Gambling Restrictions in the UK and its Consequences

The gambling market in the UK provides a wide range of gambling options to the public. And this includes sports betting, casino games, gaming machines, and bingo. All these options are available in the physical and online world. They are provided by operators who have been licensed by the local authorities and the gambling commission.

You should always check on your preferred operator’s site to find out which product or service has been licensed by the authorities. You should also ensure that you are protected on the regulator’s site if you choose to play.

Current Gambling in the UK

The gambling laws UK have been designed to regulate the entire industry and control illegal gambling to make the sector safe for everyone. Among the areas that UK Gambling laws focus on are the protection of children and adults who are vulnerable. And this includes a minimum legal gambling age and self-exclusion alternatives for adults struggling with gambling addiction

Minimum gambling age in the UK casino

To gamble legally in the UK, you need to be eighteen years old and above. This applies to both land-based and online casinos. Sportsbooks are also obligated to confirm that customers are eighteen years old and above by requesting supporting documents such as identification cards or driver’s licenses. A big exception to the gambling restrictions UK law applies to scratch cards, lotteries, and football pools. For this, the minimum gambling age is sixteen years old.

Why should you avoid gambling if you’re not of age?

Failing to meet the requirements of this law has grave consequences which include being denied your winnings. To avoid creating unnecessary problems, you should ensure that you are old enough to gamble in the UK. This means that you should be at least eighteen years old.

Gamstop self-exclusion

Gamstop plays a critical role in the UK’s online gambling industry. The UK Gambling Commission has made it compulsory for every gambling operator and casino to register with Gamstop so that they can receive their licenses. Since it was introduced in 2018, Gamstop has helped a lot of people stay on top of their gambling activities. Statistics have shown that some people gamble on non Gamstop casinos to have fun and enjoy themselves, and not all players have gambling problems.  However, for gamblers who do find gambling problematic, the scheme can be a lifeline.

Gamstop is an independent scheme created to enhance responsible gambling among people. Gamstop is available for every player residing in the UK. If you are a member, the scheme will boost online gambling restrictions especially if your preferred casino has been licensed by the UK Gambling Commission. The registration process is easy. You’ll be excluded from all gambling sites within 24 hours. The term for self-exclusion ranges from six months to five years.

Lotteries and the restrictions

The National Lottery in the UK has been regulated by strict rules. Since 1993, it has been running and offering a wide range of games including Thunderball and Loto. Gamblers residing in the UK can bet on the European Euro Millions lottery. And this includes nine countries.

One of the most important things to note is that 28 percent of lottery prizes go to the “Good Causes” fund which has raised more than forty billion pounds to date. Most of these funds go to the community and volunteer organizations. These funds are never spent on services that the government is obligated to offer to its citizens.

12 percent of the prize pool goes to the government while another 15 percent goes towards selling tickets and running the lottery.

How does this affect you?

Winning the lottery is no easy thing. Also factor in that almost half your entire prize is not paid out to you. This is not a good proposition. From a professional gambler’s view, it would be better if you took played at a casino with a small house edge.

Social Gaming

In the UK, you’ll find a few games that don’t enable you to win money or other prizes worth money. All these games are not regulated in any way. However, the popularity of most of these games has been constructed in a social, interactive, and compelling manner especially if they resemble real gambling games.

What you need to know about UK online casinos

While registering with Gamstop is mandatory for you to be licensed by the UK Gambling Commission, there are a lot of casinos that are not on Gamstop. When you are signing up for self-exclusion, you’ll discover that most online gambling sites are prohibited. In some cases, casinos not registered with Gamstop are more popular than the registered ones.

Gamstop is a scheme based in the UK. This means that there are other licensing bodies operating in the UK legally but don’t have similar Gamstop conditions. Online gambling sites registered in other areas such as Cyprus, Malta, and other jurisdictions are not registered on Gamstop and they need not be.

Get Around Gamstop

After the self-exclusion term has ended, you won’t have an easy time getting back to the casino world. Gamstop exclusions don’t lift automatically when they end. Instead, players have to contact Gamstop and go through the process of removal. If you have been looking for ways to get around your self-exclusion, you are in the right place.

One of the best and simple ways to play after your self-exclusion is to play with UK casinos not on Gamstop. In short you need to find casinos that are not regulated by the gambling commission in the UK. However, this doesn’t mean that they are unsafe. While there are unsafe sites, most of them operate under the licenses and regulations of other authorities. There are a lot of reputable non-Gamstop casinos in Cyprus, Curacao, and Malta.

Benefits of non-gamstop casinos

If you haven’t registered at Gamstop, there are a lot of benefits linked to playing at casinos licensed outside the UK. The UK Gambling Commission regulates bonus offers and promotions. These regulations restrict what operators can offer. This means that you can find some of the best bonus offers and promotions at gambling sites not covered by Gamstop.

Other areas that these restrictions affect include deposits and withdrawals. By going for casinos that aren’t regulated by the UK Gambling Commission, you’ll get to use different deposit methods whilst enjoying anonymity.