up for GamStop UK wasn’t your best decision! What will now happen is that, for the duration of your self-exclusion period, you will not be able to play at any UK casino sites.
The ideal solution to this problem is to discover offshore casinos and bookmakers. These sites do not hold the UKGC license, so they are not obligated to register with GamStop. Thus, they can accept all British players, whether self-excluded or not.
Offshore gambling sites control more than two-thirds of the global gambling market. So, there can be no doubts about their integrity or reliability. On the other hand, gambling sites not on GamStop offer you the same gaming content that you are used to play at UK casinos because all the online casinos deal with the same game studios.
There are other recommended solutions shared on Reddit, but they involve a fair amount of adventure. You can alter your gambling behaviours by going to traditional casinos. However, this method has a fair amount of drawbacks. Besides the effort, time and money that will be spent, if the UKGC decides to integrate both GamStop UK and SENSE, as many European gaming commissions have done, you will also be banned at traditional casinos. Other methods you can use to break the self-exclusion are to open a new account with different personal data, use a shared account, or play with a VPN.
In the next part, we will go over all these methods in more detail, but the fact that we want to establish now is that the best way to get around GamStop UK is to play at offshore casinos.
How Do You Remove GamStop UK?
As we have already indicated, GamStop does not tolerate any attempt to withdraw or cancel. It simply assumes that all of its subscribers are actual addicted to gambling. Therefore, the gamstop UK contact center will not offer you any satisfactory solutions if you give them any justification for your position on self-exclusion. So, if you don’t want to wait until the end of the self-exclusion period, you can beat the scheme in several other ways.
Useful Information You can resume playing without waiting for your self-exclusion period to end! |
Here are some of the safest ways you can get around GamStop UK:
Play at Trusted Non UK casinos
If you have already succeeded in picking up a trusted unlicensed gambling UK site. Then, you will have bypassed GamStop UK problem completely safe and without any subsequent issues!
The non UKGC sites are equally safe, rewarding and reliable. Each good non UK casino has its own attractions that make it better than any UK casino sites. Firstly, you will start your journey at non UK casino sites with an excellent welcome bonus that can cover your first three or five deposits and have a max value of €3,000 to €5,000. After using this great bonus, you will be able to get more great rewards as a loyal player. So, instead of jumping from one casino to another in search of the welcome bonus, you can get a lot of Reload bonuses from one casino. You can also get non UK casino no deposit bonus when you start your casino journey.
Another thing that good non UK casinos excel in is the payment methods. Suffice it to say that offshore casinos accept cryptocurrencies. On the other hand, UK casinos cannot accept Bitcoin due to licensing restrictions.
In terms of gaming, as we have already mentioned, gambling sites not on GamStop UK cover the same options as UK casino sites. Furthermore, offshore gambling sites tend to collaborate with more game studios. Thus, it offers better game libraries in general.
Furthermore, in some cases, offshore casinos can waive the KYC procedure if the player commits to making deposits/withdrawals of limited amounts. In the following table, we have explained to you the most prominent differences between each of the British casinos and the overseas casinos:
Useful Information You must read our reviews to choose a good non UK casino! |
Gambling sites not on GamStop | UK Casino Sites | |
✔️ | ❌ | Available for GamStop members |
✔️ | ✔️ | Reliability |
✔️ | ✔️ | License |
✔️ | ❌ | Games |
✔️ | ❌ | Rewards |
✔️ | ❌ | Payment methods |
✔️ | ✔️ | Customer Service |
✔️ | ✔️ | Smartphone Compatibility |
Paly at Curaçao Casinos
The licensed casinos in Curaçao account for more than 70% of all online casinos. Game companies are headquartered in Curaçao for many reasons, including the advantageous tax situation, straightforward requirements, favourable license price, easy application process, and strong reputation in the industry. Furthermore, the Curaçao Gaming Control Board has extreme measures to protect players from cheating, theft and fraud. Therefore, in general, you can trust any casino that has a Curaçao license.
Sign Up for Crypto-friendly Casinos
In general, we can say that any casino or sports betting site that accepts Bitcoin or its digital cousins is not licensed by the UKGC. This is simply because the UKGC does not license crypto-accepting casinos. After all, they believe that these sites cannot implement KYC or AML protocols.
Altering Your Details
If you are still determined to play at UK casino sites, you must use the parts you did not share with GamStop. For example, if you type in your current residential address, you may sign up at a UK casino using your previous address when signing up for a new casino. Likewise, you must provide a different email as well as a different phone number. However, data such as date of birth and name cannot be changed. This means that this method is risky – if the casino detects that you are already a GamStop member, it will suspend your account. But, of course, you don’t want to go through that experience. Therefore, we repeat that the optimal solution so far is to play at casinos that don’t use GamStop.
Using a VPN to Access UK Casino Sites
There are two ways you can trust any website – using your real IP address, or using a VPN app. With a VPN, users can change their geographic location on the Internet, allowing them to access websites that block users in their original location. Furthermore, VPN apps offer safety through anonymity and give cost-effective security. Therefore, the GamStop restrictions will not apply to you, as you will choose a country other than the UK. However, you should know that web casinos deal with VPNs in three ways, which are as follows:
- Ignorance – Most UK casino sites have advanced software that enables them to detect the real IP address of a user even if they are using the most advanced VPN software. For example, if you log into the 888 Casino website using a VPN app, you will find that the site still treats you like a British visitor!
- Account Suspension – If the casino does not have the software to detect a user’s actual IP address, it will penalize the VPN users by suspending their accounts. Therefore, it is always important that you read the casino terms and conditions for all relevant info before using a VPN.
- Blocking IP Addresses Owned by VPN Apps – One of the easiest methods apps and websites use to block VPNs is blocklisting the VPN’s IP addresses. For example, sites like Netflix and Hulu find lists of IP addresses belonging to a VPN and block their access to the website.
Use a Shared Account
One way Reddit experts recommend beating GamStop is using the account of your partner, family member, or friend. The casino will not ban the account because it isn’t related to you. However, you should know that this method conflicts with the terms and conditions of the casino.
Play at Land-based Casinos
This solution seems desperate enough to put it last! Although players prefer to online casinos because of its convenience, bonuses and exciting features, traditional casinos have a unique feature: they are not in a GamStop. British traditional casinos have another self-exclusion program (SENSE).
Note The GamStop scheme does not cover traditional casinos. However, land based gambling venues have another self-exclusion programme, SENSE. |
Advantages & Disadvantages of GamStop UK
Like anything else in life, the GamStop scheme has advantages and disadvantages that you should be aware of before you sign up for it. If you are not a fan of reading the terms and conditions of service, we have outlined the most important things you should consider regarding this program.
Pros of GamStop UK
The most prominent feature of the GamStop programme is that it is the first step on the road to recovery from gambling addiction. Of course, participation in a self-exclusion scheme alone cannot protect users from the harms associated with gambling addiction as there are more steps a sufferer should take such as getting professional help, replacing a compulsive gambling habit with a helpful one, meditation, and reaching out to support groups .
The second advantage of the GamStop scheme is the achievement of the common good. According to the UKGS stats, up to 25% of online casino customers are addicted. Although the companies operating gambling sites do not pay much attention to such stats, on the other hand, there are people going bankrupt and families being devastated by this problem. Therefore, regulatory measures had to be taken to protect valuable groups from the dangers of gambling addiction in all possible ways and means.
The third advantage of the GamStop scheme is that it gives gamblers a chance to stop and think about their gambling habits. Don’t forget that this programme was launched in parallel with the Corona pandemic, which caused massive growth in the online gambling industry. Thus, increasing the number of gambling addicted as well!
Cons of GamStop UK
When used correctly, GamStop will have no flaws at all! However, the disadvantages come from the wrong use of this program, or in other words, if the player does not need it in the first place.
Firstly, it is impossible to terminate your subscription to this scheme before the specified period. This is no different for both gambling addicted and casual players.
Second, it is possible for a player to be registered by someone else who has their personal details without their knowledge. We live in an age where ease of access comes at the expense of privacy. Therefore, it is very easy for someone else to use your personal data to engage in any service without your knowledge.
Third, the self-exclusion does not expire at the end of the specified period, as you must contact GamStop customer service to terminate your account.
Alternative Programmes to GamStop UK
As we have already mentioned, many players participate in GamStop in order to increase their productivity or for other reasons that are not primarily related to gambling addiction. Therefore, it may be beneficial for players to use alternative apps. In general, these apps do not have the negative aspects associated with GamStop, such as the impossibility of cancellation or the possibility of impersonation.
Limit
As the name makes clear, limit works as you can imagine as it prevents you from using the Internet during the time period you set by yourself. Exactly as “Focus” mode works on iPhones. Furthermore, this software is quite easy to use and install.
All you have to do is open your Google Chrome browser. Then, go to the add-ons store and type “Limit” in the search box. After the software is installed, you can decide when you can access websites. For example, you can limit the time you use Facebook to only twenty minutes per day or limit the time you use Facebook from eight in the evening until twenty-eight minutes. Similarly, you can perform this step for all other sites. By using this app, you will feel much better once you reach the limit and know the time is up. On the other hand, if your habits change, you can uninstall the extension from your browser whenever you want.
BetBlocker
This app is also for gamblers, but it works differently than GamStop. To use BetBlocker, you have to install it on all the devices you use, even if you use it casually. Right after installing the app, it will block all your browsers from accessing all gambling sites. You can set a time frame for how long you want to keep yourself away from gambling sites or leave the duration open. According to the service’s official website, BetBlocker can keep you away from more than 15,000 gambling sites. However, the major flaw in the BetBlocker app is that you can get a new device and resume playing with it at gambling sites again.
GamCare
Just like GamStop UK and BetBlocker, Gam-Anon and GamCare is a programme for gamblers and is widely promoted on UK casino sites. This programme is very effective, especially when used in combination with other self-exclusion tools. However, it comes with a monthly subscription.
Focus
Focus is another free web extension that works with Google Chrome and Firefox browsers. You can use this software to control your use of the web. You can also use it as a parental control tool to make sure your child is not exposed to harmful or harmful content on the web. To use this app, you have to enter your PIN and select the time you want to use it on the web, knowing that you won’t be able to spend one second longer on the website. You can also select only the sites you want to access, and all remaining sites will be blocked. However, the downside of this extension is that the user can easily remove it, which goes against the basic purpose of downloading it.
Can You Stop Gambling Without Self-exclusion?
Self-elimination is an excellent method for players with compulsive gambling habits. However, it is a very extreme way to deal with casual losses or mood swings. So, if you feel the urge to stop for reasons not related to your gambling addiction, you can use the responsible gambling tools available on all casinos and sports betting sites. Furthermore, it is easy to know how to get around self-exclusion bet365. All you have to do is contact customer service and request that the action you have taken be cancelled. Our team has collected the three best tools that you can use to control your gambling behaviour.
Deposit Limits
With this method, you can put a cap on the amounts you deposit on a daily, weekly or monthly basis.
Time Limit
This tool determines the time of your gaming session. Once you have used up your allotted time, you will have to take a break.
Loss limits
Putting a loss cap is probably the best responsible gambling method of all because it links loss with stopping gambling. Certainly, it protects your gaming budget. UK casino sites usually provide daily, weekly and monthly maximum losses. Once a player loses a certain amount of money, they will be automatically logged out and will be banned from playing any other games for a predetermined period of time.
Cooling-off Periods
Breaks are a very effective way for gamblers to stop gambling whenever they want to.
Pros of Getting Around GamStop
Overturning the GamStop self-exclusion can be a very wise or very bad decision – it depends on the person’s gambling habits. For players who are not addicted to gambling, overturning the self-exclusion is essentially a correction for the GamStop subscription mistake. Furthermore, thanks to this step, you can resume playing your favourite games without any problems or side effects. In the next section, we will introduce you to the most prominent advantages of getting around GamStop:
The perfect alternative when you fail to cancel GamStop
Once your account is activated, you cannot revoke, rescind or withdraw the exclusion prior to the expiry date. Therefore, if you want to continue enjoying your favourite games, you should turn around the GamStop using the methods that we have provided you on this page.
Allow You to Enjoy Your Favorite Games
If you decide to sign up for an offshore gambling site, a whole world of fun and entertainment will open up for you. These sites have a lot of great features that you may not find in British casinos. For example, you can conduct your transactions with both bank cards, e-wallets and cryptocurrencies, while UK casino sites tend to support a limited set of payment methods. These casinos also offer a wide variety of games and offer just as decent gaming variety to mobile users.
Provides an Additional Source of Income
Another advantage that you can get when you decide to play at unlicensed gambling UK sites is to get additional income. Since these sites always feature higher payout rates, this means that players will always get more rewards.
Cons of Getting Around GamStop UK
If you are having a hard time controlling your gambling habits and want to go around GamStop then things will only go from bad to worse! Some of the problems with getting around the GamStop are:
Increase Your Losses
Obviously, if you signed up for GamStop UK primarily for the purpose of limiting your losses, circumventing self-exclusion will increase your losses. So, you have to think twice about why you signed up for GamStop in the first place.
Increases Your Gambling Addiction Problem
If you feel that you have addictive tendencies towards gambling, you should continue to use protective measures, but going around GamStop will only make matters worse.
FAQ About Remove Gamstop UK
There are various methods you can use to stop gambling online, including using responsible gambling tools. You can also use a self-exclusion program such as GamStop UK, BetBlocker or GamCare. Furthermore, you can use software that enhances your productivity in general, such as Limit and Focus.
People who cannot control their gambling behaviour should use all self-exclusion programmes. Every software has vulnerabilities. So, you should use all of these apps together to make sure you get the highest protection possible.
Certainly, your request will always be answered with a refusal. Once activated, you cannot revoke, rescind or withdraw the exclusion prior to the expiry date.
We always look at player reviews about GamStop on various independent platforms such as Reddit, TrustPilot, and Ask Gamblers. In fact, we found that most of the participants in this programme are basically regular players who are not addicted to gambling and are looking for ways to get around the GamStop until the end of the self-exclusion period.