Gamstop, the UK global self exclusion database

Gamstop, the global UK self exclusion databaseIt has been a long time in the making, but it is finally here to be used for those that wish to self exclude from UK licensed casinos: Gamstop, the global UK self exclusion database.

Gamstop is the site to go to if you wish to self exclude from casinos that have their licenses issued by the UK Gambling Commission. For the moment, participation by those casinos is voluntary, but by the end of 2018 it will become a requirement of the conditions of the license.

Effectively that means that Gamstop is the place to self exclude from all casinos if you no longer wish to gamble online. It really is as simple as inputting you personal details into the site and you will be added to the global self exclusion database. The details will be passed on to the participating casinos and after a few hours you will find yourself unable to play at the them. You can select the self exclusion period from a choice of 6 months, 1 year or 5 years.

The action of self excluding can’t be undone under any circumstances so it is important to realise that once you have made the commitment to self exclude, you will no longer be able to gamble online. But that is the beauty of the tool, you no longer have to visit each casino you have an account with to self exclude. It now can be done through one reliable provider.

Gamstop is backed by the UK Gambling Commission so you can be sure your personal data is handled in accordance with the relevant UK legislation concerning data privacy.

I take responsible gambling very serious and have promoted services such as Gamban and charities such as Gambleaware before. Gamstop is a welcome addition to responsible gambling features.

Introducing Gamban – online gambling blocker software

GambanWe are all aware that playing slots or any form of gambling may lead to financial and other problems if it is not properly controlled.

The following may indicate signs of problem gambling:

  • Spending more time and/or money than that you can afford
  • Finding it difficult to stop gambling
  • Losing interest in other hobbies / having gambling as your exclusive hobby
  • Lying about your gambling to friends and family
  • Chasing losses
  • Borrowing money to fund gambling

The above list is not exhaustive and, of course, because somebody has one or two of the above mentioned behaviours, it doesn’t necessarily indicate that they are indeed a person that is a problem gambler.

Problem gamblers need all the help that they can get. Problem gambling can ruin a persons life. Organisations such as Gamcare are excellent to get such help.

But there is much more that can be done. Having access to online casinos is not going to help the problem gambler. There are tools available that block access to such material and one of these is a piece of software called Gamban. Gamban is a pay-ware solution that aims to block all online casinos.

Of course,watching any gambling material on Youtube, Twitch or any other social media site is not recommended and should be avoided at all times. It doesn’t really matter whether such material is backed by an affiliate or not. At the end of the day, watching people gamble could be the trigger for the problem gambler to make that deposit that they can ill afford to lose.

Gamban is not expensive to purchase at just £10 per computer per year.

If you are not able to afford a license for Gamban, then I am more than happy to purchase one for you. As a responsible streamer I do recognise that problem gambling exists and I do not particularly want to refer these problem gamblers to a casino.

However, I can not stop this; so if this software stops the access to the casino that I am promoting, it is a great step forward. Ideally I would like software such as Gamban to block my streaming channels but at this point in time this is unfortunately not possible.

Of course, I will not “willy nilly” buy licenses so if you genuinely are interested in this piece of software and can not afford it, then please get in touch with me.