In the UK, online gambling has become one of the leading forms of adult entertainment. Some experts have laid claim to the notion that as many as 12 million UK residents have at least one online gambling account. None of this is lost on the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC), a regulatory body that believes the rise in online gambling activities will result in a likely rise in problem gambling issues.
As a means of dealing with more problem gambling issues in the UK, the UKGC heavily promotes the use of the GamStop Self-Exclusion scheme as a viable responsible gambling solution. Their support of this program has led them to require all licensed online gambling operators in the UK to subscribe to the scheme for a fee.
Yes, a great majority of the country’s online gambling operators are subscribed to GamStop. What does that mean for UK gamblers?
How GamStop Serves Problem Gamblers in the UK
When a UK online gambler senses they might have a gambling problem, they can voluntarily decide to register with the GamStop database. By doing so, they can have themselves blocked from accessing online gambling accounts that are run by UKGC licensed operators that are also GamStop subscribed.
Since the program is voluntary, it’s the registered gamblers who get to decide how long they want their self-exclusion period to last. The options are:
- 6 months
- 1 year
- 5 years
For as long as their self-prescribed exclusion period is in force, GamStop gamblers will be blocked from their online gambling activities. However, that will only be applicable to the aforementioned sites that are UKGC licensed and GamStop subscribed. That leaves a host of ways GamStop-blocked gamblers can get around the program should they want to start gambling again.
As a point of reference, here are a few of the more popular ways UK gamblers are getting around GamStop:
- Registering to gamble with UK operators that have elected to avoid licensing and or GamStop
- Registering to gamble offshore through sites licensed in other countries (VPN might be required)
- Relying on retail gambling establishments until self-exclusion ends
- Using the anonymity afforded by using cryptocurrencies as a banking option
- Relying on partners (friends and relatives) to open gambling accounts under the partner’s name
The first option on this list is of particular interest because there are plenty of reliable and reputable UK online gambling operators that aren’t licensed and tied to the GamStop database. In fact, many of the online operators like the NonGamStopOdds sites will openly market to GamStop-blocked operators.
How GamStop-Blocked Gamblers Can Fund their Non-GamStop Alternatives
The one thing that seems to concern GamStop-blocked gamblers when they decide to prematurely start gambling again is finding a reliable banking option they can use. There really is no reason for concern because there are, in fact, very few funding restrictions on GamStop-blocked gamblers. Why? Most banking options are run through companies that are not concerned with a gambler’s GamStop status. In fact, many resources have little to no knowledge about GamStop. As long as online gambling is legal in the UK, they are more than happy to offer their funding/withdrawal services.
Here are some of the most popular options for funding gambling accounts in the UK.
Credit/Debit Cards
Before getting into some of the other popular banking options, it’s worth mentioning that the UKGC is trying to eliminate credit cards as a viable online gambling banking option. They are doing so under the premise they don’t want problem gamblers to incur debt while also dealing with gambling problems. To date, the UKGC has not been very successful in this endeavour because of enforcement issues. Therefore, credit cards and even debit cards are still viable banking options for gamblers in the UK.
Wallet Accounts
A lot of UK gamblers are uncomfortable with the idea of giving UK online gambling operators access to their banking information. Therefore, they like using eWallet options. If a UK online gambler has an eWallet account, they only need to fund it through their bank account or credit/debit cards. Then, they can link their eWallet account with their online gambling account, denying access to their bank accounts in the process.
Popular eWallet options include InstaDebit, Neteller, Skrill, and Paysafecard to name a few. PayPal would also fall into this category. It’s worth noting that PayPal has recently loosened its restrictions on the funding of gambling accounts.
Cryptocurrency
For the online gambler who seeks total anonymity, cryptocurrency transactions work quite well. It’s no small thing that the number of crypto-only gambling sites has been growing in recent years. Acceptable coins usually include Bitcoin, Litecoin, Bitcoin Cash, Dogecoin, and Ethereum. Crypto gamblers are usually afforded larger limits and bonuses.
Wire Transfers
While direct wires from banking accounts to gambling accounts could soon get more scrutiny, it’s still a viable banking option for UK online gamblers.
Clearly, being blocked by GamStop will not prevent you from gambling online, if that is your wish. Yes, all of the aforementioned banking options will be at your disposal, regardless of how you choose to get around GamStop.
