Gamstop is a self-seclusion program for players who want to seclude themselves from gambling for a stipulated period. Since GamStop follows the UKGC guidelines. Under the period of seclusion, the user is secluded from all websites along with any services related to gambling.
Playing at non-GamStop casinos listed on Casino Gap is the only way for players under the GamStop self-exclusion program to continue gambling. The player has to find a casino that isn’t under the UKGC, and then they can gamble anytime they want without any hindrances. However, the case is not that simple when it comes to payments. During this period, even if the player finds casinos that are not associated with GamStop, many would still be unable to continue as many modes of the transaction would be unavailable to them for gambling. Mainly because casinos without Gamsop suffer from many payment restrictions which may cause difficulties when the player tries to deposit or withdraw money to or from the casino.
Payment Methods that are Unavailable During Affiliation with Gamstop
The availability of payment methods can vary from one gambling site to another. Here are some common payment methods that may be unavailable or restricted on GamStop-free gambling websites:
PayPal
PayPal can easily be considered one of the most widely used options for carrying out transactions when it comes to gambling. For swift transactions, PayPal is the first option that comes to mind. But there are bleak chances that non-GamStop gambling sites can accept PayPal in the United Kingdom. Even PayPal online casinos and slot sites can not accept GamStop customers within the boundaries of the United Kingdom. Because this e-wallet is under certain restrictions in place when it comes to gambling. When a user activates their active status on GamStop, they are immediately banned from accessing any website possessing gambling information. Without that available information on transactions, PayPal would not be able to respond to the financial requests made. Hence, GamStop automatically nullifies the availability of PayPal for making payments.
Moreover, PayPal doesn’t offer its payment services to casinos that are not under the UKGC. The UKGC guidelines clearly state that these players should not be allowed to carry out transactions with Casinos during their period of seclusion. Thus players are automatically banned from accessing information without which transactions on PayPal cannot be completely processed. This means that once a player has registered as a GamStop customer, they forfeit the privilege of accessing PayPal as a payment method.
Boku Phone Billing
Another one of these exclusions is implied on Boku payment. One of the favourite transaction gateways for UK citizens also falls under such regulations. Boku is one of the most popular banking methods of payment in the UK. Their popularity experienced a spike after the implementation of new gambling laws in 2020. In this system, the user’s deposit is either deducted or added by adjusting it with the phone billing system. Here players cannot complete transactions with any Casinos that are affiliated with Gamstop because GamStop has issued a ban on Boku Pay for the specific period of self-exclusion. The only way to go around this system is to select to play at Boku Casinos that are not affiliated with Gamstop and are beyond the jurisdiction of the UKGC guidelines.
Pay by Mobile
For Gamstop customers, even the Pay by Mobile option is unavailable during the period of seclusion. Despite the countless number of gamblers that can make deposits using the Pay By Mobile platform, only casinos registered with the UKGC offer this payment option. Thus, once the players have signed up for self-exclusion, they can’t access any service that is offered to non-GamStop users on UKGC casinos, including Pay by Mobile.
GamStop, thus imposes strict regulation on restricting payment till the period of seclusion is over. This is to help the problem gamblers abstain from indulging in online gaming registrations till their issue is solved. Thus the most popular and easily available payment gateways are closed for these customers during the seclusion period.
Conclusion
Since the aim of Gamstop is to help problem gamblers come out of their compulsive habit and promote responsible gambling, it has taken many steps to ensure that the gamblers can abstain from gambling during the given period. After the completion of the exclusion period, such restrictions cease to exist. But even during this period, there are many ways in which a gambler can continue to indulge in the game, for example, by choosing casinos that are not restricted by Gamstop and so on. But they still need help with payment and withdrawal of money from the casino. This is an added incentive for the gambler to stick to their resolve. But even if that does not work, there are many modes of payment that the gamblers can choose to make payment with while still registered with Gamstop like Skrill, Neteller, MuchBetter, Bank cards, and Cryptocurrencies choose from.