UK Casino self-exclusion – Everything you need to know

UK casino self-exclusion

As the casino world grows and there is an increase in gambling activities at land based and online casinos. This has led to an increase in the reported cases of gambling addiction across the world. The rate of increase poses a major concern for the authorities, and all the possible solutions seem to depend on the willingness of the players to overcome addiction. This is the reason self-exclusion was introduced. This is to help players find it easy to stop gambling. Also, this has led to the creation of several non-profit services like Gamstop and Gamban for more personalized self-exclusion.

Beginners guide to UK casino self-exclusion

Self-exclusion is the deliberate effort that a player takes to exclude himself from playing at an online casino. The time during varies depending on the exact program the player put in for. However, it typically takes between 6 months to 2 years. Unfortunately, addiction can not be measured which makes it hard to identify when a player needs to go for a self-exclusion program. It is, however, advised to self-exclude as early as possible. Especially, when it is getting to the point where the player overspends on bets. There are numerous self-exclusion services available to the player for both land-based casinos and online casino, such as Gamban.

Forms of UK casino self-exclusion program

Self-exclusion programs come in different forms, however, the widely recognised type in the UK is the SENSE program. The purpose of the SENSE scheme is to create a stress-free process for players to register their intention to exclude themself from a particular brick and mortar casino which will then be passed across to all other brick and mortar casinos in the UK. Other exclusion forms are online based and it involves blocking all your device from visiting casino website. You can make use of services like Gamcheck to get the collection of all gambling sites and ban them altogether.

Process of registering for UK casino self-exclusion

For players who would like to join the SENSE program, the process is quite easy. The first step is to visit a land-based casino and tell them about your desire to self exclude yourself from gambling through the SENSE program. A form will be given to you and you will be directed on other procedures. For players who bet online, the process is even simpler. When you log into your account, look for the section for responsible gaming and follow the steps highlighted. To avoid playing at other online casinos, NetNanny and some other filtering services will be useful in preventing you from visiting any gambling site.

Advantages and disadvantages of UK casino self-exclusion

Since the introduction of the self-exclusion schemes and services, there has been a huge number of players that have benefited from the program. If you take part in a self-exclusion scheme and follow the guidelines thoroughly, you will be able to concentrate on more vital aspects of your life outside gambling. However, the downside of self-exclusion is that some players still find ways to boycott their exclusion by registering with fake IDs at online casinos. In some cases, this leads to heavy fines on the casino. Also, casinos not on Gamstop can still advertise to players to register during their exclusion thereby tempting them to register and play.

UK casino self-exclusion: Final thoughts

Self-exclusion is currently the best way to tackle gambling addiction for players who are finding it hard to keep out. There has been a major breakthrough with regards to the SENSE scheme for land based casinos. Also, all online casinos, are mandated to give players the option to self-exclude through the responsible gaming section. There is a chance that the Gambling authority in the UK might want to become proactive by revoking the license to operate of casinos not on Gamban and other filtering services. However, regardless of all the programs that have been set up, players should only gamble when they are mentally and emotionally stable.