Here is a simple step-by-step on how to get around Gamstop:
- Register on one of the casinos listed below that will accept Gamstop players.
- Deposit using Credit/Debit Card (min. $50) or Bitcoin (min. $20).
- Enjoy!
My list of the best non Gamstop Casino sites that I have reviewed and tested:
Gamstop is a nasty thing. It’s something that every single gambler has encountered at some point in their career. If you are based in the UK like me, you’ve come in contact with this “self”-exclusion scheme numerous times, and if you’re an unlucky gambler based in the UK, you’ve signed up to it.
However, you can be forced into it. Maybe the missus is getting a little bit critical of your online gambling habits. Possibly your employer is forcing you into it. The problem with Gamstop is that getting out can be a real nightmare, and the effects of Gamstop can be irreversible.
The other problem I’ve seen is with the online casinos themselves. Once you’ve signed up to Gamstop’s self-exclusion scheme, a lot of online casinos will blacklist your information, effectively prohibiting you from playing on their website, forever.
Getting out of this blacklist can sometimes be as easy as a heavy-hearted email, but at other times can be like beating a dead horse.
How Do I Get My Payout?
Another problem of Gamstop blacklisting your personal information is it makes your already existing accounts inaccessible. This also includes all of the money you have on the website itself. And if you wind up blacklisted on the websites as well, that’s basically money thrown down the well.
Although I can’t really help you get your trapped money out of the gambling website of your choice, I can advise you on how to get it back.
Write an Email/Letter
If you have wound up banned from the website, or prohibited for a set amount of time due to Gamstop, you still can get in contact with the customer service. They might have banned your account or limited its use, but the email service is always free to use.
If by any miracle you can’t send an email for one reason or the other, letters are always an option. Every online casino has headquarters. All you need to do is research to find their location, and explain your situation through snail-mail means. The website is most likely to cooperate, and you’ll get your money in no time.
Call Them
Due to online gambling services needing to keep ahead of their real-life competition, they need superb customer service. Most online casinos offer a landline that you can call if you have a problem with their service.
The website itself might be prohibited from use, but the landline to them is still completely open. Find the number, give them a dial, explain your situation, and give out your information. You are most likely to get a positive response and get your money through one way or the other.
Live Chat
If you yourself are prohibited from using the website, live chat is not going to be an option. But you have most likely established some form of contact with someone else using the site. Get in touch with your gambling buddy, and ask to use their account to get in contact with the customer support.
Live chat on online gambling services is in contact with the website moderators, not AI Chatbots or other forms of automatic communication. When you have established contact with the customer service, introduce yourself, and explain your situation. They will be able to confirm most of your information, and you might get your money out.
Visit The Casino
If by any chance you are using the online services of a real-life casino, you can always go and visit it. Gamstop only works on online casinos, and will not prohibit you from attending a real-life casino in any way.
After visiting the real-life version of the casino, be ready for some explanations. No one wants to give free money away, so bring your ID to confirm your identity. After you have talked it out with the real-life customer support, you’re likely to reach a suitable agreement.
How To Gamble When Registered to Gamstop?
Real Casino
As stated above, Gamstop only works when you’re attempting to gamble on the internet. It is a self-exclusion scheme that is in itself exclusive to online casinos. If you are looking to gamble and you put your bets in a real-life casino, there is nothing Gamstop can do about it.
If you are registered with a real-life casino on the internet, that might pose some account problems. In that way, Gamstop can ban you from real-life gambling in the casino. If you are not allowed to access your account even in a real-life casino, which is unlikely, the answer is simply finding one you haven’t encountered in the past.
You might find real-life casinos better and more compliant with your needs than online casinos. Some people prefer one or the other. Real-life casinos offer a physical experience, and with it, way better control over your money and investments. There is something about being in a real place that adds to your caution.
If you have registered with Gamstop out of your own free will, and are looking to stop gambling altogether, real-life gambling should not be on your list of good ideas. If you have registered to Gamstop to limit your gambling habits, this might be a great way to go about doing that.
Limiting your gambling habits and addiction is ultimately up to you to do. If you are gambling in a real casino, that is still playing with real money. If you are looking to limit how much you are spending on gambling, put it down on paper.
Do not dream about numbers. There is no real money until it is in your pocket. Always remember to gamble responsibly, online or in real life.
Online Casinos Not Compliant with Gamstop
But maybe real-life casinos aren’t your thing. Perhaps you prefer the thrill of feeling that rush from the comfort of your PC, chair, and a drink of your choosing. There is nothing to worry about. There are ways to avoid Gamstop, and still, gamble online!
Before I get into the hows, I need to get into the whys. Gamstop is only active and compliant with online casinos that are registered in the mainland UK. And even at that, Gamstop is currently not mandatory. So if an online casino chooses not to register with the Gamstop program, it can do what it wants.
Even if on paper, registering your online casino with the Gamstop program is voluntary.
Gamstop is a big player in the UKGC (United Kingdom Gambling Commission). Most casinos that have their headquarters in the mainland UK are pressured into registering with Gamstop.
But, this does not include everywhere in the world, not by a long shot. When you are looking to gamble online while avoiding Gamstop, you need to remember the holy trinity of countries with the loosest online gambling laws around.
Curacao
Curacao is a small country off the Caspian sea coast. It has some of the best online gambling laws and regulations and is an all-time favorite of the online gambling community. If you see an online casino that has its headquarters in Curacao and is licensed by their gambling commission, it is not compliant with Gamstop.
Gibraltar
Gibraltar is a UK territory but is outside of Mainland UK. Gibraltar is located at the bottom of Spain. It has its own authority and its own gambling commission. Its gambling commission is totally unrelated to the UK’s and therefore avoids Gamstop altogether. It is known for its online gambling laws, so most online casinos operate with its headquarters in Gibraltar.
Malta
Malta is a small country that is located in the Mediterranean Sea, south of Italy. It is known and respected in the gambling community as an all-time favorite, due to its loose online gambling laws. Online casinos that are licensed with an MGA ( Malta Gaming Authority ) are renowned for their high quality.
Only the best online casinos have their headquarters in Malta. Even though their online gambling laws are generally in favor of the average consumer, not just everyone can get a license. Online casinos that are registered and licensed in the country of Malta are known as some of the best all around the world. They are not compliant with Gamstop in any way.
If you are looking to limit your online gambling without self-excluding yourself through Gamstop, you should give GamCare a look. GamCare is a gambling support group that might help you limit your gambling, or kick the habit altogether. It is much more forgiving than Gamstop, so it might be a better option for you.