Many people join the Gamstop programme to kick their gambling habit. By joining the programme, they are given the option of self-excluding themselves from all the casinos and betting sites that are part of the Gamstop programme.
Self-exclusion is a decision often made in desperation over problem gambling by people who want to make sure they are not tempted to return to these habits. And if you take the Gamstop approach, you will be banned from all UK gambling sites for a period of time of your choosing. But there are situations when a player has accidentally added himself to the program or his gambling behavior has improved and he wants to continue gambling, in such a situation new casinos not on gamstop come to help, which allow you to bypass the self-exclusion program. So, let’s take a closer look at what Gamstop is and how to bypass it.
What is Gamstop UK
There is no doubt that problem gambling needs to be tackled, and for many of Gamstop’s 250,000 members it is a vital part of the solution. However, there are other details that were not mentioned in the brief above. These include the following points:
The shortest self-exclusion period is six months. You can also exclude yourself for a year or for five years.
Once the self-exclusion period has expired, you will need to contact Gamstop to cancel it. Otherwise it will be renewed for seven years, although you can stop this automatic renewal.
With self-exclusion, whether for six months, a year or five years, you cannot cancel the exception at any time during this period. If you ask to cancel it, you will be reminded that you have signed up for full self-exclusion.
Some Gamstop customers have found that even after requesting a self-exclusion, they can still gamble on licensed UK sites. When they report this, they are told that Gamstop has clarified that when customers sign up they promise that they will not attempt to gamble.
Many people have found that after a short period of self-exclusion, during which time other problems can be addressed and their overall situation improved, they no longer need the protection offered by Gamstop. But, as indicated above, they cannot stop self-excluding, no matter what explanation they offer, that they no longer need it. So they are left wondering how to bypass Gamstop when it comes to playing their favourite casino games. What can they do to be able to bet again?
How to bypass Gamstop
The key point from the introduction is that Gamstop is a complete and comprehensive solution that cannot be undone. If you feel your bets are out of control and you desperately need help, you may well sign up and say, “Just in case, I’ll take a five-year exception.” If, after a month of not gambling or betting at the casino, you feel that you have moved away from a situation where gambling was a problem, you will still be excluded for the next four years and eleven months.
That’s 59 months, during which, no matter what you say or feel, you won’t be able to convince Gamstop to revoke the exclusion.
And let’s be honest, that’s probably how it should be. Anyone who knows anything about compulsive habits knows that a person with an addiction will say or do anything to convince others that they’re OK now. If Gamstop were to humble itself and allow people to bid again because they said they no longer needed a period of exclusion, the practice of self-exclusion would be meaningless. It would last as long as a person’s willpower not to gamble. And if a person’s willpower was always that strong, then Gamstop itself would not be needed.
However, many people would not need such protection, which is why so many people are wondering how to cancel Gamstop. Instead of not being able to bet on sports or play casinos for months or even years, they want to find an alternative to the current situation. You can search and search on the program’s own website and you won’t find any tips or instructions on how to remove Gamstop. And there’s one good reason for that:
You can’t undo Gamstop’s action. It is there, it cannot be removed, and if you google how to undo Gamstop, you won’t find any instructions on how to remove it. You’ve given up all control of this issue when you hit the ‘Confirm’ button and start the self-exclusion period. That’s how it works. So what’s left to do?
How to cancel a Gamstop
If you read the paragraph above again, you may notice that when we say that Gamstop prohibits you from betting, we make it clear that it only prohibits you from betting on UK online casinos and betting sites, meaning Gamstop only uses UKGC-licensed platforms . Registering with Gamstop doesn’t mean you’re completely banned from gambling and that’s it. You can absolutely get around Gamstop, you just need to know how to do it. And we’re going to help you do just that by giving away some invaluable tips below.
Join sites that are not part of Gamstop
The internet is wide and immense, and it transcends UK borders. This means that there are many casinos that are not licensed by the UK Gambling Commission. If they’re not licensed by the UKGC, they’re not on Gamstop. And if they’re not on Gamstop, even if Gamstop self-excludes you for another 59 months, there are plenty of sites you’d be happy to register with.
Only UK casinos and betting sites are licensed by the UKGC. So every casino used by bettors outside the UK is a casino that isn’t on Gamstop. And if you’re not prepared to think that only UK casinos and betting sites are good enough to play at – which would be an odd assumption – there are plenty of sites you can enjoy, even while on Gamstop.
Register in someone else’s name
We said 7 ways, but we didn’t say they were all good, and another bad way is coming soon. Many of the people Gamstop excludes from UK sites, wondering how to avoid Gamstop, come up with the idea of registering with someone else’s details, because only the user’s own details are blocked. This is a very bad idea for many reasons:
First, you’ll have to find a site that accepts anonymous payment methods, and there aren’t many of those on Gamstop.
Also, you would have to use someone else’s payment card, which is fraudulent even if you are allowed to do so.
Finally, if you use this method without the other person’s permission, you are committing a crime against them.
Visit a land-based casino or betting shop
If you’re excluded from UK online betting providers, one way to get around the ban is to do it offline, at a land-based casino. People used to do this all the time before online betting became commonplace, so if you’re wondering how to override Gamstop, one option is to go to a betting source that Gamstop doesn’t apply to. Gamstop only works online, so even if you’re banned from a particular online bookmaker, there’s nothing stopping you from going to that bookmaker’s branch in the nearest city centre and placing the same bet there. Although you may find that both bookmakers and casinos have slightly worse odds, and they also don’t have special bonus offers.
Wait until the ban expires
If you’ve only been banned from playing for a certain period of time and you want to get back into the betting world, there’s always the option to wait it out. This might be the best choice; after all, if a few months’ absence has helped you get over the problem, maybe a few more months will make it even firmer? However, for people who are a few years away from exclusion, it’s not the best solution, and in any case, it’s not a way around Gamstop. You’re looking for a way around Gamstop rather than letting it do what it’s designed to do.
Register with a cryptocurrency casino
There are a growing number of casinos and betting sites that operate using cryptocurrencies, and some of them really are great casinos. When you bet on a cryptocurrency site, you usually have an anonymous account, and you never have to provide any details about yourself – just information for depositing and withdrawing funds to your cryptocurrency wallet. Such betting sites are almost exclusively offshore, so they won’t be on Gamstop. However, keep in mind that the price of cryptocurrency can be volatile and you may place a bet, see it win and then see that your winnings are less than the amount you originally wagered.
Finding an unlicensed casino or betting site
Once again, Gamstop only blocks play at UK licensed casinos and betting sites. So if you’re looking for a way around Gamstop, as we’ve said, you can bet at a site that’s licensed elsewhere. Or can you bet at a casino that doesn’t have a licence? Kudos to anyone who came here from point 2 and now says, “This. This is the same bad idea they were talking about”.
Use a VPN to bet elsewhere
This is an option, but almost as questionable as points 2 and 6. Yes, there are casinos and betting shops in other jurisdictions that only allow people from those jurisdictions to bet. And yes, a VPN allows you to pretend you are in another jurisdiction. So if you want to bet with a European bookmaker, you can use a VPN to pretend you’re in Europe. In doing so, you’ll first need to provide an address that’s in Europe and a phone number that works in Europe, and if you can fake these details accurately, you’ll be allowed to bet for a while. You can read about other restriction systems in Europe here.
But you should be aware that the betting site can see your IP, and if you use a VPN, you won’t have an individual IP, so it’s very easy to spot when you do, you’ll be banned from the site, and there’s every chance you won’t get your money back because you broke the law to gamble at the casino.
How to revoke Gamstop’s self-exclusion and why
The question of removing Gamstop or damaging it in any way should not arise, and this article is not an argument for getting rid of Gamstop. As we have said, it provides a useful service, and even though it is totalising and imperfect, for some people it, along with The Gordon Moody Association , will be a way to get rid of their gambling addiction. Given that some people have committed suicide because of gambling debts, it is no exaggeration to say that Gamstop has saved lives, so it should continue to exist. We want to give people the opportunity to see that there is a world outside Gamstop. So it’s not about abolishing Gamstop or removing Gamstop altogether, it’s about showing reformed problem players how they can bet before Gamstop allows them to do so in the UK.
3 reasons to bypass Gamstop
When you switch to non-Gamstop casinos, it’s not just about betting on the sites while you’re on self-exclusion. Going to non-Gamstop sites has other benefits that are real and present, even if you are not registered with Gamstop.
A new way to enjoy betting and casinos
When you play exclusively at UK casinos, you get the experience of betting exclusively in the UK. From one betting site to another you will see the same games, the same markets and often the same odds. Playing at a casino that is not based in the UK and may not be aimed at UK customers will allow you to find new games and new elements to bet on. You may also find that an American-oriented casino even has higher odds on some UK events because the odds have been set with an American perspective in mind.
Greater anonymity
If you bet at no-ID casinos or cryptocurrency betting sites, you will have to provide less of your personal information, or sometimes no information at all. In an era where we are all trying to be more information secure, this is very important. It’s a pretty standard situation when you sign up for something using your personal information and that information can be sold and you’ll start getting calls and targeted messages about things you’re not interested in at all. If you don’t provide this data, it can’t fall into the wrong hands.
The best bonuses and promotions
Very often betting sites and casinos in the UK offer bonuses and promotions to compete with their local rivals for the time and custom of keen bettors. And these offers are great – more money for betting is better than less, right? But UK betting sites are often associated with land-based bookmakers and casinos, which have high overheads, and they tend to be more careful in their offerings to ensure balance. If you know how to avoid Gamstop, you can find new sites with better offers and promotions, often these are independent sites that have no land-based business to back them up.
When it comes to the strict security measures introduced by GamStop to maintain self-exclusion periods for UK users, some groups of gamblers are intimidated by them. If you’ve been wondering how to avoid the self-exclusion period and get back to playing for real money, you’ve come to the right page. Since UK gamblers are restricted to the UKGC accompanied by Gamstop, there are always a few ways around them, which have been discussed above. By bypassing Gamstop, you will have access to all gambling and you will enjoy yourself to the fullest, if you are competent and understand the importance of controlling gambling behaviour.
