About Time: UK Casino Self-exclusion AgreementBy Angelica Malin
The UK gambling community embraces responsible gaming practices that help punters to avoid the negative impacts of gambling. However, despite their best efforts, statistics show that 0.7% of UK adults struggle with problem gambling. Also, 3.1% of gamblers often find themselves wagering more than they can afford to lose. This has led to the UK population spending £1.2 billion annually on gambling addictions. In an effort to help punters be in control of their gambling lifestyles, casinos are required to form schemes such as Gamstop that help addicts to self-exclude themselves from gaming for some time. This allows them to regain control of their gambling habits.
What it means to enter a UK casino self-exclusion agreement
A self-exclusion agreement is a conscious decision to abstain from gambling activities for some time until you are able to wager responsibly. This agreement involves informing various casinos, where you are a member, of your intentions. The casinos will then support you by preventing you from accessing their gambling services. Your information is then shared among all member casinos and the self-exclusion agreement is enforced for at least six months. When filling an agreement, you need a recent photo, identity document, and proof of address. If you gamble on online casinos, you can use software applications such as Gamban to block your access to gaming sites.
Telltale signs that you need to sign up for a UK casino self-exclusion agreement
The best way to indulge in gambling is as a pastime. This means that you only gamble for fun and wager what you can afford to lose. This means that you observe the best practices of successful gaming such as verifying casinos by checking them up on independent review sites like Gamcheck. However, when you notice that you have an unstoppable urge to gamble and in the process ignore the basic principles of responsible gambling, then you need help. The good thing is that if you manage to get hold of this trend early, your recovery time will be shorter.
UK casino self-exclusion for online gamers
Online gamers should register with platforms such as Gamstop. These platforms advise the online casinos registered with them to strike you off their register. If you had any balances in your wagering account you are refunded the money. You will then be blocked from opening a wagering account at the casinos for at least six months. The next thing you need to take care of is deleting all gaming apps from their devices and using tools such as NetNanny to block gaming ads from your browsers. This helps in keeping you from anything that might trigger the desire to gamble during the self-exclusion period.
Pros and Cons of UK casino self-exclusion
The culture of self-exclusion from gambling recognizes that it is people who need help to overcome gaming addictions. The gaming community then forms a support system that addicts can rely on during their recovery journey. Moreover, a self-exclusion agreement is easy to execute as you only need to advise one scheme. However, for non Gamstop casinos, you can issue a self-exclusion notice separately. It is also important to note that some applications used for self-exclusion will cost you money. Another challenge some addicts face is that they still find creative ways to find their way into gambling houses. This should that there are some loopholes in the system.
Final thoughts on UK casino self-exclusion
It is no secret that gambling can have negative effects on punters. Every gambler should, therefore, be wary of the risk of addiction as they indulge in various forms of gambling. The good news is that the gaming community has come up with a support system to help addicts overcome the negative impacts of gambling through self-exclusion. This agreement allows casinos to block punters from accessing wagering services for at least six months and this can be extended to five years. An individual can use schemes such as SENSE and Gamstop to reach out to casinos not on Gamban.
