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While some may believe that the GamStop self-exclusion tool is the cure for all gambling-related issues, others discover ways to bypass the program and continue gambling, making their mental health suffer. In this article, we are dedicated to finding out why GamStop does not fully help individuals with addiction to change their habits and improve their well-being.

Non-GamStop Casinos and Betting Sites

You may be surprised but GamStop includes casino and betting sites that operate in the UK only. English players can easily try Nick Harris’ list of Non-GamStop-Betting sportsbooks at foreign gambling sites with offshore licences. Also, we found that many popular crypto casinos are not on the GamStop list.

This is the first reason why the self-exclusion tool is not a cure for gambling addiction that many people in the UK suffer from. According to statistics, about 0.5% of the population (approximately 246,000 people) suffer from addiction, while 3.8% (which is about 2.2 million people) are at risk and would certainly be recommended to join a solid self-exclusion program that would change their perception of gambling and help them understand its damaging effect.

Brick-and-Mortar Casinos

What about offline casinos? The legal age for gambling in the UK is 18, so even after registering with GamStop, players can still access gambling activities offline or online after cancelling it, contributing to growing addiction. Brick-and-mortar casinos may not be as convenient as online platforms since they require physical presence, which can be really inconvenient for players who used to access their favourite games from the comfort of their homes, but still, they offer players what they crave.

Accessing Casinos from New Accounts

Players who registered with GamStop are not forbidden from creating new accounts using other email addresses. Nothing stops a player who craves to gamble, create a new email address, access their favourite casino or betting site, and satisfy their “hunger”. The only thing that can stop a player from doing so is ID check. It is tough to fool the ID check and, therefore, access the same gambling platform. Unless gamblers find a casino platform without verification. Unfortunately, the number of no-KYC platforms is massive not only in the US but around the world. Platforms that refuse to implement proper verification should seriously consider the safety of their users and contribute to responsible gambling.

Promotion of Therapy and Counselling

There is no site, app, tool, or program that would completely shut down access to gambling activities. Until offline casinos exist, gamblers have no issues getting into their old behaviour. This is why gamblers have to be constantly educated on potential risks. Addressing possible issues, which are quite severe and include financial issues, mental programs like anxiety and depression, as well as social difficulties that include the inability to maintain healthy relationships at work and with family, is the only right way to highlight gambling addiction.

Gamblers should be educated that addiction is a disorder and needs to be treated as soon as possible. Therapy and support groups can become really helpful and allow casino and betting platform users to open up and confess to having a healthy attitude to this activity.

Currently, GamStop does not address potential mental, physical, and social issues players can have apart from blocking their access to a certain number of sites. Let us remind you that GamStop does not cover all UK casino platforms, not to mention that foreign sites can be easily accessed via VPN.

Summary

Solely relying on self-exclusion tools like GamStop is not a cure. This is not an effective way of dealing with addiction and taking steps towards treating the disorder. The program relies on players’ awareness and responsibility, yet, as practice shows, it does not work well. As we have discovered through this article, players always find loopholes to get what they want. Therefore, there should be more advertisements in the local news about therapy, support groups, and access to free educational resources that will raise gamblers’ awareness. Only such a complex approach can lead to positive results.