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The gambling market in Zimbabwe is quite colourful and varied. This situation has developed thanks to the fairly democratic conditions for casinos and the growing accessibility to games for young people. Offshore casinos were the first to react to the changes in the gambling environment. They entered the market without any problems, bringing investments to the budget. However, such sites do not support GamStop, which negatively affects beginner players and those who are not too aware of the potential risks of gambling addiction. This is superimposed on the inefficient regulation of this business by the state and competent authorities. At the same time, having a nationwide self-exclusion program like GamStop could help problem gamblers in Zimbabwe a great deal since getting off GamStop is impossible, as highlighted, for example, in this NonStopCasino article you can read about how to cancel GamStop. Below, you can learn more about the actual risks related to getting off GamStop, basic info covering the problem of GamStop exclusivity, and the main self-exclusion alternative for Zimbabwean players.

Advantages and Risks of the Zimbabwean Gambling Market

The current gambling environment in the region is characterized by a set of pros and cons described below. Among the advantages are:

• Serious economic boost by drawing investments.
• New job opportunities for Zimbabweans.
• Creating more attractive conditions for tourism.

On the other hand, there are some serious downsides to the gambling market in Zimbabwe. They include the following issues:

• Gambling addiction with financial, psychological and social negative consequences.
• Reputational damage in the absence of proper regulation.
• Development of crimes in the environment of uncontrolled gambling.

Speaking of the drawbacks, it is worth mentioning the lack of business regulation and low population awareness as the main factors that need to be changed.

Understanding of Self-Exclusion Schemes on the Example of GamStop 

Self-exclusion programs are a great tool for those who know or only suspect gambling addiction. With their help, you can act proactively and break the vicious circle, get rid of triggers, and begin recovery in the psycho-emotional sense. The most popular program at present is GamStop. This scheme is absolutely free and easy to use. According to GamStop terms of use, all you need to get started is to take the following steps.

1. Register an account on the website.
2. Choose a self-exclusion term (6 months, 1 year or 5 years).
3. Pass the ID verification.

After that, within 24 hours, your data will be transferred to all casinos that support this program. One of the main peculiarities of GamStop is that participants cannot independently leave the scheme before the end of the self-exclusion period.

GamStop Alternatives for Zimbabweans

Since GamStop is supported exclusively by casinos that have UKGC, it is not available for Zimbabweans. Perhaps, in the future, the situation will change. But until then, Zimbabweans can take advantage of the solutions similar to GamStop described below.

GamBan

Using this application, you can block access to gambling sites which GamStop does not cover. After quick installation, you can run the application and get a perfectly optimized filter for gambling content that may appear on your device. If you decide to uninstall, it will keep working according to your chosen subscription plan. 

BetBlocker

This is a 100% charity solution created by a company located in Scotland. It is completely easy to use and does not require creating a profile. All you need is to download the software, install the app on your smartphone or tablet, and set up the type of it running. 

Thanks to a calendar feature, you can choose days when the app will block any gambling-related content. Also, it features a handy parental control option.

NetNanny 

This is a perfect solution for content control that features a lot of extra options you can take advantage of. Unlike GamStop, you can not use it for free. The program offers you to select among several subscription types depending on the number of supported devices: 1, 5, or 20 devices. 

After installation, the user can change settings and add different features: 

• Content blocker
• Internet filters
• Application blocker
• Parental controls, and so on.

Moreover, it offers handy reporting features, the ability to track location, screen time management, and more.

Risks Related to Canceling Self-Exclusion Scheme

Bypassing as well as cancelling the self-exclusion scheme may cause a lot of negative consequences, including the following:

• Recurrence or worsening of problem gambling patterns, leading to more serious consequences and severe resolution of the problem.
• Bad emotional state and psychological stress can develop into depression and the need to contact a qualified specialist.
• Problems related to communication with close ones, socialization, and working capacity.
• Financial damage due to chasing losses. There are casino operators that provide players with a chance to win large amounts of money. By chasing huge jackpots, inexperienced Zimbabwean players often get into debts, their income becomes unstable, and they become more vulnerable in terms of gambling addiction – especially if they are not under self-exclusion. 

Also, do not forget about the legal consequences. For example, in some jurisdictions, providing access to gambling to those who have prematurely cancelled their self-exclusion is forbidden.

Final Words

While the debate around gambling still goes on, the number of new casinos and active players in the Zimbabwean gambling market keeps rising. However, this growth is often accompanied by risks associated with violation of the basic Responsible Gambling rules. 

While GamStop is the most popular solution to this problem, it is unavailable to Zimbabweans due to its exclusiveness to the UK market. However, Zimbabwean players can take advantage of several effective analogues that they can use, including BetBlocker, NetNanny, GamBan, and others.