The main reason behind football being so popular for betting is its worldwide availability and live telecasts in different forms of media. Most countries play football and have their own teams and clubs which makes the sport common for sportsbooks, both online as well as in brick-and-mortar gambling sites. Football is the most popular sport in the UK, followed by cricket, rugby, tennis, and badminton.
Thus, sports betting is also legal there. When it comes to betting in the UK, football exceeds its popularity among all other sports and there is a huge number of punters looking to bet on football leagues via bookies.
Sports Betting Sites Not On Gamstop
The UK has a well established and detailed culture for sports betting. Bookmakers make a substantial contribution to the economy by generating taxes and providing employment. However, the Gambling Act of 2005 established the United Kingdom Gambling Commission as the primary governing body for enforcement of gambling legislation and regulating gambling activities within the country which brought about major changes in the terms of gambling and betting within the country.
The Act states that any gambling operators who are based in the UK have to obtain a license from either UKGC or a white-listed territory by the UKGC in order to provide gambling facilities to the UK based punters.
This may be beneficial for problem gamblers as it helps them sign up for the self-exclusion schemes associated with these bookmakers. But, not all bettors want to surround themselves with rules and regulations by the UKGC for controlling their gambling activities unnecessarily. This is where non GamStop UK sites for online betting step in and offer their gambling services. These sites run on offshore licenses such as Curacao eGaming, Malta, Gibraltar, or Kahnawake. Offshore license holders have the least amount of rules and regulations and do not control a punter’s gameplay.
These are flexible in nature. These sites provide a high-quality gaming experience and cater to an audience that spans across all geographies. Apart from Sports Betting options, these sites also provide a variety of gambling options including Slots, Baccarat, Roulette, VIP Rooms, and Live Dealers. Most of them feature games from top tier providers such as Microgaming, Playtech, Azumi, etc.
Self-Exclusion Scheme Benefits
Self-exclusion promotes responsible gambling in all forms. It is made to assist the recovery of problem gamblers and is also a preventive measure for gamblers who are eventually getting addicted to gambling. For such people, there are a few self-exclusion schemes that can be helpful for them :
GamStop : It is a free service launched in 2018, that restricts a person’s gambling tendencies by imposing certain rules. A person registered under GamStop has to undergo an exclusion period of 6 months, 1 year, or 5 years according to their choice. During this time, Gamstop prevents access to all gambling websites and apps run by companies licensed under the UKGC. Once registered, the scheme cannot be revised.
Gamban: Gamban is a user-friendly application that blocks all forms of online gambling on the installed device. It is a secure, reliable, and affordable option for those who want to fight their gambling addiction problems. However, it can only be effective if the response is spontaneous. Once the app is installed, the device will no longer have access to any gambling apps or websites. The application supports Android, Mac OS, iOS, and Windows.
GamCare: Gamcare was founded in 1997 and operates in England, Wales, and Scotland. It is an independent UK based charity that aims at providing information and support for a person suffering from gambling problems. It also provides materials and training to the gambling industry for improved player protection along with social responsibility. The training programs stress recognizing the signs of problem gambling and suggest solutions for the same.
If a bettor wants to gamble without being restricted by any of these self-exclusion schemes, they can choose to use betting sites not on Gamstop which are liberal and easy to use without restrictive policies.
Concluding Thoughts
Self-exclusion should be a voluntary process where a gambler identifies his own addiction and decides to take up a solution. Otherwise, there can be other means of going around these schemes such as using a fake identity, providing inaccurate information, using other devices, and so on. These applications or schemes are designed for the welfare of the people. Betting should be a leisure activity and not a habit and only then can one control gambling. Most of the UK based gambling sites provide self-exclusion schemes for all their punters.
