What Are Online Casinos Not On Gamstop?

Whether you enjoy the buzz of online bingo, the thrill of classic table games or the rush of rolling reels, online casinos are a great way to experience the fun and excitement of a real bricks and mortar venue from the comfort of your own home.

Offering a huge selection of games, promotions and tournaments to suit customers on all types of budget, if you’re a UK-based player, you’re really spoilt for choice when it comes to deciding on the best place for you to enjoy your online casino kicks.

However, with such easy access to instant-play games where money can be lost just as easily as it’s won, UK-licensed online casinos have a definite responsibility to protect their customers from the dangers of problem gambling – and that’s where the UK non-profit organisation, Gamstop, comes in.

About Gamstop

Originally launched as an optional scheme that enabled players with concerns about their online gambling to self-exclude from all UK-based casino sites, Gamstop has since become a cornerstone of the industry and is now a mandatory requirement for companies who wish to obtain a UKGC license.

How Gamstop Works:

• All UKGC-licensed online casinos are signed up to the Gamstop scheme
• Players register personal details such as name and email address with Gamstop
• If they grow concerned about their online gambling, players can opt to restrict their access
• Players choose to voluntarily self-exclude for a period between six months and five years
• Once self-exclusion is activated, players cannot access any casino signed up to Gamstop

As you can see, Gamstop offers comprehensive protection to players who wish to restrict their access to UK-based online casinos. Once activated, not only will they be blocked from participating sites for the duration of their self-exclusion, but they’ll also stop receiving all offers and promotions.

While this has rightfully been celebrated as a big step in the fight against problem gambling, the scheme is not without its critics. For one, the self-exclusion periods are overly long and do not guarantee re-activation of your account once they have expired. There’s also the fact that anyone with a few of your personal details can activate self-exclusion, taking the choice out of your hands.

What Are Online Casinos Not On Gamstop?

In response to these issues with the scheme, recently there has been a sharp rise in the number of casinos not on Gamstop that are offering their services to UK-based players. However, before we take a closer look at the sites not covered by Gamstop, we need to first understand what this means.

There is something of a misunderstanding that online casinos not under Gamstop are somehow unsafe, but this couldn’t be further from the truth. Remember, being enrolled with Gamstop is a requirement of getting a UKGC-license, but it doesn’t prevent a site from being licensed elsewhere.

Indeed, any online casino without Gamstop is still required to hold a gambling license to ensure the safety and fairness of the service it provides. Typically, these licenses will be issued by overseas territories such as Curacao and Gibraltar, who also have strict rules that their casinos must follow.

With this in mind, as long as you do your research and stick to reputable, tried and tested non-Gamstop casinos like the ones recommended on this site, you can play safe in the knowledge that your funds and personal details are secure and that all games are independently tested for fairness.

Non-Gamstop Casinos At A Glance

• Are not licensed by the UKGC and therefore not required to participate in Gamstop
• Instead hold licenses issued by overseas territories such as Curacao, Malta or Gibraltar
• Not all non-Gamstop casinos offer their services to UK players, but the vast majority do
• Remain accessible to players who signed up to Gamstop, even if they are self-excluding
• Maintain high security standards by using SSL encryption and audit games for fairness

What Are The Main Differences Between Gamstop and non-Gamstop Casinos?

Now that you have a better understanding of what casinos not on Gamstop actually are, let’s take a look at how they compare to the average UKGC-licensed Gamstop casino. The following table will highlight some of the key differences that players looking to choose a casino site should be aware of:

As you can see, both Gamstop and non-Gamstop casinos have their advantages and disadvantages. When it comes to preventing problem gambling, there’s no doubt Gamstop casinos have the edge in the services they provide and they also feature games from a wider selection of software providers.

On the other hand, the UKGC regulations limit the size and type of bonuses that they can offer, meaning you’ll often find more bang for your buck at a non-Gamstop casino. On top of that, non-Gamstop casinos are generally newer and, as such, are more accepting of cryptocurrency payments.

When it comes to site security and the fairness of games on offer, Gamstop and non-Gamstop casinos are actually pretty comparable, meaning that as long as you’re playing at a non-Gamstop casino that’s licensed by a reputable jurisdiction like Curacao, there’s nothing you need worry about.

What Gambling Sites Are Not On Gamstop?

So, now that we know how sites not covered by Gamstop stack up against “regular” UKGC-licensed online casinos, let’s take a look at some of the best non-Gamstop casinos to play at and the types of game they offer, including some new online casinos not on Gamstop you might be unfamiliar with.

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